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[2010] VCAT 607
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
2010-04-06
Mr J
Original judgment source is linked above.
(c) The permit is subject to the conditions contained in Appendix 1 to these reasons.
Mr J Gobbo QC with Ms S Brennan of counsel instructed by Best Hooper solicitors. Expert evidence was called from:
Application under Section 149(1)(a) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 [PEAct] against the responsible authority's refusal to approve an amendment to a development plan under Clause 43.04-1 of the Planning Scheme.
Application under Section 77 of the PEAct against the responsible authority's refusal to grant a planning permit (permit application no. WYP2004/08).
Amendment to a development plan, and a permit application, to enable a hotel (70 gaming machines), place of assembly (two community rooms at the first floor of the building), sale and consumption of liquor, a reduction in parking, variation to loading requirements and alterations to access in a Road 1 Zone. Several outdoor areas are shown on the plans associated with different bars, function rooms and the bistro. Three business identification signs are also shown on the plans. An easement requires relocation. A total of 350 at-grade car spaces are all accessed from Point Cook Road. Loading would be shared with the access currently utilised by the abutting shopping centre. The total floor area of the hotel and its associated facilities would be around 2,955 square metres as cited on the plans.
Residential 1 Zone. Development Plan Overlay (Schedule 2). Point Cook Road is in a Road 1 Zone.
Clauses 32.01-1, 32.01-6, 52.05, 52.06-1, 52.07, 52.27, 52.28-2 and 52.29.
The 1.536ha site is vacant land located on the west side of Point Cook Road immediately to the north of the existing Sanctuary Lakes shopping centre. Residential properties are to the north (Architecture Way), north-west (Windsong Way) and west (Castle Court and Ikon Drive). A child care centre is to the north and then houses and a primary school. Residential properties are also opposite the site in the Sanctuary Lakes estate.
The parties were advised at the commencement of the hearing that the Tribunal visited the site on 21 March 2010. The area was revisited subsequent to the hearing.
What are the main grounds argued against the proposed development plan amendment and permit application?
Are the amendments to the development plan acceptable?
Is the proposal acceptable in terms of its layout and potential for off-site amenity impacts?
Before the development starts, application must be made to the Registrar of Titles to register the Section 173 agreement on the title to the land under section 181 of the Act. The owner/operator under this permit must pay the reasonable costs of the preparation and execution and registration of the Section 173 agreement.
(a) At all times during the operation of the use, there must be present on the premises a person over the age of 21 years who is responsible for ensuring that the activities on the premises and the conduct of persons attending the premises do not have a detrimental impact on the amenity of the locality;
(b) Staffing and security arrangements for the premises, including staffing and security to manage the number of patrons and behaviour of patrons on and associated with the premises;
(c) Arrangements for the supervision of external smoking areas by staff after 10.00pm to minimise any noisy behaviour;
(d) Measures to manage any patrons queuing to enter the premises;
(e) Measures to ensure compliance with Conditions 5, 6 and 7.
(f) Monitoring of patrons during peak times by professional crowd security persons;
(g) Training of staff in the management of patron behaviour;
(h) Complaint identification and management;
(i) Security measures to provide for the orderly departure of patrons from the premises at night time.
The Patron Management Plan must not be modified without the prior written consent of the responsible authority, and the premises must be managed in accordance with the Patron Management Plan to the satisfaction of the responsible authority.
Once submitted and approved the works detailed by the plan must be carried out to the satisfaction of the responsible authority.
The responsible authority may extend the periods referred to if a request is made in writing before the permit expires, or within three months afterwards.
[1] As shown on the plan prepared by Bate Architecture Project no. 07037, Drawing no. TP300, dated 14.01.2008.
[2] Development Plan No. DP0032/08 was adopted on 25 November 2002. The plan has been amended twice and the most recent adopted version is dated 30 July 2009.
[4] The Council gave non-statutory notice of the proposed amendment to the development plan including letters to abutting property owners and occupiers and a notice in a local newspaper. One objection was received.
[5] Including Clauses 11, 12, 14, 15.01, 16.02, 17.01, 17.02, 18.02, 19.03, 21, 22.01, 22.05, 22.13, 32.01, 43.04, 56 and 65. I was referred to a series of strategic documents, some of which are referenced in the Scheme, including the Wyndham Growth Area Framework Plan 2006, Werribee Growth Area Activity Centres Strategy 1991 and subsequent draft strategies addressing activity centres in Wyndham, Point Cook Concept Plan (1996), Point Cook Concept Plan report (2000), Place of Assembly and Worship Guidelines, Electronic Gaming Machine Policy (adopted not within the Scheme) as set out in Mr Rantino's submission and attachments. I have considered all of these materials mindful that those that are not referred to in the Scheme, or not referenced in the Scheme, do not have the weight of the Scheme provisions and policies.
[6] For example, in the 1996 Point Cook Concept Plan the local community activity centre and school were east of Aviation Road (now known as Point Cook Road). The Point Cook Sub-region Retail Floorspace Needs Study referred to a local centre as 1,000 - 6,000 sq.m. A 1998 Activity Centres Strategy refers to a permit issuing for a supermarket based shopping centre at 12,5000m2 at the corner of Point Cook and Sneydes Road (that is south of the current Sanctuary Lakes shopping centre). In the Point Cook Concept Plan Report 2000 a "community activity centre 12,500 GLFA" is shown on the west side of the Point Cook Road with a smaller centre in the area now known as Sanctuary Lakes estate. A 2006 draft Activity Centres strategy, now superseded by later uncompleted work, refers to the Sanctuary Lakes shopping centre as a "neighbourhood large" centre with an existing floor area of 6,500 m2 with room for expansion to the west. The same centre was proposed at that time to be a "large neighbourhood centre" in the hierarchy (7,000m2 to 15,000m2 retail floorspace) with floor space guides being referred to as indicative at page 41.
[8] Clause 21.04 Map 2 Wyndham Strategic Framework Plan, Clause 21.05 Map 6 Availability of Local and Regional Employment and Map 7 Activity Centre Locations.
[10] Such as those found in the schedule to the Business 1 Zone in the Wyndham Planning Scheme.
[11] Different figures are referred to in the material before me. The latter is in Mr Fetterplace's evidence at page 3.
[12] Point Cook Concept Plan Report 2000.
[13] Only three categories appear to be displayed on Maps 2, 6 and 7 in Clause 21- local, sub-regional and regional.
[14] Walker Corporation Pty Ltd v Wyndham CC [2007] VCAT 1396 and specifically paragraph 60 and footnote#33.
[15] The letter refers to a hotel but does not appear to expressly cite the gaming machines. Clauses 52.28 is referenced in the objection. The Council's also refers to the exclusion of third parties in the process. These factors may have influenced the level of submissions.
De Group Pty Ltd
Wyndham CC [2010] VCAT 607