Yarragon re-zoning abandoned

Following community push back, Baw Baw Shire Council has abandoned a proposed rezoning of land at 63 Yarragon-Leongatha Rd, Yarragon, from residential to commercial.
The site was identified in 2023, by consultants Urban Enterprise, as having the potential to meet the future commercial needs of a growing population; as the land is at the eastern end of town, south of the highway and contiguous with existing commercial land and the town's centre.
However, with 13 commercial lots currently available on the southern side of Princes Hwy, in prime location for commercial development, and with slower than projected population growth, Yarragon locals and business owners were vehemently opposed to the rezoning.
The rezoning amendment formed part of the Yarragon Township Plan and Yarragon Urban Design Framework which, because of the amendment, had been delayed from going to the Minister for Planning for authorisation to be included in the Baw Baw Planning Scheme.
Yarragon business owner Jackie Shearer told councillors they could make a difference with their decision.
"This is not an anti-growth argument. This is about responsible sequencing, protecting Yarragon's long term future and stopping this shire from repeating planning mistakes already visible across Baw Baw."
Gippsland Food and Wine owner Donna Francis requested councillors deal with the documents separately, to help maintain the town's current economic viability.
"Urban Enterprises' own data shows approximately 75 per cent of the strip's turnover comes from non-residential visitors - passing trade off the highway. The same report identifies 1.8 hectares as sized for 'a large supermarket and other retail and non-retail spaces.' A node at that scale, set back from the highway, will draw traffic away from the existing strip. Once a town's commercial core loses critical mass, it does not come back," Ms Francis said.
She also requested that appropriate retail impact assessments be undertaken before critical commercial decisions were made.
"What will be built here is not yet known and if it's right for Yarragon, it can come, but staged, shaped and matched to demand. But if it's not, the existing strip cannot be put back together," she said.
Cr Tricia Jones said she did not believe the 1.8-hectare residential zone was the right location for commercial rezoning at this time.
"One of Yarragon's greatest strengths is that it is a compact and walkable shopping strip. The shopping strip is part of the town's identity and part of what attracts visitors to shop, walk around, browse the local shops and inevitably spend money within the township. The proposed amendment risks fragmenting the commercial activity from the existing centre and weakening that strength."
Crs Ben Lucas and Adam Sheehan said it would be appropriate, at this time, to separate the two components of the original motion, so the Township Plan and Urban Framework could be sent to the minister for authorisation, but without including the amended rezoning component.
The mayor reluctantly agreed to the proposal.
"I do feel quite compelled by the community's sense of Yarragon and their aspiration for what they want it to be, and I can't see anything in that that council wouldn't also aspire to. So, if it's timing for a bit of commercial rezoning but proper passage for the rest of the Urban Design Framework and Township Plan to go through for that ministerial approval and possible inclusion in our planning scheme after consultation, then I'd probably tolerate that too," mayor Kate Wilson said.
A foreshadowed motion allowing the documents to be separated and the plans to be submitted to the minister without the rezoning component was carried by councillors, which was met with loud and grateful applause from the community members in the gallery.
The land in question will remain zoned as neighbourhood residential and the landowner can seek to rezone the land to commercial at their own expense.
The land may be developed as residential, losing the potential to be developed into a commercial site in the future.