community forum notes

Community Forum – Stanley

Mission Statement:

To support and develop a sustainable, thriving and resilient community

through leadership and partnership.

HELD: / 19 July 2016
LOCATION: / Stanley Hall
attendEES:
Councillors / Deputy Mayor Cr Peter Croucher, Cllrs Barbara Murdoch, Roberta Horne, Bernard Gaffney, Cr J O’Connor, Cr Emmerick Teissl
Officers / CEO Gerry Smith / Director Corporate and Community Services Greg Pinkerton / Director Infrastructure Services Ian Ellett / Manager Community Development Kate Biglin
Manager Communications
Roberta Baker
Community members: / 21
1 / WELCOME / Deputy Mayor Cr Peter Croucher
2 / APOLOGIES / Mayor Cr James Trenery, Director Development and Planning Mark Florence, Royston Smith, Grahame Oke, Dave McIntyre
/ ITEM / ACTION / DONE /
3. / Significant Trees Register – Ian Ellett
The register is an initiative of Council with commitment from the Beechworth Trees Consultative Committee, whose members are passionate about giving some protection to trees of significance. The program is based on the National Trust tree register. The criteria for trees and how to nominate is on the Council website. BTCC members are the assessors, and have already assessed a number of trees in the Mayday Hills area. Council has received a number of nominations from right across the shire. There is no legislative protection via the register; it is more a case of raising awareness of significant trees. People can nominate one tree or an avenue of trees. Can nominate trees on council land. More information including nomination forms on Council’s website. www.indigoshire.vic.gov.au/treeregister
4. / Stanley township zoning - Kate Biglin
(Director Mark Florence away, Ian Scholes planning manager on leave.)
Background:
·  The 2014 Council resolution built on the consultant’s report into the issues associated with possible rezoning of parts of Stanley
·  The report fleshed out the issues of appropriate areas of Stanley for enhanced development, protection of agricultural areas and landscapes, and how development in a declared water catchment area can be achieved in the absence of a reticulated waste water treatment system
·  The report provided two options with Option 2 being preferred and supported by the community feedback sought at that time.
·  The Council resolution called for the development of a Structure Plan based on Option 2 which would then be exhibited for public comment. Following that period, a planning scheme amendment process would be implemented, including seeking authorisation from the Minister to proceed.
·  Council’s limited resources were diverted for some time due to Cue Springs matter and others. The draft Structure Plan has now been received and will be placed on exhibition and public comment sought.
·  The Structure Plan identifies the various areas that may be the subject of change, and includes areas earmarked for change from Farming Zone to Township, and Farming Zone to Rural Activity Zone. The proposed changes seek to find the balance between protecting existing social, and environmental aspects, and enabling limited development opportunities to provide a central heart to Stanley with a more diverse offering.
·  The Structure Plan will be placed on the Council website. Copies will be placed at the Stanley Post Office at the school. Stanley residents will be advised of the process via Council communiques and through SRCI.
·  Responses will help shape the final document which will form basis of the formal scheme amendment process.
·  A Council report will be prepared for the August Council meeting seeking support to move to the next phase of the planning scheme amendment process.
·  Important to note that the amendment process also involves another more formal public submission process. In effect the community will get two opportunities at providing comment and feedback.
Kate – we have the draft structure plan to get comments on and that will go to the August council meeting. It is different to what community responded to in 2015. It picks up results of land use study and takes in comments from public planning sessions. In August the Council will consider the report and whether to go to the next phase, which is a fairly lengthy phase. If there is Ministerial approval, a panel is appointed and there is further opportunity for submissions. Could take another year from August by the time panel and consultation processes have taken place.
CEO Gerry Smith – the actual process itself is enshrined in legislation, relevant to individual towns. Process is quite standard. The challenges and requirements of Stanley are unique to this community and that’s what this structure plan has attempted to capture.
Geoff Fryer – waste water management, isn’t that really the nub of the issue for zoning. Is it a condition of rezoning that treatment plant is established?
Kate - centralised waste water disposal systems, noted in plan.
Cue Springs Water Extraction
·  The facility is operating at lower level than late May and June.
·  Reports of any concerns should be made direct to Council’s Planning unit or through Ed Tyrie at SRCI who will communicate the issues to Council.
·  The issue of truck movements in Stanley outside of permitted hours has been clarified.
·  The planning permit condition which state that truck movements to and from the facility must take place within 7am and 7pm, applies to the subject land on which the planning permit is issued. The permit conditions cannot be applied to other parts of Stanley or other parts of the regional or local road network. A truck observed on outskirts of Stanley at 6.50am on its way to the facility is not in breach of the condition.
General discussion took place on the Cue Springs development.
Comments were made about water trucks in the middle of the night, outside the permit hours.
Response: Permit conditions apply to the subject land, not road network or Stanley or other areas. Owner has documentation proving there were no trucks in the area at night.
CEO - every one of the observations have been followed up and owner of Cue Springs has provided information to Council from different sources which have been used to look at these observations. No conclusions that any conditions have been breached. Information coming forward is routinely being checked.
Neil Collins – asked what the difference was between log trucks and water trucks. Log trucks are longer.
Helen McIntyre – log trucks are seasonal, and through SRCI (Stanley Rural Community Inc) we have negotiated with Hancocks to slow the log trucks down, where the subcontractors from Hancocks drive 20k below advisory speed. Particular issue on this roundabout intersection taking short cut through it, on wrong side of traffic island. We pursued that and we now have got an agreement. Long season, conditions pretty dangerous and on snow day last week we were waiting for an accident.
CEO Gerry Smith– re enforcement, vehicles are operating under conditions of planning permit from Council under orders of VCAT. Trucks over white lines etc, this is a police or VicRoads matter.
Permit issues being looked at carefully and reported at monthly Council Meetings as part of the agenda. Permit conditions are monitored carefully and concerns of community are being taken seriously.
Ian Ellett – Council has close working relationship with VicRoads and they are responsive to working hand in hand with us.
Geoff Fryer - from Silver Creek to Stanley and to Cue Springs it’s 100kph, need to think now about reducing speed limit with tourist season soon. Talk to VicRoads and get restriction put on speed limit.
Boyd Collins - residents have to take into account they are in a rural area, logging area for last 100 years, all these trucks going through Beechworth from here not one complaint.
Paul Smith - logging doesn’t happen all the time, I am concerned at the onset of water trucks. With further investment, there will be more and more and all the time. Reduce the amenity of the area.
Boyd Collin - Vicroads has the road through to Beechworth, but at Deep Creek the turn is dangerous. Once wheel gets off bitumen it’s dangerous.
Chris Chamberyon – Stanley has changed, separate issue between log trucks and water trucks.
Helen McIntyre - logging trucks 100 years ago but with horse and dray. Then single semi trailer, b-double is a new phenomenon, people came to farm and grow orrchards here when there were semi –trailers for the logs.
5. / Your Say
Paul Smith – when does the NBN tower start in Stanley?
Response after the forum: Plans have been approved and work is expected to start soon.
Ed Tyrie – information on website www.stanleyvictoria.com.au about the water mining issue. Cue Springs hearing 10 November in Melbourne, 10.30am.
Neil Collins – potholes in roads, impacting on gravel and tarred services. Rather than grade, just pot hole filling would suffice until you can get a grader on them. Need lot of resurfacing on some of our roads. Lot more needs doing now.
Michelle – have done remediation work down to Nine Mile Road. Drain on this side is so overgrown it does not carry water. Causing a torrent at the bottom of that section.
Closed at 7.55pm

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