A planning panel has released a report considering Amendment C270morn to the Mornington Peninsula Planning Scheme. Among other things, the amendment seeks to rezone some parcels of land within the Shire from Special Use Zone to Green Wedge.
Disappointingly, the panel does not support the proposed rezoning of a key piece of land between Mornington and Mt Eliza to Green Wedge.
The land, at 60-70 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza, is the site of the former Melbourne Business School and the subject of a controversial planning application by Ryman Healthcare for a multi-storey aged care facility and retirement village.
Council and the community are strongly opposed to the proposed development because of its inappropriate scale and potential to erode the vital green buffer separating the townships of Mornington and Mount Eliza.
The proposed new zoning was part of a package of changes designed to protect the Peninsula's highly valued Green Wedge from inappropriate development by rezoning eight parcels of land that lie outside the Urban Growth Boundary.
Sites included in the amendment are:
- Site 1: 60-70 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza (former Melbourne Business School, Mount Eliza Campus)
- Site 2: section of foreshore reserve adjacent to 60-70 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza
- Site 3: 50A McGregor Avenue, Mount Martha
- Site 4: 60 Hearn Road, Mount Martha (Bay Park Scout Camp)
- Site 5: 19 Tallis Drive, Mornington (Mornington Golf Course)
- Site 6: 46 London Bridge Road, Portsea (Portsea Golf Course)
- Site 7: 35 Sunnyside Road, Mount Eliza (Manyung Recreation Camp)
- Site 8: 3875 Point Nepean Road (Point Nepean National Park)
- Site 9: 74-76 Marine Parade, Shoreham (Mentone Grammar camp)
- Site 10: 62 Oakbank Road, Mornington (Padua College)
The Amendment proposes to rezone sites 1 to 8 from Special Use Zone 2 to either Green Wedge Zone, Public Park and Recreation Zone or Public Conservation and Resource Zone. Sites 9 and 10 are proposed to be removed from being exempt from the Metropolitan Green Wedge Land: Core Planning Provisions.
As well as not supporting the rezoning of the Kunyung Road site, the panel does not support the rezoning of the Bay Park Scout Camp at 60 Hearn Road, Mount Martha from Special Use Zone 2 to Green Wedge.
The panel recommends progressing with the remaining elements of Amendment C270morn, subject to two minor changes.
A VCAT appeal by Ryman Healthcare against Council's refusal to grant a permit for its application is currently being heard.
