>>> Residents rally, page 3.
By Jade Lawton
“PREPARE for a fight.”
Those are the words of Berwick Village Chamber of Commerce President Harry Hutchinson, who summed up the mood of the public meeting held at the Berwick RSL on Friday.
The hall, foyer and neighbouring bar were full of people keen to hear a panel of representatives discuss the plans for a six-level supermarket, office, hotel and retail development proposed for Lyall Road.
Mr Hutchinson warned the crowd that he believed the developers, Harmon Group, had budgeted to take the application to VCAT if it was rejected by council.
He said the developers declined to attend the meeting as they thought it would be hostile.
The meeting was chaired by former City of Casey Mayor Kirsty Lottkowitz, who said the strong turn-out, on a wintry Friday night on the eve of a long weekend, proved how important Berwick was to its residents and visitors.
Berwick resident Ian Chisholm, former president of the now defunct Berwick and District Community Association, said his first thoughts when he learned of the proposal were “not again.”
He was one of the residents to fight Harmon Group over a proposal for Inglis Road which went to VCAT and then the Supreme Court, with residents winning both battles, only to lose the war when VCAT approved an amendment to the proposal.
“It is not easy for residents to go to VCAT. It is overwhelming and it is expensive – the developers come along with their QCs and consultants,” he said.
“I hope one day we will go to VCAT and council will support the residents instead of the developer.”
But Mr Chisholm said there was reason to be optimistic; people power had halted a petrol station and fast food restaurant proposed for the entrance of Wilson Botanic Park 20 years ago, and Pioneers Park remains public land because of residents.
Berwick Village Chamber of Commerce Vice-President Annette Aldersea received several rounds of applause during her passionate speech.
Ms Aldersea said the height and design of the development was inappropriate, did not comply with the village planning scheme and would overwhelm the village.
“There was a comment (in another newspaper) that Harmon Group would bring quality retail, which the village now lacks – this is a disgraceful insult to all businesses in Berwick,” she said.
“The Berwick Village Chamber of Commerce encourages development, but not of this size. This belongs on St Kilda Road, not in Berwick Village.”
President of the Casey-Cardinia branch of the National Trust, Ruth Crofts, said the structure would set an irreversible precedent that would destroy the village.
Resident Simon Pitt said it was ironic that the developers had applied for a reduction in car spaces for the Lyall Road site, which is currently used for parking overflow to ease pressure on the village’s already scarce parking spaces.
“Berwick is one of the oldest villages in the shire and its preservation should be cherished rather than handed to developers,” Mr Pitt said.
Edrington Ward councillors Simon Curtis and Daniel Mulino, along with Casey planning officers, made short speeches and accepted questions from the crowd.
A recurring complaint from residents, especially those living nearby the development, was a lack of forewarning from council.
Cr Curtis encouraged anyone who had not yet made a formal submission to do so, and said a decision on the development was likely to be announced at a council planning meeting in late July.
“It sounds like a lot of people did not receive forms, but you can remedy that by filling in a form now,” Cr Mulino said.
The meeting ended with a call for interested parties to form an independent committee that would keep track of the development’s progress.
“If anyone is sitting here thinking well what’s the point – if we sit here and do nothing, he’s already won.
“If we all stick together we can make a difference. It’s called people power and we can make changes,” Ms Aldersea said.
My View, page 21.
