samantha in the press - planning

Yarra Ranges Council approves another liquor store in Healesville
Leader Newspapers
by Emily Webb
15 Nov 2011

Healesville liquor store plan stirs council debate
Yarra Ranges Weekly
by Melissa Cunningham
15 Nov 2011

report from the roundtable – 23rd september

This week was a bit quieter than the last meeting, but there’s not many meetings where you get over 400 people attending for one item, the Chirnside Park Golf Club (see blog entry: Friday, September 12, 2008 - report from the round table – 9th September).

There was an application for a church, additions to a winery, development of a function centre, a subdivision of green wedge land and a final draft report for the Chirnside Park Urban Design Master Plan.

There were also items about the Oxfam Close the Gap Campaign, a Drug and Alcohol Working Group and opportunities for Habitat for Humanity Housing.

I never cease to be amazed by the scope of issues Councillors deal with. There is no doubt that planning matters take up an awful lot of time and are probably the steepest learning curve but the range of social issues are enormous as well dealing with the continuing pressures around infrastructure.

Every council meeting allows councillors to raise issues through ‘items raised through the chair’, this time I reported back on correspondence with the Director of Liquor Licensing (LL). Earlier on I had written to the Director of LL outlining my concerns about the display of a liquor licence application for the old Flash Mechanics site in Tecoma (see blog entry: Saturday, August 23, 2008 - display not so flash) and requesting an extension in display time for the application.

I am advised that to date the liquor licence application has received 25 individual objections and a petition with approximately 300 signatures. The Director will continue to accept any further objections until such time as the applicant (BWS – Woolworths Ltd) has submitted all of the supporting documentation required.

I’m pleased that the Director continues to accept objections and that awareness of the application has been raised in the local community.

display not so flash

This week I met with a concerned resident from Tecoma about an application for a liquor licence at 1571 Burwood Highway, Tecoma, the old site of Flash Car Care.
Although the resident was concerned about the merits of the application, of equal concern was the display of the application notice.



View from the footpath, the notice is set back too far to read or observe from the path.





The guidelines are clear and Liquor Licensing Commission states “The notice must be displayed in a manner that invites public attention to the application on its main street frontage of the site or premises in a visible position and at eye level.

Naturestrip in the foreground, a very challenging site, but residents have a right to know what's happening.

In this instance I accept that the location for the sign placement may be due to site constraints, however, the site has poles located near the footpath as well as fences/walls on each of the boundaries and permission could have been sought to display notice of application there rather than on the front window which is set back quite some distance from the footpath.

It is my view that the community are not even aware of this application and they do have the right to be informed and aware.

I have written to the Director of the Liquor Licensing Commission expressing my concern and asking for an extension of time for submissions by residents and have asked if the applicant can explore alternative opportunities to display the notice of application.

It is important that all application notices (whether it be for liquor licensing, planning applications or anything else for that matter) are well within the public view. This may seem trivial but the community has a right to know what is planned for its town and it has a right to respond.

How it should be done, prominent position, fluoro colour so people 'notice the notice'

(the current application for the Belgrave Public Toilets).