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PAGES 16 & 17
The Great Southern
Star
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
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PUBLISHED TUESDAY 60 PAGES
The Star’s The Star was announced the best in the State for journalism on Friday night. See story page 7.
DonÊt look down! KAITLYN McNaughton was on top of the world at the St Joseph’s Korumburra fete on Sunday. The Korumburra Primary School 10-yearold seemed more than comfortable as she scaled the climbing wall. See more photos from the fete on page 14, with all the colour and excitement of the St Laurence’s fete on page 2.
Coast D-day VCAT ruling could stifle future development By Bert van Bedaf A LANDMARK ruling on rising sea levels at Waratah Bay could severely limit property development along Victoria’s coastline, including South Gippsland. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal is currently considering the impact of climate change – and specifically, the potential for future coastal flooding - on a proposed subdivision within the township zone of Waratah Bay. The case has been labelled as a “red dot” decision by VCAT, indicating there are wider repercussions from the outcome. Climate change was again in the news last Saturday with yet another Federal Government report warning of rising sea levels, putting billions of dollars of coastal housing and industry at risk by 2100 as sea levels can rise by up to 1.1 metres. Located opposite the beach, the proposed subdivision is next to a recreation reserve and separated from the sea by a road, known as Gale St. The subdivision was approved by South Gippsland Shire Council on November 5 last year but referred to the tribunal by objectors. Following a number of hearings, the tribunal is expected to rule on the proposal within a fortnight. Early last year, the tribunal overturned an-
other approval by the South Gippsland council for six small developments in Toora on similar grounds, involving potential sea level rises due to the effects of climate change. The tribunal applied the so-called “precautionary principle”, finding that increases in the severity of storm events, coupled with rising sea levels, created a reasonably foreseeable risk of inundation of the subject land and the proposed dwellings, which it found unacceptable. The block, on 2 Brown St, is owned by Waratah Bay Caravan Park operator Jim Harry, who wants to build a seafood restaurant on the smaller block to be created by the proposed subdivision. A dwelling already exists on the original block, which would remain on the larger portion. Continued on page 8.
No risk: Jim Harry in front of the property in question.