Casey Council has resolved to request the Minister for Planning to appoint an independent panel to consider the concerns raised by the community in response to the Collison Estate Planning Scheme Amendment at the 19 March council meeting.
The concerns regard the traffic impacts, drainage timing, and inclusion of infrastructure items for reimbursement.
The Planning Scheme Amendment C286case will introduce the proposed Collison Estate Development Contributions Plan (DCP) into the Casey Planning Scheme, which details the method to finance most of the needed key infrastructure items.
It will also help implement the proposed Collison Estate Development Plan (DP) into the Casey Planning Scheme, which sets out the development vision and urban structure.
The two plans will guide the redevelopment of the Cranbourne East precinct into a residential area consisting of approximately 1700 dwellings with a local neighbourhood activity centre and community facility.
The amendment attracted 48 submissions, including seven objections and eight support with changes.
Five objectors expressed concerns about the traffic impacts of the proposal on the surrounding road network. One of them stated that the proposed neighbourhood activity centre would cause increased congestion in the area.
Council officers responded to the concerns that the council had prepared a traffic impact assessment via specialist traffic management experts to advise how best to manage traffic and road infrastructure needs and impacts on the precinct and surrounds.
“Council will continue to assess traffic conditions and prioritise road improvement projects over time,” it stated.
“The temporary traffic impacts due to construction activities will be managed via the planning permit process to minimise inconvenience where possible.”
Three submitters had questions about the timing and process for the transfer of land to the council for needed drainage reserves and infrastructure.
Four submitters questioned the rationale for the delivery timing of certain road infrastructure set out in the DCP and asked why certain Local Access Streets were not included for DCP reimbursement.
Casey Council has proposed two changes after assessing all submissions, which are redesigning an existing traffic island with increased width and amending the road designations of Casey Fields Boulevard and Linsell Boulevard to connector roads.
It believed that the most appropriate way to address the submissions are to request the Minister for Planning to appoint a planning panel to consider the submissions and provide submitters with the opportunity to be heard by the planning panel.
The planning panel’s report is required to be brought back to a future council meeting before the council decides to adopt the amendment with or without changes or abandon the amendment.
