Wyndham City Council was returned to the drawing board this week to review an application for a two–lot subdivision at the “thriving“ Woodville Park shopping centre in Hoppers Crossing.
In November, the council rejected the proposal, but the applicant took the dispute to VCAT, requiring an amended plan to be submitted for councillors to review.
The amended proposal would cut 92 carparking spaces, instead of the original 100, should it be approved. This has not gone down well with some Woodville businesses and locals who rely on the shopping centre.
Councillors voted 6–5 in favour of the application, and if it was rejected, the matter would have gone to a tribunal hearing in May. Cr Jennie Barrera said it was essential for the council to “stick to its guns“ on its previous decision.
Cr Robert Szatkowski also said the council should not be “laying down for an additional eight spaces“. In November, Cr Josh Gilligan had suggested that the state government purchase the land to deal with traffic issues at the precinct, which is also used by parents picking up their kids from two nearby schools.
Cr Mia Shaw, who voted in favour of the application, said councillors had missed an opportunity to do something about the issues at the shopping centre when the motion was presented.
She said, “We wanted to save that parcel of land and couldn’t get an agreement in the chamber and here we are again debating. We’ve tried to get support to do that and here we are at the death knock”.
