The Local Paper - Wednesday, May 31, 2017 - Page 00
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Special Report
KINGLAKE CEMETERY PLAN ABANDONED Better uses possible, meeting told Deviation Rd
Blackwood La. Frank Thomson Reserve
COMMENT
WhittleseaKinglake Rd
People Power vs Council
KINGLAKE CENTRAL ■ Kinglake residents voiced their loud opposition to a planning decision that might allow a cemetery and crematorium on precious land overlooking Melbourne, last week’s Council meeting was told. Resident Jemima Richards reminded Murrindindi Shire Councillors that they had been elected on a platform of doing things differently and better. “You asked for a chance. We want to give it to you,” she said. Council had one opportunity to reject the proposal, and to instead look at better use of the land, and the economic development or tourism opportunities. Ms Richards said she was amazed that Council’s Planning and Economic Development staff had no communication between departments about the proposal. Long-time resident John Griffiths said the ‘C59’ planning amendment for a cemetery and crematorium had “come out of the blue” last year. The land had been “hijacked”, he said. The property was originally reserved for a Kinglake National Park Office and depot, which was no longer required by the State Government. The State Government since allocated the land to the Kinglake Ranges Cemetery Trust. Murrindindi Shire CEO Margaret Abbey last year advertised the proposal in the Mountain Monthly magazine. “We will ensure the community is kept informed as this matter progresses,” Ms Abbey said in a press statement last year. Mr Griffiths said Ms Abbey published the wrong submission date. Ms Richards said that the Council had a problem if it thought that an advertisment (in Mountain Monthly) was public consultation. Ms Richards said there was a danger that Kinglake was defined by outsiders as only being the ‘Black Saturday’ area. There were other economic development and tourism opportunities possible for this land. “We have an opportunity to do it better.” Nearby resident, Black Saturday survivor Anne Burgess, said that she had dread and fear about a cemetery being allowed so close to her home.
■ Murrindindi Shire Council last week backed away from supporting a Planning Scheme amendment to allow a cemetery on the scenic Ganglehoff Hill land at Kinglake. The public gallery at the Council’s meeting held at Yea last Wednesday was packed with residents, mostly from Kinglake, mostly against the proposal. The proposal to allow the Murrindindi Planning Scheme amendment for land at 265 Whittlesea-Kinglake Rd (Blackwood Lane) had been put forward by the Kinglake Ranges Cemetery Trust, working together with the Department of Health and Human Services. Resident Paul Rogers said there had been a lack of consultation by the Council, and his large number of friends and acquaintances saw the proposal as an “outrage”. Mr Rogers, who has lived in the area for 26 years, and who had an association with Kinglake for 18 years before that, said that Council had the power to “knock out” the amendment. Resident Nigel Head said that the proposal should be abandoned. The land was a gift to the Kinglake community. There had been no consultation, no meetings, no advertising, he said. “The Kinglake Ranges Cemetery Trust: did they consult? The answer is no. “Is a cemetery really required?” Mr Head said that Council’s performance did not pass the community involvement test. A cemetery would destroy the local environment. “Make the land available for the living,” he said, arguing that Black Saturday victims needed to be available to repair. Alex Pottage argued for the proposal. She said the Blackwood Lane site was close to two local churches. She said that the Trust’s proposal had been communicated in two issues of Mountain Monthly and on
● Maureen Jackson of Maureen Jackson Planning the Council’s website. She said that Ms Jackson said other authorithe 19 objections were not represen- ties had no objection, it had been a tative of the Kinglake community. transparent process, and the proposal Ms Pottage said an online survey should be referred to a panel for inconducted by the Kinglake Ranges dependent review. Neighbourhood House showed posiCr Margaret Rae asked if the tive public support for the Kinglake land had been reserved as a cemRanges Cemetery Trust’s proposal. etery by the State Government, could Cr Leigh Dunscombe asked how it be ‘unreserved’? the location of the land had been idenCr Dunscombe asked what guartified in the KRNH survey. antees were in place that a crematoMaureen Jackson of Maureen rium would not be built at the site. Jackson Planning Pty Ltd said the Cr Jackie Ashe queried when deupper part of the Blackwood Lane signs of the proposed cemetery site could still be used for other com- would be available. munity purposes. The proposal was abandoned.
■ Murrindindi Shire Council learned a tough lesson about community consultation at its monthly meeting held at Yea last Wednesday (May 24). A packed public gallery, mostly Kinglake residents, stared down Councillors on a controversial application to allow a cemetery on the picturesque Ganglehoff Hill, that overlooks Melbourne. Council, faced with staunch opposition, blinked first. The meeting heard it admitted that Murrindindi Shire CEO Margaret Abbey made a serious error in advertising a one-month consultation process for the planning application made by the Kinglake Ranges Cemetery Trust. The consultation period, to change the zoning of the Crown land, needed to be two months, the Council meeting was told. The Council had only advertised the proposed change in the Mountain Monthly newsletter. Speaker, followed by speaker, followed by speaker, argued that there was enormous public opposition to allowing the plan at ‘Blackwood Lane’ (265 Whittlesea-Kinglake Rd). Proper consultation had not been made with the Kinglake community, it was repeatedly argued by residents. The proposal put forward by the Kinglake Ranges Cemetery Trust had the support of the Department of Health and Human Services. The only speakers arguing for the proposal at last week’s meeting were Trust member Alex Pottage, and Maureen Jackson, of the planning company engaged by the Trust. In the end, Murrindindi Councillors voted against the Planning Scheme amendment, which also proposed to remove an Environmental Significance Overlay from the land. By now, the Council should realise that it needs to communicate more, on a weekly basis, with the residents of the Kinglake-Pheasant CreekToolangi-Kinglake West area. The only weekly newspaper circulating in a meaningful way in all those areas is The Local Paper. Kimglake’s message to the Council was extremely clear.