By DANIELLE GALVIN
A BOARDING house in Dunbarton Drive in Pakenham will be able to better service the growing community after a successful planning application to Cardinia Shire Council.
On Monday night, the majority of Cardinia Shire councillors supported the extension of the boarding house from 17 rooms to 28 rooms.
Councillor George Blenkhorn explained that when the initial application came before the council in 2009, councillors rejected it and the matter went to the Victorian and Civil Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
At the time, he said there were a number of objections related to noise, nuisance and car parking problems but none of these problems had eventuated.
“Council’s compliance officers have had no complaints at all from residents,” he said.
“We now have a situation where we are asked to amend the permit to allow 28 rooms on the property,” he said.
“In this shire in the community there is quite a large demand for accomadation of those who don’t have houses.
“The demand is there and mostly these people don’t have cars so the car parking is adequate.”
Cr Blenkhorn said the property was in a good position for the men who board there to walk to the bus stop and train station.
“The management have managed it very well,” he said.
“It is a well-managed facility with a good track record.”
Cr David Young seconded the motion to support the application and said there was a large unmet demand for this sort of facility in the shire.
“The tendency is for the council of the day not to approve but because of the demand they end up being in areas that aren’t quite as desirable to live in as this one is,” he said.
“This facility is being well maintained and there are no problems, and it blends in well.”
The majority of councillors supported the amendment to the planning permit but Cr Collin Ross opposed it on the grounds that the car parking would be insufficient after the extension.
Cr Kate Lempriere said she had been pleasantly surprised with how well the boarding house had fitted in with the community.
Cr Jodie Owen said similar models were run in Dandenong and were working well.
She noted that Victoria Police had no objection to the extension.
