Development outrage at heritage region but Villawood says it will protect environmental assets

PREHISTORIC Aboriginal sites, a platypus colony and annual war games are being pitted against a planned development in Sunbury.

Sunbury Residents’ Association president Peter Free and vice-president Trevor Dance with the site of proposed development behind them. Picture: Kylie Else

PREHISTORIC Aboriginal sites, a platypus colony and historic annual war games are being pitted against a planned residential development in Sunbury.

Villawood Properties intends to build a 406-lot development on land behind Salesian College covered by the proposed Lancefield Road Precinct Structure Plan.

Sunbury Residents’ Association vice-president Trevor Dance said the 49.87ha site abutted indigenous landmarks such as the Wurundjeri-owned Sunbury rings, Jacksons Creek and its platypus population, and Canon Gully which hosted the Easter Volunteer Militia Encampments war games in the 1860s and 1870s.

“It is a unique site in Victoria to have so much varied heritage value and it is too bloody valuable to be lost for the sake of 400 houses,” Mr Dance said.

National Trust of Australia (Victoria) chief executive Simon Ambrose said the organisation identified the land as an area of significance in 2015.

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Mr Ambrose said the development would “decimate the connections between the significant elements of this important landscape, eroding its ability to tell a unique story about our history”.

Villawood Properties executive director Tony Johnson said the Sunbury rings was not on the subject site, while the wider area had no heritage significance.

“This land has been in private ownership since the 1860s when it was owned by the Clarke family,” he said. “For the first time in Sunbury’s history, this beautiful creek frontage will become a whole community asset.”

Mr Johnson said the PSP process had the support of successive state governments and his organisation was working with Melbourne Water, Parks Victoria and the council to protect the environmental assets of Sherwood Heights.

He said nearly two-thirds of the land — about 165ha — would be set aside for conservation, waterways, and areas of landscape value.

The SRA and National Trust planned to lodge submissions against the development.

Public submissions to the Victorian Planning Authority’s Lancefield Rd and Sunbury South Precinct Structure Plans ended on Monday.