Residents north and south upset over developments

Developments on two sides of Gisborne are causing anger and anxiety among residents. They are at Ross Watt Road, New Gisborne, and the new phase of the Willow Gisborne development in the south of Gisborne.

Ross Watt Road: A 2021 application for a development of more than 700 lots at 89 Ross Watt Road is expected to be heard in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) this month after the council, referral authorities (ie utilities and emergency services) and the developer could not agree on amendments to the plan.

The council refused a planning permit based on objections raised by the referral agencies relating to traffic, native vegetation, drainage and interface of the development with Rosslynne Reservoir and Jacksons Creek.

New Gisborne and Gisborne residents lobbied against the permit application from the beginning, and a large group of residents has put together a detailed and thorough submission to VCAT in support of the council's rejection of the development.

Their submission discusses "numerous errors of fact" in the developer's documentation, as well as "noncompliance with regulated requirements, clear conflicts and contradictions within reports, and obvious and unacceptable bias in findings and recommendations that favour the development."

Willow Gisborne: Residents in the area of Stephen’s Creek, which courses north from Brooking Road through the new Willow development in Gisborne, have reported to Melbourne Water that no water is flowing as heavy machinery goes back and forth across the creek – they say developers were supposed to redirect the creek to protect the flow while earthworks were under way.

In addition, every tree on the creek between Drysdale Drive and Rothschild Road was removed in mid-February. This includes native trees that were planted a few years ago.

The removal of the trees is heartbreaking for nearby residents who enjoy the birds and other wildlife for which the creek and trees have provided a habitat.

A resident said that one particular family of magpies had lived in the same tree near Buckland Boulevard for eight years. The male magpie raised 18 chicks in that time. Its home has been destroyed.

With no water source now for any birds in the area, the resident has asked people in the vicinity to think about putting bowls of water out in the garden for them.

Melbourne Water confirmed that the permit required that water flow be redirected before construction began and that a compliance check would be made.

An officer also said that as part of the permit conditions, vegetation was to be replaced after construction.

This is small consolation for current residents. One said, "I know the development of 600 homes is well underway but any native trees when eventually planted in the future will not be seen by me in my lifetime as it will be too long before they grow to maturity."

Jason Marshall, who moved to Gisborne in January, almost lost his lower leg last month after he inadvertently knocked an axe from a high place in his shed and it fell and cut him. He shared his experience on the Gisborne Community Facebook page and encouraged other residents to be careful of storing dangerous objects in high places.

House #3 of the 2022 season of television show The Block in Gisborne, which was bought by Adrian Portelli for a reported $4.25m after it failed to sell at auction, was raffled off through an online site recently and won by a couple from Ballarat.

Filming for a feature film took place at the Gisborne Motel and Sankey Reserve in February, possibly for a crime thriller called Sleeping Dogs starring Russell Crowe that is based on E O Chirovici’s novel The Book of Mirrors Professional