THE developers of a new housing estate proposed for a five-hectare block of vacant land in Foster are waiting for the South Gippsland Shire Council to make a decision as to whether a planning permit will be issued.
Consultants Beveridge Williams & Co. of Warragul lodged an application for a 61-lot subdivision at the eastern end of Foster on April 26, 2021, on behalf of their client Banksia Gardens Foster Pty Ltd.
The address of the general residential-zoned subject property, as listed in the application, is 50 O’Connell Road, Foster.
The land is bordered by forested reserve Crown land to the north-east, by the Great Southern Rail Trail to the south, and by Parkside Crescent and a neighbouring public reserve to the south-west.
It once formed part of the Munro family’s farm before being sold to Banksia Gardens Foster Pty Ltd some three years ago
Banksia Gardens Foster Pty Ltd directors, Fish Creek geologist Gary Wallis, his brother Peter Wallis and Peter’s wife Christine Wallis, said their local family company “owns five hectares of existing urban land on O’Connell Road.
“[The land] is zoned residential by Council and, prior to 2008, was designated for future housing in Foster,” they said.
“Banksia Gardens Foster Pty Ltd is complying with all [of] Council’s planning requirements and conditions in the design of the subdivision” and that “future development will be staged over many years.”
Mr Wallis said Banksia Gardens “has received comments on the submitted design from Council and objectors and will respond with a revised plan.”
A South Gippsland Shire Council spokesman said the council had “received eight submissions” on the Banksia Gardens Foster Pty Ltd planning permit application.
The spokesman described the contents of the submissions as “expressing concern with the application, [and] addressing a range of issues, mostly related to how the subdivision may affect adjoining lands and local traffic movements.
“Council is working with the permit applicant to see how the submitter concerns may be addressed,” the spokesman said.
“As the matter is still under active consideration there is a current timeline for when the application will be brought to Council for a decision.”
The council sent letters advising adjoining landowners of the Banksia Gardens Foster Pty Ltd application on Thursday May 27, 2021.
A sign advertising the application was erected the same day on the subject land alongside O’Connell Road, where it remained “for 14 days in accordance with our standard advertising process for these matters.”
Notice of the application was “also placed on Council’s webpage during its public notice period.” The official end of the 14-day advertising period was June 15, 2021.
The planning permit application is seeking council approval for the proposed residential subdivision, which includes 61 individual blocks arranged around a circular internal road and two courts named after Australian native plant species.
Most of the blocks shown in the plan included in the 41-page Beveridge Williams document appear to be sized between 500 and 700 square metres in area.
Applicant company director Gary Wallis said “the interim design for Banksia Gardens estate is based on what council tells us we can do.
“The application is currently sitting with council,” he said.
“We are aware there are some people with concerns, however council will sort it all out, and we will certainly comply with all of the required conditions.”
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