Fight to save Jacksons Creek valley takes next step

THE fight by a group of residents to stop a planned development at Sunbury’s Jacksons Creek valley has stepped up a gear.

THE fight by a group of residents to stop a planned development at Sunbury’s Jacksons Creek valley has stepped up a gear.

The Sunbury Residents’ Association last week delivered a petition against the proposal to councillors at the Hume Council meeting.

The petition, which gained 700 signatures in one afternoon at Sunbury’s Sunfest in March, is part of a push to protect the region from a 460-lot Villawood development behind Salesian College.

Its development would be part of the Victoria Planning Authority’s (VPA) Lancefield Rd Precinct Structure Plan.

Neil Isley, who helped deliver the petition, said the people rallied around protecting the valley once they were aware of the proposal.

“The whole thing for me is that councillors haven’t got out there and informed our community what’s happening, which in my opinion is the biggest thing to happen in Sunbury in a generation,” he said.

“Every time we have a little win it’s a little step forward and I get a lot of pleasure from seeing the community reaction.”

The final say on whether the development rests with State Planning Minister Richard Wynne.

As planning minister, Mr Wynne signs off on recommendations made to him by the planning authority.

After meeting with his advisers last week, Mr Isley remained optimistic.

“They really listened and took a lot of notes and asked good questions,” he said.

“The body language was good and it gives you a real shot in the arm.”

Residents‘ association president Peter Free urged the minister to “come out and have a look because it’s quite different being here other than looking at pictures”.

“We want him to come out and look at the area itself because I think it’s going to come down to the minister saying yes or no.”

The council’s director planning and development Kelvin Walsh said he had referred the petition to its strategic planning department for advice and response.

Mr Walsh said part of the council’s submission to the VPA on the proposal was a call for the Villawood cultural heritage management plan to be resolved before hearings took place to “enable an evidence-based discussion on the heritage importance of the valley”.