By Tate Papworth
Kealba residents are celebrating after VCAT ruled against a development plan for more than 200 apartments and townhouses on the former Kealba Secondary College site.
Residents had long held concerns that the proposal was excessive and would create multiple issues.
The Brimbank council also had a number of issues with the proposal, however the developer decided to have the matter heard at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal before councillors could vote on the matter.
VCAT member Tracey Bilston-McGillen said a number of items needed to be addressed, including the need for a carparking plan, which identifies roads, pedestrian, cycles and vehicle access locations.
She said the Driscolls Road frontage should be reviewed and the scale and type of houses fronting the street should be reconsidered.
Concerns about the proliferation of garages and driveway entries was also listed as an area to be addressed.
A spokesperson for Kealba Residents Against Over Development said it was cause for celebration.
“It’s amazing. Everyone was really surprised at how much support we got,” she said.
“I think we were a little dubious, especially in Kealba, the forgotten little poor sister in the west. We were scared they’d just drop the allowed number of premises from over 200 down to 180 and rubber stamp it, but they’ve been told to go back to council and renegotiate.
“We were never against development at the site, it was just how excessive this proposed one was and that it didn’t tie in with the character of the community.”
