[2025] VCAT 571
General information, not legal advice.
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
2025-06-27
Original judgment source is linked above.
To ensure that the design and construction of buildings and open space contributes positively to the surrounding area and is of appropriate scale and standard, with an emphasis on solar access and environmental sustainability.
To ensure development capitalises on views across the Ovens River, King River, parks and other key open space areas.
To accommodate a diverse range of uses, including retail, food and beverage, residential and office employment that contributes to activity and vitality.
To ensure integration with the public domain through the creation of active streets, river frontages and links with key walking and cycling networks, and open space areas including public squares. This includes providing pedestrian links throughout the area to improve access and walkability.
To ensure development and land uses appropriately respond to bushfire hazards from the Ovens River corridor, Kaluna Park and Merriwa Park interfaces.
Are the traffic impacts and management of traffic acceptable?
The application was referred the Department of Transport and Planning as the relevant road management authority for Ryley Street. Following a request for further information, the application was amended to address a number of traffic management concerns raised by the Department which is the current layout addressed in this report. This layout was re-referred to the Department who provided conditional consent to the proposal. The amended layout sought to address traffic being directed back through the residential road network, and now seeks to direct traffic (both ingress and egress) via Ryley Street and Perry Street exclusively. There may be some traffic that still utilise Meldrum Street, although it will no longer be a necessity in order to exit on Ryley Street as direct access is provided as part of the development herein. Further to this, Council's Technical Services Unit as the local road management authority also provided conditional consent to the proposal for the use of Perry Street for ingress and egress. Therefore, the traffic management to and from the site is considered to meet the relevant legislative requirements and is satisfactory to the relevant road management authorities.
In relation to Meldrum Street, I do not expect there to be any material use of this street, as the existing access is to be removed and vehicles cannot turn right in to the site from Perry Street. Therefore, the only potential movements to Perry Street would be from vehicles departing the site and wanting to head to the north east, albeit this is relatively convoluted and it is just as easy to turn left on Ryley Street and then undertake a u-turn, a short distance to the west.
Based on the characteristics of the proposed use and restriction of movements to left-in / left-out at both the Ryley Street and Perry Street accesses, I am of the view the development will make no material change to traffic conditions in the area.
Ensure that development is not prejudiced and community amenity and human health is not adversely impacted by noise emissions.
Minimise the impact on human health from noise exposure to occupants of sensitive land uses (residential use, child care centre, school, education centre, residential aged care centre or hospital) near the transport system and other noise emission sources through suitable building siting and design (including orientation and internal layout), urban design and land use separation techniques as appropriate to the land use functions and character of the area.
6. The application has not provided a suitable design response to ensure it does not detrimentally affect the amenity of the neighbourhood, with particular respect to noise and vapour, pursuant to Clause 34.01-2.
The Commercial 1 Zone seeks to "create vibrant mixed use commercial centres", with the subject site being located on the immediate outer of the central activity centre for Wangaratta. The immediate commercial surrounds contain larger commercial enterprises (Coles, Kmart, etc), take away food premises (McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, KFC and Subway), other service stations and smaller food and drink premises, and a number of accommodation premises. There is also a residential interface to the south (Meldrum Street) that is within the Neighbourhood Residential Zone - Schedule 1, that is also affected by the Heritage Overlay - HO20 (this overlay does not affect the subject site). The surrounding area has an established mixed character, with a large variation of built form and extent of signage. The area is also characterised by Ryley Street, which is an arterial road and provides connection to the eastern and western ends of Wangaratta to the Hume Freeway. This is a high traffic area, with high visitation to the commercial premises along Ryley Street and through traffic to the central activity centre. Therefore, this is an area that already has traffic and associated noise as part of the everyday lived experience. The previous land use for a tyre repair centre was consistent with the mixed use character found within the surrounding area, and was in contrast to the residential character to the south. Therefore, based on this mixed character and proximity to Ryley Street, that proposal is considered to be appropriately located and zoned.
Although, whilst the site may be appropriate for a service station development generally, consideration must be given to the proposed 24-hour operation of the use. Whilst the subject site has been used for commercial purposes previously, the tyre repair centre was not a 24-hour operation. The proposed intensification must be considered against the purpose of the zone and compatibility with surrounding land interfaces. This is a location that is already affected acoustically by traffic noise at night and standard conditions can be imposed to ensure that light spill is not directed towards residential properties (headlight movements can be screened via landscaping). Illuminated signage is also proposed to be located along Ryley Street on the opposite side of the subject site from the residential interface. The proposal is not a land use that would inherently draw additional visitors to the town out of normal hours, therefore, it is not considered that 24-hour operations would necessarily increase traffic noise and movements at night. Therefore, it is unlikely that there will be an unreasonable amenity impact.
In my experience, a typical service station use does not emit any high levels of noise and service stations are often sited abutting residential interfaces, with many examples of this across Victoria. This includes an operating service station and car wash on the opposite side of Ryley Street from the Subject Land (APCO). The Subject Land is within the C1Z and there are obviously a number of other commercial uses along Ryley Street, including fast food restaurants and retail premises. Expectations about noise amenity are usually tempered for residents in proximity to non-sensitive land zoning. Indeed, the Regulations and Noise Protocol increase the noise limits (or what is considered reasonable noise) the closer a sensitive receptor is to a commercial or industrial land zoning. Case in point, there are two dwellings at 15-17 Moore Street abutting the southwest corner of the Subject Land which are within the C1Z. These residents should not have the same noise amenity expectation as those within residential zoning and higher noise limits apply for these properties in accordance with the Noise Protocol.
