Over a dozen
residents objecting to a proposed 103-place child care centre in Jetty Road,
Drysdale met the developer today at a meeting convened by the City of Greater
Geelong Strategic Planning Department.
The proposed centre would be on land just south of Jetty Road’s
junction with Cowies Road.
Objectors argued that the proposed centre would be an
inappropriate use of the land, which is zoned Rural Living and features
medium-sized blocks, several with some hobby farming activity.
They added that the proposal contravenes the City of Greater
Geelong’s own policy that Rural Living zones should be ‘green buffers’ between
towns and their rural surrounds.
The objectors also argued that the proposal would introduce
still more traffic into Cowies Road, a ‘country lane’ under pressure already
from motorists using it to avoid the traffic lights in Jetty Road.
Further, objectors pointed out that while the proposed
centre’s opening hours would be 6.30am to 6.30pm, it would in fact be operating
for more than fourteen hours a day including time for setting-up and receiving
deliveries in the morning and cleaning in the evenings. Therefore, they asked
that independent reports be commissioned on the likely noise and light ‘pollution’
from the facility.
Many of the objectors had objected to the 2005 application
to build a child care centre on the property, which had been rejected by the
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. They said that nothing about the
application had changed and couldn’t see why they should have to go through the
whole process once again.
Other objectors were unable to attend the meeting, which was
held at 4.00pm in the council’s Brougham Street offices, and as they couldn’t
take time off from their jobs.
The council has received no letters supporting the proposed
centre.
The next step in the process is that Elena Politidis - the
council officer in charge of the application - will recommend that the council
should either accept or reject it. Her recommendation will then be judged by a
Development Hearings Panel of senior council officers.
Letters of support or objection can be submitted to the
council until a final decision is taken.
