Warehouse makes way for homes

By CASEY NEILL

A CRANBOURNE West industrial area is a step closer to being rezoned for housing.
City of Casey councillor Gary Rowe met with Planning Minister Richard Wynne on 3 June to ask him to reconsider zoning for an 800 metre parcel along the Westernport Highway.
He presented a petition signed by more than 730 people from the neighbouring 900 properties who are concerned about trucks and warehouses being so close to their homes.
“We had a very favourable meeting with the minister and the minister has indicated that he will be coming to Cranbourne to visit Cranbourne West and then make a decision or recommendation to us after that,” Cr Rowe said.
“The only thing he could say was in the next two to three weeks.
“He was very attentive and receptive to what we had to say.
“All we can do is just let him come out.
“It’s highly unusual for a minister to come out as quickly as that.
“We’re very, very pleased with the fact that he’s seen fit to do so.”
In May Cr Rowe said sales in the abutting estates had declined since word about the neighbouring industrial zone spread and that industrial sales had been unsuccessful.
“Every one of them, without fail, said ‘we won’t go there – we don’t want the potential conflict with residential neighbours’,” he said.
Ray Walker was at a meeting about the zoning in February and has since become involved with the Save Cranbourne West Action Group.
SCWAG has installed signs in the paddocks at Hall Road and Westernport Highway condemning industrial development and collected signatures on a petition.
“We bought on the basis that what we looked at was going to be residential,” Mr Walker said.
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