Mildura rural council approves development of massive retail hub

A huge new retail precinct, featuring 19 new stores, will be built in Mildura, despite a heated council debate that almost saw it not get approved.

Things got heated in the local council meeting last week as councillors debated the approval of a 7226sq m retail hub along the transition area between Mildura and Irymple.

The proposed $4.95m development is to be built along Fifteenth St at the intersection of Cowra Ave.

Almost 20 new retail stores will be built along the more than 7000 sq meters of land, although it is unknown which stores.

To accommodate the increased traffic the proposed development will include 109 parking spaces.

The proposal, however was objected to by Councillor Jason Modica who questioned if the themes of the Mildura Irymple Transition Area were being met.

Mildura Rural City Council voted to approve a multimillion-dollar retail development.

“The number of complainants on this issue is a massive concern and there are a lot of overlays and themes in the Mildura-Irymple transition work to consider,” he said.

“I think they have been dealt with, but I don‘t know if they have been dealt with enough.”

However, Councillor Glenn Milne, who supported the motion, argued it was just a matter of shifting perspectives.

“We just need to get our minds around Fifteenth St and, just in your mind, drive down there,” he said.

“We go out there to shop and we want more commercial premises, we want jobs, we want employment and this development offers all of those things.”

Mildura Rural City Council voted to approve a multimillion-dollar retail development.

Mr Milne then went on to remind the council that if people have issues VCAT is always an option.

“If there are people in the community that are unhappy with it, they have got the option of VCAT,” he said.

Councillor Stefano De Perri played the centrist arguing for “common sense” and “rationality”.

“I wonder if common sense and rationality can bring people together with goodwill and find a solution to this,” he said.

“We‘re not stupid, we know that one way is going to lead to one particular result, the other way is also going to lead to that result, so a lot of wasted time and money and energy to be had by everybody.”

Ultimately the motion passed with a vote of five to two with mayor Liam Wood and councillors Milne, de Pieri, Eckel, and Bailey voting in favour and deputy mayor Helen Healy and Councillor Jason Modica voting against.