General News
7 July, 2021
Protestors stand their ground
DEVELOPERS raised the ire of the Princetown community last week after cutting through fencing at the recreation reserve.
DEVELOPERS raised the ire of the Princetown community last week after cutting through fencing at the recreation reserve.
With permits due to expire for the planned Princetown ‘eco resort’ on Saturday, Montarosa director Gavin Ronan began works last week in a last ditch effort to avoid being forced to re-apply for permits.
The project has been contentious from the start, with the Princetown community taking Montarosa to VCAT.
VCAT issued a planning permit for the development in 2017, with strict planning conditions put in place.
Princetown Wetland Estuary Preservation spokesperson Kim Morton said Montarosa had failed to meet the planning conditions put in place, with protesters alleging they had witnessed multiple breaches last week.
“In VCAT we specified that all the conditions be met before construction can begin,” she said.
“They had four years to get their own access.
“It’s just blatant arrogance.”
As part of the conditions, upgrades on the access road, intersection with the Great Ocean Road and bridge were supposed to be completed before works began, however none have begun, let alone completed.
In an email provided to the Cobden Timboon Coast Times, Mr Ronan said Montarosa holds a validly issued planning permit “which will facilitate an investment of $25 million into Victoria’s regional economy at a time when jobs are needed more than ever”.
“Access to its privately-owned property has always been through a gate to the side of Old Coach Road,” he said.
“It was only after Montarosa gave notice that works were about to commence that the gate was padlocked and a ute was parked in front of it.”
However, Ms Morton disputed the claims and said the track in question was actually part of the recreation reserve, and Mr Ronan’s access was further to the left of the track, a spot which has still yet to be developed.
Mr Ronan alleged protesters had blocked the road “denying the landowners lawful access to their property”.
“To be clear, the works are lawful, permitted and taking place on private property,” he said.
“It is regrettable that access to privately owned land for works is being obstructed.
“It is also regrettable that the actions of people, many of whom consented to a planning permit being approved at VCAT in 2017, are now preventing a landowner from accessing their private property to do lawful work.
“If access continues to be blocked, Montarosa will pursue every available avenue to recover costs.”
Ms Morton said protestors did not block the road, but were there to police the developer’s activity on-site to ensure conditions were being met.
She said protestors felt intimated by the behaviour of the activity of the developers.
“We had a tip off that he was going to start work, that’s why we all got down here,” Ms Morton said.
“Because at that stage they didn’t have a legal access to their site, they wanted to come through the recreation reserve.
“We have a legal letter to say he can’t access his land via crown land.”
She said the protestors formed a “human blockade” so the developers could not go through the recreation reserve.
“He had three utes and a truck come screaming down here and came past us protesters through the rec reserve, they smashed their way through the back fence and that is when we called the police,” Ms Morton said.
“The police arrived, he was made to repair the fence and then the police escorted him off the property.
“They were quite intimidating to us.”
Local residents have campaigned for more than five years to stop the development, which is in the middle of the Princetown Wetlands and is prone to significant flooding.
Ms Morton said it was looking likely the Princetown Wetland Estuary Preservation group would be taking the fight back to VCAT once again.
“The Corangamite Shire is not policing it, so we have to. He would have pushed through if we weren’t there,” she said.
“We’re about to lodge. We’re just talking to our legal guys at the moment.”
In a project update on the Corangamite Shire website, council noted the “permit holder and contractors accessed the site through the Princetown Recreation Reserve on Monday, June 28 in contravention of a condition in the permit”.
“Council does not condone these actions and given there was a breach of the planning permit, enforcement action is currently being pursued,” the shire statement said.
“Council will continue the monitor project construction to ensure compliance with the planning permit and will take any necessary steps to enforce the planning scheme and permit.”
