Parents to boycott nearby primary school if Ryman Healthcare Mt Eliza Retirement Village goes ahead
Mums and dads of primary students in Mt Eliza are furious about a bid to build hundreds of units next to their school – and warn if the proposal gets the go-ahead they will take radical steps in protest.
South East
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Worried parents are vowing to pull their children from a much-loved Mt Eliza primary school if a massive development next door gets the nod.
Retirement village operator Ryman Healthcare has applied to Mornington Peninsula council for a permit to build six, four storey and three, three storey buildings on a former business school site at 60-70 Kunyung Rd.
Under the plan non-heritage buildings on the $40 million 8.9ha Moondah Estate would be demolished and two four story wings added to the existing mansion.
The development would include 272 apartments and house 124 aged care beds.
There would also be an all weather bowling green and place of worship.
Objectors have described the plan as an “industrial scale, multistorey tower, mega complex” that was not appropriate for the site which is alongside Kunyung Primary School and abuts a green wedge zone.
Rick Lanman, who lives about 500m from the site, said he and wife Danielle were reluctant to keep their children at the school if the proposal went ahead.
“We’ve even having conversations about moving from the area altogether,” Mr Lanman said.
The pair moved to Kunyung Rd about seven years ago and consider it their “forever home”.
“We have a Prep and Year 1 at the school and are really worried about their safety if this goes ahead,” he said.
“The thought of an extra 700 odd people moving into this street plus visitors and staff coming and going every day is crazy.”
Lara Tweedie said she would not be able to send her five year old son to the school next year if the plan was approved.
She said she was worried about noise and dust pollution.
“The school was built for 400 students but there are close to 800 enrolments.
“Kids are packed into portables like sardines. Those classrooms will be right up alongside a construction site for five years.”
Ms Tweddie also flagged safety concerns about traffic during peak times in the residential street.
A Ryman Healthcare spokesman said traffic engineers had been engaged to look at the risk to pedestrians crossing the main driveway of the site to access the school.
He said a range of options, including a crossing supervisor, were being investigated and a final decision would be made in consultation with the school.
“When it comes to safety, particularly of kids, you simply can’t cut corners,” he said.
“We will almost certainly have residents with grandkids at Kunyung school, so these issues aren’t just about getting sign off from the council – they’re about making sure the kids are as safe as possible.”
Traffic management and environmental management plans would be submitted to Mornington Peninsula Shire council before construction began.
The spokesman said a similar development had been built next to a special school and preschool in Wheelers Hill.
“Construction of that village has gone without incident and we have a great relationship with both schools,” he said.
Mornington MP David Morris is against the proposed development.
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In a letter to residents he said it would have “ a significant impact on the scale and character of both Mt Eliza itself and on the green break between Mt Eliza and Mornington”.
Mr Morris said he had taken the “unusual step” of asking people to object to the plan because the development site was outside the urban growth boundary and would not normally be permitted in a non-urban area.