Burwood Highway Knoxfield site could be home to another high-rise

A bid to turn a 19ha prime Knoxfield site into a residential and commercial area could include a building up to 40m high. And, according to one MP, people living nearby wouldn’t know about it until work starts.

Ferntree Gully's Mark Glazebrook and his daughter Taya want a lake at the site to be saved. Picture: Kylie Else

A 40m building could be built at a prime Burwood Highway site without neighbours having a say, a state MP says.

Ferntree Gully state Liberal MP Nick Wakeling said he was recently briefed on the State Government’s plans to develop the former Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning (DELWP) site at the corner of Burwood Highway and Scoresby Rd, Knoxfield.

Mr Wakeling said the plans involved decommissioning the dam and converting it into a wetland habitat; residential development up to 12m; a mixed-use (commercial) development between 24m and 28m; and a 40m building on the corner of Burwood Highway and Scoresby Rd.

Development Victoria acquired the 19.2ha development site, and it has been rezoned to a comprehensive development zone allowing residential and mixed-use development.

“What they have indicated is technically if an application is presented to Development Victoria which is a development of 40m then technically it automatically conforms,” Mr Wakeling said.

“Which means there won’t even be an application process which enables people to put in appeals.

“The community won’t even know there has been an application put in until the work starts.”

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Mr Wakeling said there was a need for development on the site but he was concerned about the lack of information being provided to the community.

“There are people who live in the vicinity of that site who are completely unaware of what is proposed,” Mr Wakeling said.

“I think while it is important to have a plan in place I think equally it’s important to take the community with you and let them have an opportunity to have their say.

“We’re talking about developments that are going to change the public face of that strategic site.

“This is a bit like building another Kubix without the community even knowing about it.”

The design of the Kubix development on the corner of Burwood Highway and Stud Rd has come under fire from residents. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

The community has also been rallying to save Lake Knox at the site, with ribbons, signs and petitions calling for it to be preserved.

Knox Environment Society president Richard Faragher said they were worried the proposed new wetland area won’t be suitable for the blue-billed ducks that lived at the site.

“The blue-billed duck is a diving duck which requires deeper water,” Mr Faragher said.

“We want them to keep current lake.”

Knox Council city development director Matt Kelleher said the Burwood Highway and Scoresby Road Knoxfield Comprehensive Development Plan September 2018 was now incorporated into the Knox Planning Scheme, introduced by the State Government as part of Amendment C160 last November.

Mr Kelleher said council would need to receive and assess a planning permit application for the site in accordance with the development plan.

He said a planning permit would need to be issued for any development to go ahead but a planning permit application for buildings and works did not need to be advertised if it was generally in accordance with the development plan.

Mr Kelleher said council had not yet received a planning permit application from Development Victoria.

The State Government have been contacted for comment.