THERE has been no objection from the Country Fire Authority or the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action.
Neither has Ausnet, the Department of Transport and Planning, South Gippsland Water nor the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, objected to a $13.66 million expansion of the Inverloch RACV Resort.
So, why is the Bass Coast Shire Council set to reject a 44-room extension to this highly-regarded, 5-star hotel, a comprehensive application complete with a new wedding deck offering commanding views of Bass Strait?
What’s not to like?
Even the shire’s own Planning Policy Framework (PPF) generally supports the proposed development, recognising the importance of providing for out-of-centre tourism accommodation opportunities and well-designed projects.
Exactly what could be wrong with a project that develops the scope of this region’s visitor accommodation?
It’s the flood hazard, they say, most of it related to potential for Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road to be impacted by erosion, storm surge and inundation by the sea.
And until there’s a resolution to the long-winded Cape-to-Cape Resilience Project, supposed to recommend work to hold back erosion along the foreshore at Inverloch, and in particular, to protect Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road from inundation by the sea – it’s a no go, we are told.
The West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority has objected to the proposal because, among other things, “it relies on low-level access without an alternative ingress/egress point, which in a major flooding event would present unsafe conditions for visitors, vehicles, and emergency services personnel”.
From the report to council:
“Discussions were held with WGCMA, Council, and the applicant, and a Draft Emergency Management Plan for flood hazards was prepared and submitted to WGCMA for review. This plan ultimately listed a range of measures that could be adopted but is not considered to adequately detail a “specific suite of actions to be taken by RACV to identify the hazard and minimise the risk associated with a flooded egress route”.
“A follow up response from WGCMA concluded that the authority maintains its objection to the proposed development until such time as the Cape to Cape Resilience Plan outlines an agreed set of actions to manage and mitigate the risk of inundation to the Cape Paterson-Inverloch Road and this plan is finalised and approved by the Minister and all partner agencies.
“A revised, detailed emergency management plan, that is based on the information within the adopted Cape to Cape Resilience Plan, will also be required to enable the Authority to support the development.
Key features of the proposal include:
· Construction of an additional 44 accommodation rooms above and adjacent to the existing residential building at the eastern end of the allotment.
· Relocation of an existing villa from the building site further west into the allotment.
· The construction of a wedding deck to the east of the proposed accommodation building with views out to Bass Strait.
· Construction and provision of an additional 39 car parking spaces, ultimately seeking a waiver of five spaces.
The site already features an existing resort, which includes a total of 123 accommodation options including 25 resort rooms, 26 ocean view rooms, villas, 12 ensuite caravan sites, and 20 caravan sites as well as restaurants, sports, walking tracks and conference venues often used by the Bass Coast Shire Council.
