Convenience store proposed

A request to rezone council-owned land near the freeway could pave the way for a convenience store development in Warragul's south.
Baw Baw Shire councillors unanimously approved the next step towards rezoning an old Christmas tree farm in Landsborough St to commercial one.
Officers will now seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny to prepare a planning scheme amendment.
Cr Danny Goss described the council-owned 1.5 hectare triangular site next to the Princes Fwy as small but significant.
"It's about ensuring ratepayers are not sitting on assets that are surplus to requirements; assets that really aren't much use," Cr Goss said.
An officer report noted the provision of a small convenience centre within this part of Warragul South would service the basic needs of future residents.
The site, at the intersection of Landsborough and King Sts, is currently covered by two zones: public conservation and resource zone and urban floodway zone. It was noted the urban floodway zone section on the north-west corner of the site was "not proposed for rezoning" due to its one per cent annual exceedance probability (AEP) of flooding.
It proposed rezoning the public conservation and resource zone land to commercial one. A part of this land is also proposed to be rezoned to public park and recreation.
The report recommended development plan overlays be applied to ensure height restrictions, no access from King St and protection of Hazel Creek.
A high-pressure gas pipeline in Landsborough St also will be considered, the report said.
Describing it "a bread and butter issue", Cr Goss said Warragul Rotary Club concluded its Christmas tree farming activities on the site back in 2020.
At that time, he said, council voted to rezone the land, "and here we are five years later...and we're nearly over the line".
"This is really about the highest and best use of that land," Cr Goss said. "It's small but it's very significant in the scheme of things."
"We all know that rezoning is a difficult job to do and justification is needed," he added. "It's not easy, but hopefully we can get this through."
Cr Goss said rezoning a conservation zone could been seen as controversial to some. However, he recalled the site being used as a work site to dump sand and rubbish during freeway construction, stating "it definitely doesn't have any conservation issues".
"I hope we see more of these proposals come to council in the future," he said.
Cr Suzanne Allen believed rezoning the site was the right step forward for the Warragul South area.
Cr Allen said commercial one zoning encouraged small shops and services to be built and this site was perfectly positioned to service the growing residential areas in Warragul's south, including estates off Butlers Trk.
"People will need a place to pick up daily essentials without travelling across town," she said. "The opportunity of a small community centre will fill that gap until the larger neighbour centre - identified in the Warragul PSP - is delivered.
Cr Allen said specialist reports for ecological, cultural, heritage, bushfire and planning all had the same findings; "there are no major barriers to putting this land to better, more productive use for the community".
The matter returned to council as an urgent business item due to legislative changes. It required re-authorisation of council officers to seek authorisation from Ms Kilkenny to prepare planning scheme amendments.
Cr Goss said the legislative changes were made the day before a previous council decision on the site, requiring the decision to be rescinded and a new vote held.
"We were acting on the old legislation, not the new legislation," he said.