The broad use of a service station is normally confined to transient sources, and are not normally contentious issues with regard to noise impacts, such as:
a) Customer vehicles entering and exiting; and
b) Fuel tanker and kiosk deliveries.
In relation to deliveries, these sources occur very infrequently and are normally controlled by limiting the hours for deliveries to avoid impacts during sensitive times. Unleaded and diesel fuel delivery is gravity fed at service stations, which essentially makes no noise due to the lack of any mechanical pumping requirements. My instructions are that LPG is not proposed at this site, which would otherwise require mechanical pumping.
While the Application also proposes a food & drink premises, the proposal is not for a more intensive type of fast-food chain and my instructions are that the intended hours of operation are 8am-10pm. There is already a Hungry Jacks convenience restaurant with drive through directly opposite the Subject Land on Perry Street, operating with similar hours.
Is the management of other amenity impacts such as odour and lighting acceptable?
A use must not detrimentally affect the amenity of the neighbourhood, including through the:
residents of land in C1Z (or immediately proximate to C1Z land) cannot expect the same level of amenity as that experienced by residents in residential zones, removed from commercial land. What this means is that there needs to be some acceptance of amenity impacts that would not arise in exclusively residential areas;
Use and development of a Service Station and Retail Premises, Alteration of access to a road in a Transport Zone 2 and installation of signage.
1(d) A notation that the roof and the rear wall of the bin enclosure must be constructed of a material with either an acoustic rating of at least 29 dB Rw or with a surface density of at least 12 kg/m2.
1(d) The addition of a barrier/fencing to prevent bins associated with the food and drink premises entering the landscaping areas.
Conditions 6, 8 and 9 delivery and waste collection times.
Condition 14 management of patrons on the site
Condition 18 Lighting and DTP Signage conditions
Before the development starts, a Lighting Plan to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority must be submitted to and approved by the Responsible Authority. When approved, the Lighting Plan will be endorsed and will form part of this permit. The Lighting Plan must provide that all external lighting be designed, baffled and located so as to prevent any adverse effect on adjoining land to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority.
Before the development starts, a Lighting Plan to the satisfaction of the responsible authority must be submitted to and approved by the responsible authority. When approved, the Lighting Plan will be endorsed and will form part of this permit. The Lighting Plan must provide that all external lighting be designed, baffled and located so as to prevent any adverse effect on adjoining land, and that signage illumination consider ambient night mode and / or to minimise nighttime presence, to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority.
Display of pylon sign, promotion sign, and internally illuminated business signage.
Alteration of access to a road in a Transport Zone 2
be generally in accordance with the amended plans submitted to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in Application No. P1626/2023 comprising the following:
a) include a separate signage sheet outlining the dimensions, nature and finishes of all signage on the site which must include:
- A notation on the plans that canopy fascia banding is not illuminated.
- A notation that the banding on the western elevation of the convenience store is not internally illuminated.
- A notation that the logo signs on the canopy, the pylon sign (except for the electronic fuel pricing component) and the business identification sign forming part of the convenience store are internally illuminated.
b) A notation that all acoustic boundary fencing and the screening of rooftop plant \shall be constructed to have a minimum surface density of 15kg/m2.
c) Screening of 1.5 metres to the acoustic screening of plant on the convenience store.
d) The addition of fencing to prevent bins associated with the food and drink premises entering the landscaping areas and/or being placed against the shared the boundary fence.
e) Provision of line marking or surface treatment to indicate a pedestrian connection between the convenience store and the food and drink premises.
Hours of operation, delivery and waste collection times
a Transport of materials, goods or commodities to or from the land.
c Emission of noise, artificial light, vibration, smell, fumes, smoke, vapour, steam, soot, ash, dust, waste or storm water, waste products, grit or oil.
to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority. The Responsible Authority may consent in writing to the variation of these requirements.
The Responsible Authority may consent in writing to vary any of these requirements.
In accordance with Section 69 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, an application may be submitted to the Responsible Authority for an extension of the periods referred to in this condition.
[1] The submissions and evidence of the parties, any supporting exhibits given at the hearing and the statements of grounds filed have all been considered in the determination of the proceeding. In accordance with the practice of the Tribunal, not all of this material will be cited or referred to in these reasons.
[2] Council submitted that 'this provision is incorrectly stated on the Notice of Refusal as Clause 18.04-2S; it is Clause 18.02-4S'.
[3] PNPE9 plans - site plan, TP-02 (5 July 2024) by Archtistic Design Group.
[4] Town Planning Report by Habitat, dated 28 August 2023, Tribunal Book page 767.
[5] The amended plans adopt a sign height of 9 metres instead of the original 10 metres.
[6] Landscape Plan LP4RevD, prepared by Yonder Landscape Architecture dated 5 July 2024.
[7] Artist impression 3D render prepared by Yonder Landscape Architecture.
[12] Clause 34.01-1, 34.04-4, 34.07-9 (and 52.05 Category 1).
[17] The southern entry gateway approach is identified as starting at One Mile Creek, along Ryley and Murphy Streets to Wangaratta Road/Ford Road intersection, including Ryley and Warby Street intersections.
[18] Evidence provided by Ms Roberts, Yonder Landscape Architect.
[19] Schedule 1 to clause 43.02 DDO, 2.0 Buildings and works.
[20] Artist impression 3D render prepared by Yonder Landscape Architecture.
[21] 17 Moore Street contains a dwelling, and is located immediately to the east of the review site.
Ryley Wangaratta Pty Ltd
Wangaratta RCC [2025] VCAT 571