Croydon Central: Maroondah councillors slam proposed 12-storey redevelopment

Maroondah councillors have lashed out at a shopping centre owner’s plans for a high-rise redevelopment, fearing it could change the face of a suburb.

An outer east council has vowed to stand with local residents in opposing an unprecedented redevelopment of a local shopping centre, with one councillor labelling the owner’s approach to applying for the works as “disgusting”.

Maroondah Council received a 235-signature petition from residents against Croydon Central owners Haben Property Group’s proposed 12-storey redevelopment at its July 18 meeting.

The redevelopment, tipped to cost more than $100m, includes 243 apartments across separate towers, one of which would reach 12 storeys, built in front of the existing shopping centre.

If approved, the project would be triple the council’s four-storey height limit recommended for the Wicklow Ave site, which it set in 2014.

The project also includes plans for new shops, another supermarket, and a relocated gym and childcare centre.

Haben has appealed to VCAT after the council refused its application earlier this year, with a four-day hearing to begin on November 7.

Councillors Tasa Damante, Rob Steane and Paul Macdonald spoke out about the plans and the petition at the meeting, accusing Haben of applying to council without conducting prior consultation.

Cr Macdonald said consultation was “very important to us and the community” and said the project would “change Croydon forever” if approved.

“A lot of people still don’t know about it yet and its atrocious,” he said.

“The mechanism where this private developer has bypassed council … it (consultation) has been pushed aside because that’s the way they can do it with planning laws.

“It’s disgusting, immoral and I’m totally against it.”

Mayor Mike Symon said councillors were “bypassed” in having their say on Haben’s application, claiming it was “all done with the intent of getting around our planning regulations for Maroondah.”

“We have not had a say on this, and it has not been to any of us around this table like a normal planning application would,” he said.

“I’m really disappointed to hear about the lack of consultation (with local residents), with the developer seeking to go through back door.”

Cr Steane told the gallery he wanted to community to “rest assured the council supports the view of our ratepayers on this particular property”.

“We looks forward to Croydon Central being properly developed, but not overly developed, which is what their intent is,” he said.

Haben had previously told Leader on May 11 it was not required to conduct public consultation but had decided to do so voluntarily.

The group was set to launch a public display of the plans on May 18 and had begun a consultation process with community leaders and council support staff.

“Haben would like to thank members of the Croydon community who participated in our voluntary consultation process in May this year,” a company spokeswoman said.

“We confirm that we are reviewing elements of our proposal based on this feedback.”

The company did not address questions on the councillors’ remarks about the application process.