Council has adopted Amendment C367, rezoning land at 2-120 Mollers Lane in Leopold and paving the way for a new residential development.
The decision to support the rezoning of the land from Farming Zone to General Residential Zone and a planning permit for a staged subdivision of approximately 530 lots comes after a thorough process.
It saw the public given an opportunity to provide feedback on the Amendment and subdivision plan in May and June 2018, before submissions were heard by an independent panel in December.
The Panel's recommendations have been taken into account in Council's final decision.
The land, on the southern outskirts of Leopold, is mostly within the town's settlement boundary as shown in the Leopold Structure Plan.
A small area outside the settlement boundary has been included in the Amendment and subdivision plan, to avoid creating an isolated parcel of low value farmland.
The approved subdivision plan includes a one hectare local park. City officers argued strongly for this park to be included in the plan during the panel hearing, viewing it as an important area of public open space for future residents.
In addition, there will be public open space along the two waterways that bisect the area.
The planning permit also includes conditions to conserve and manage the local environment, including drainage works to protect Lake Connewarre from the impact of stormwater runoff.
As part of the subdivision, the developers will be required to deliver improved infrastructure, including widening of Mollers Lane, traffic lights at the Bellarine Highway intersection, parkland and drainage works. The developers will also be required to contribute $40,000 per hectare to community infrastructure in Leopold.
A complete copy of the independent panel's report is available here.
The amendment and permit will now be submitted to the Minister for Planning for final approval.
Mayor Bruce Harwood:
This subdivision is well located close to sporting, community and educational facilities, and the conditions of the planning permit will see the necessary infrastructure put in place to make it a good place to live.
Councillor Jim Mason, Chair, Sustainable Development portfolio:
I'm confident that we've been through a number of thorough and complex processes regarding this matter that have allowed all aspects of the development proposal to be carefully considered.There are some very positive features within the subdivision plan, including the one-hectare park, the open space beside the waterways, and the development contributions being allocated to community infrastructure in Leopold.
