By Cam Lucadou-Wells
The controversial Bangholme Market proposed in Greater Dandenong’s Green Wedge has been put to pasture by the State Government.
A State Government planning advisory committee report recommended against the 5000 square-metre sterilisation facility and 8000 square-metre wholesale warehouse.
Planning Minister Richard Wynne has formally endorsed the committee’s advice.
The proposal – on a 37-hectare site at Harwood Road – would result in the “loss of considerable agricultural land from one of the larger properties in the Green Wedge”, the committee stated. “Significantly, the proposed development is contrary to the Green Wedge Policy vision of providing green spacious relief from surrounding urban development.”
It did not meet design and siting guidelines under Greater Dandenong’s own green-wedge management plan, according to the committee.
“The Committee considers that the net community benefit of protecting green spacious relief for present and future generations outweighs any benefit resulting from a wholesale market operating on the subject land.”
The proposal by DandyFresh and developer Intrapac was approved by Greater Dandenong Council in July 2017.
Defenders of the South East Green Wedge lodged an appeal against the decision, which was later called in by Mr Wynne.
Barry Ross, of the defenders group, said the Government sent a “strong message” that it was committed to protecting Green Wedges.
“(It) sends a warning shot over the bows of developers and land speculators attempting to exploit Green Wedges.
“Our Green Wedges are meant to be open, rural areas used for agriculture, conservation and recreation, not intensive commercial operations like the proposal Produce Market.”
Mr Ross said he hoped Greater Dandenong Council learnt a lesson in what had been a time-consuming and expensive fight for the community group.
“It has an excellent Green Wedge Management Plan with strong guidelines that it totally ignored in its decision to approve the Produce Market.”
Intrapac spokesperson Sofia Dedes said the developer had worked hard with the council and “supportive stakeholders” on a proposal that would have created 200 local jobs.
“This project is vital to Melbourne’s south east.
“Intrapac Property have spent millions of dollars to support the growers of the south-east who are currently forced to travel to and from Epping creating further congestion on our roads and adding costs to consumers.”
Greater Dandenong councillor Matthew Kirwan said the decision was a “vindication” of his dissent against the market.
“This facility was neither a market or rural industry.
“The fact that the applicant wanted to take advantage of cheap land to develop a business that should have been located in a commercial or industrial zone is not our problem.
“In fact (it) is unfair to those industries setting up in the industrial zones of Greater Dandenong, doing the right thing and paying the market price of land.”
Cr Kirwan said if the project was approved, the “push would have been on” to rezone the whole Bangholme East Precinct as industrial land.
Greater Dandenong Council city planning director Jody Bosman declined to comment on the decision and report.
“All applications lodged with Council will continue to be assessed on their individual circumstances and merits.”
Planning Minister Richard Wynne said the Government was “protecting Melbourne’s green wedges and setting a permanent growth boundary for our city, all of which would be under threat under Matthew Guy”.
