Casey councillor Mick Morland says valuable land in Berwick has become a dumping ground after council rejected an application to build a small supermarket there.By Rebecca Fraser
PLANS for a new supermarket in Berwick have been knocked back by Casey Council for the second time.
Heated debate erupted at Tuesday’s council meeting as councillors argued over a proposal to rezone land in Michelle Drive to make way for a small supermarket.
The proposal was knocked back by the council last year after much debate, but Edrington Ward councillor Mick Morland put the issue back on the agenda in December.
He moved that officers conduct a report into the feasibility of the development and that wellknown property developer Sam Mondous be given another chance to present his application to council.
In a report tabled at Tuesday’s meeting, planning officers knocked back the proposal.
However Cr Morland continued to push for the development urging councillors to accept the plans “in principle”.
“This would have given the developer the chance to come back with a comprehensive and detailed plan and council could have determined whether the proposal met the relevant needs and requirements and then we could say yay or nay,” Cr Morland said.
Cr Morland said many residents living on the Berwick Springs side of Clyde Road and in Narre Warren South were having to risk their lives by crossing a busy intersection to shop at the new Eden Rise Shopping complex.
He said councillors had shown a lack of vision and acted childishly when they rejected the proposal and when they also called for the decision to be deferred.
“This site has a very long history,” he said.
“At the moment we have 45,000 cars a day driving along Clyde Road and people are taking their lives into their own hands by having to duck over to the supermarket.”
Cr Morland said suggestions had been made to build offices at the site but a small supermarket was a much better option for residents.
“Why ask the developer to build something that he can’t rent out?” he said.
“At the moment we have valuable land that looks like the pits and we have a tip behind one of the best hotels in the area.”
Deputy mayor Rob Wilson also supported the development and when the plan was eventually knocked back dubbed the move the “most visionless” notice of motion he had ever seen.
“We are telling the residents of Berwick Springs that you have to cross a major freeway – because that is what it is – to go to the supermarket,” he said.
Cr Lorraine Wreford supported the planning report and voted against the proposed development.
“You cannot win every argument and you have got to look at other outcomes for that site,” she said.
Cr Colin Butler also questioned why the proposal had been brought up again.
“Council has considered this twice already. It was lost and back it comes again.
“Why? Because some people think they can talk the new councillors around.
“I am glad that council has made a responsible decision and thrown this out,” Cr Butler said.
