PAKENHAM OFFICER
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Thursday, 30 May, 2024
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Growing minds Students from Maranatha Christian School’s Officer campus donned their gardening gloves on Tuesday 28 May, as part of a Tree Planting Day. The school was one of 123 schools and youth organisations to receive support in the 2023 Victorian Junior Landcare and Biodiversity Grant program, receiving $4362 to drastically increase the school’s biodiversity by creating wildlife corridors on either side of the campus at Officer. Garden coordinator and ex-student Jade Spruitenberg said she was excited to receive the news of the school’s success in receiving the grant. “I couldn’t be happier with how the day played out, we were really blessed with glorious weather,” she said. Story page 2
Ethan and Xander working together to plant a new tree. 409474 Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Church blocked By Corey Everitt VCAT has upheld the council’s rejection of a church off Southeast Boulevard, citing its incompatibility with the industrial area and lack of parking. Cardinia Shire Council rejected a proposal by organisation Heart Changing Ministries for a place of worship in a warehouse unit in the recently constructed industrial estate on Fusion Circuit, Pakenham in December 2023. The organisation applied to overturn the matter at VCAT where they argued their case
against the council’s assertion that the proposal lacked sufficient parking and was incompatible within an area deemed for industry. The applicant countered to the tribunal that places of worship were not prohibited within an industrial zone and that “suitability should be assessed on their merits”. The tribunal heard that the place of worship would not “adversely affect” the surrounding warehouses and the parking arrangement would not give rise to “unreasonable parking demands” as its busiest times would be outside usual business hours and exhibit shared
parking. Though a place of worship can be a permitted use in an industrial area, VCAT member Margaret Baird sided with the council’s individual assessment. “The specific components of this proposal do not, however, support the purpose of the zone and the applicable policies,” Ms Baird said. “I am not persuaded that the site’s context and the modest scale and intensity of the use would not prejudice outcomes being pursued for this location.”
Ms Baird said their concerns were “exacerbated” by the arrangement of parking within the proposal. The proposal requested the use of four parking spaces for the site, which is a reduction from eight agreed to be necessary for its level of patrons. The applicant said further parking would be accommodated by using the extent of the parking in the immediate area and other units accompanied with written and verbal permission given by the occupants. Continued page 2
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