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HORSHAM council has rejected city bypass options B2 and D.
Cr David Grimble successfully moved a motion at a meeting on Monday night that council formalise its position on the options VicRoads had put forward as part of the planning scheme amendment process to reserve bypass land.
Both options bypass Horsham to the north-east.
The issue generated heated debate in front of a gallery of more than 30 people. It comes after council raised concerns about inaccuracies in bypass documents in July.
Cr Grimble’s motion included that council maintain its support for a bypass, but refrain from identifying a route preference.
It passed four votes to three.
Cr Grimble said bypass reports needed to be rewritten.
“My question to you all is, should we accept a report and recommendations that are not accurate and rejected by public confidence?” he said.
“We need to request a new final report that has more accountability.
“Council must hold VicRoads accountable and show empathy for all those affected.
“VicRoads must dramatically increase the level of confidence in the community, and we should make them accountable.
“We have no obligation to accept the recommendations.”
Cr Heather Phillips said council resolved not to be the planning authority for the bypass in 2013.
“That was so we could be involved in the debate on behalf of our community,” she said.
“If we were the planning authority, would we be accepting this recommendation from our officers? We wouldn’t. We’d be saying, ‘Go back and do this report’.
“So why should we now be passively accepting the process from VicRoads?
“We weren’t elected as councillors to agree with the government or VicRoads. We were elected to represent our community.”
Cr Pam Clarke wanted the motion to lay on the table so councillors had time to discuss it.
“This motion has some very serious implications,” she said.
“I do not disagree with anything my fellow councillors have said, but I’m a realist.
“We need to be politically astute, not reactive or naive.
“We know they won’t produce another option. We know the documentation and they will not rewrite that.
“Let’s be clear about what we can fight for and what we can’t fight for.
“We’re not being passive, we’re fighting for our community and we’re not ballsing up the process and losing our credibility.”
However Cr Grimble said this was dangerous.
“If you wait or delay with this motion, you will get either option B2 or D, more likely D,” he said.
“The only thing that will stop this process is the discussions we should have with the state government.
“If you defeat my motion and indeed lay this on the table, councillors you can stand in front of the first property that gets flattened by a bulldozer.”
Mayor Mark Radford said council discounting some routes would put others in the spotlight.
He said he was worried councillors only received Cr Grimble’s motion two nights before the meeting.
“Our chief executive has warned about this, our officers are concerned about this. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” he said.
“No one is arguing the importance of the subject, I just think we just need to take a breath.”
Cr Tony Phelan said council needed to be aware of the implications of rejecting options B2 and D.
“We have a Pandora’s Box of five options. If this council rejects B2 and D because of the aerodrome, it also rejects option 11. There’s only two options left,” he said.
“If we say to VicRoads to reject B2 and D, they are just going to reach into Pandora’s Box and pick out the next one.”
Crs Phillips, Grimble, Sue Exell and Robin Barber voted for the motion.
Crs Phelan, Clarke and Radford voted against it.
VicRoads regional director Ewen Nevett said the authority requested an independent planning panel be appointed to consider the planning scheme amendment and submissions made during the public exhibition period.
“Submitters will receive confirmation from Planning Panels Victoria about dates and venue for a public hearing, including a form to officially request to be heard at the hearing,” he said.
“This will be an opportunity for submitters, including council, to appear before the independent panel, which will be appointed by the Planning Minister.”
Mr Nevett said he expected the panel hearing late October.