By BRIDGET COOK
THE City of Casey will investigate rezoning land in Clyde after growing community concerns about the planned industrial development in the area.
Two petitions were tabled at Tuesday night’s council meeting objecting to a parcel of land, bounded by Clyde Road, South Gippsland Highway and Ballarto Road, being zoned for industrial development.
One petition, with 149 signatures, was from Lighthouse Christian College Cranbourne, which feels industrial development next to the school would hamper its growth.
The other petition was lodged by development and environment consultants Beveridge Williams, on behalf of 155 landowners in the area.
City of Casey mayor Geoff Ablett, who tabled the two petitions, said the council would look into the matter.
“Landowners and the school would prefer to see the land used for residential development,” he said.
“Industrial development close to residential areas doesn’t work, we need to make sure there’s a good buffer area between the two.”
Lighthouse Christian College Cranbourne administration manager Zoe Mathews said the school would much prefer the land be used for residential development.
“We were approached by our neighbours who were concerned about the land being zoned industrial,” she said.
“As a school, we feel it would be better and give us more opportunity for growth and expansion if the neighbouring land was zoned residential.
“If it was zoned industrial, we feel it could hamper our growth and families might not want to send their children here if it’s next to an industrial area.
“With housing being next door, it would instead give families the opportunity to purchase land and live near the school.
“We have a lot of families travelling great distances to get here, so the opportunity to build close to the school would be great.
“Housing prices are also so expensive, so the more land released for residential development will make it more affordable.”
A report on the two petitions will come back to a council meeting in August.
