Three Brimbank landowners have fronted Melbourne Magistrates Court in the past month for continued breaches of the city’s planning scheme.
City development director Stuart Menzies said the court fined two landowners $5000 each and ordered them to pay additional costs of $150 each after they were convicted of operating a materials recycling operation in Industrial Drive in Sunshine without a planning permit and in contravention of the Brimbank planning scheme.
Another landowner was fined $8000 and ordered to pay additional costs of $75 for operating a materials recycling operation in Meadowview Drive, Cairnlea, without a permit. A fourth case will be heard at the end of this month.
The council’s planning compliance unit also issued 12 planning infringement notices to landowners and tenants for continued non-compliance with the planning scheme. Half of them were served on properties in the Sunshine North industrial area.
“Planning infringement notices and VCAT [Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal] or magistrates court proceedings have generally only been pursued when landowners or tenants have failed to meet the fair and reasonable timeframes,” Mr Menzies said.
“This is despite the continued efforts by the … unit to work with landowners and tenants.”
