by Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Greater Dandenong councillor wants further scrutiny of flood impacts before the council endorses a proposed rezoning of a creekside parcel of farmland in Bangholme.
The northern-most parcel of 250 Fernside Drive is on floodplains just north of Eumemmerring Creek.
As part of Amendment C239gdan, it is proposed to rezone the 3.5-hectare site – which adjoins industrial land in Dandenong South – from Farming Zone to Industrial 3 Zone.
Currently, the council is also assessing a plan to subdivide the site into three lots. The applicant also holds a permit to build two warehouses on the land.
At a 8 July council meeting, Cr Rhonda Garad said the site is within the “Bangholme retarding basin” – a “critical” flood mitigation measure to protect residents at Willow Lodge retirement village as well as suburbs downstream.
Nearby upstream are more than 500 residents at Willow Lodge.
A few hundred metres downstream, the creek converges with Dandenong Creek to form Patterson River which flows by Eastern Treatment Plant, Patterson Lakes and Carrum.
According to a council report, Melbourne Water has stated it doesn’t have any objection to the rezoning on the basis of flood risk, “subject to conditions”.
However Cr Garad moved for the council to be “fully informed” by an independent report from an interstate hydrology expert as well as advice from a public-liability lawyer.
She said the studies should be given “however long it takes”, given the “grave” risk to Willow Lodge residents’ lives and potentially “extremely high” legal exposure to the council.
Cr Sean O’Reilly questioned the cost and time in going beyond the advice of Melbourne Water – “the expert in this area” – and the council’s drainage engineers.
He said the Planning Minister would be provided Melbourne Water’s expert submission prior to authorizing the rezoning.
Cr Garad countered that Melbourne Water was not independent. It was shown to have used “dated flood mapping” during the inquiry into flooding of homes near Flemington Racecourse.
In 2017, councillors voted down a previous request to rezone the land.
However in 2022, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal overturned a council refusal to permit two warehouses on the site.
On 8 July, council officers recommended that Greater Dandenong seeks authorization from the Planning Minister to prepare the C239gdan rezoning without changes.
Councillors voted to seek a costings report to further consider Cr Garad’s proposal.
