Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant has assured the Point Lonsdale community she has been speaking for the community on the proposed Coles development.
In an update released last week Ms Marchant thanked community members for contacting her and sharing their views on the possibility of a new Coles supermarket at 2341-2349 Bellarine Highway, Point Lonsdale.
Ms Marchant said she had been actively involved in representing the community on the issue, including writing to and meeting with both the Geelong and Queenscliffe mayors, hearing directly from Stop Coles organisers and liaising with Ms Kilkenny’s office.
She said she understood the proposed supermarket development had “caused great concern in the community”.
“As per my statement in September, no formal planning application has been lodged by Coles. That remains the case today,” Ms Marchant said.
“The pre-application enquiry for this site is still in its preliminary stages to determine if it is eligible for the Department’s Development Facilitation Program.
“Despite speculation, this project has not entered any formal assessment under the Development Facilitation Program, nor does an acceptance into the program guarantee approval.
“I can confirm that if a formal planning application is lodged at any stage, the community will have the opportunity to have their say.”
“The City of Greater Geelong’s and Borough’s Point Lonsdale structure plan outlines a vision for this entry corridor, including consideration of more suitable zoning, such as a special use
zone focused on tourism or accommodation rather than bulky retail,” she said.
“The minister has written to the City of Greater Geelong to confirm its responsibilities as the planning authority.
“The recent announcement to expand the RAMSAR-listed wetlands on our coastlines further strengthens my deep commitment to safeguarding the most environmentally significant parts of our region.”
The proposal is yet to progress beyond the first stages of a pre-application enquiry to determine whether the proposed development would be eligible for the Victorian government’s Development Facilitation Program (DFP), overseen by Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny.
Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj has been vocal in his support of the community on this matter, but if the proposed supermarket were deemed eligible for the DFP the development would bypass municipal planning procedures, with the minister the sole arbiter of the issue.
