Concern as rural ‘paradise’ slips away

By Alison Noonan
PEARCEDALE residents are fighting to retain their little slice of rural paradise.
Locals claim overdevelopment is threatening the country feel of the town, accusing developers of trying to suburbanise the area with no regard for the neighbourhood character.
Faye Murphy said she and fellow Pearce Court residents were embroiled in a battle with a developer at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
She said the hearing was brought about by an application to build two units behind an existing dwelling on a quarteracre block, which had been strongly opposed both by Casey Council and neighbours.
“All the neighbours disagree with this development because the land is just not big enough,” Mrs Murphy said.
“This is a lovely little street and all the neighbours get along. We’re like a little family.
“But you start to move away from those people when the developers start moving in and build units. It makes a farm area become suburbanised.
“If this application goes through, Pearcedale developers will just be doing what they like.”
Mrs Murphy said her family decided to buy in Pearcedale for the large properties and town’s quiet nature.
She said she loved the freedoms afforded to locals in rural areas and wouldn’t swap her “little farm” for the world.
“We wanted to buy in a rural area for a reason,” Mrs Murphy said.
“I love it here and I feel very strongly about this.
“There are no houses opposite mine. It’s all farmland. That’s the great thing about it.
“We can have cows, my grandkids can come down and kick the footy out the front.
“But these developments will ruin the whole atmosphere. We won’t have the same freedoms in a suburban area,” Mrs Murphy said.
Derek Mosely, a thirdgeneration Pearcedale resident, said he shared the same concerns as Mrs Murphy, and said rental properties tended to attract a different type of person to owner/occupiers, who form the majority of Pearcedale’s population.
“We can’t object to the sort of clientele that will come, but what it does is start to show that this area can end up like any other area and loses the character of Pearcedale,” he said.
“This is just a moneymaking development exercise.
“They (the developers) are using VCAT to take away the power of council who already said this was not appropriate.”
Balla Balla Ward councillor Colin Butler presented a letter from Pearcedale residents to last week’s council meeting, a letter which sought assurance that council supported residents’ views and would continue to fight overdevelopment in the town.
“This letter was brought about by the influx of planning applications for units in Pearcedale,” Cr Butler said.
“Residents are trying to maintain the character of the area and want assurance from council that we’re with them all the way.”