By Catherine Watson
MAHERS Landing is back in a developer’s sights, with plans for 144 powered camping sites, 50 cabins, a restaurant, art gallery and museum, boat hire and boat and caravan storage.
The proposal by Mering (Inverloch) Corporation Pty will be considered by Bass Coast Council at next week’s meeting.
It’s exactly four years since councillors unanimously rejected a proposal from the same company for a $380 million marina development on the site. Back then councillors described plans for a 200-boat marina and 1113 residential sites as “absurd ... ridiculous”.
At $54 million, the new proposal is more modest than the last one but equally out of touch with reality.
MAHERS Landing is back in a developer’s sights, with plans for 144 powered camping sites, 50 cabins, a restaurant, art gallery and museum, boat hire and boat and caravan storage.
The proposal by Mering (Inverloch) Corporation Pty will be considered by Bass Coast Council at next week’s meeting.
It’s exactly four years since councillors unanimously rejected a proposal from the same company for a $380 million marina development on the site. Back then councillors described plans for a 200-boat marina and 1113 residential sites as “absurd ... ridiculous”.
At $54 million, the new proposal is more modest than the last one but equally out of touch with reality.
The 251-hectare coastal farmland site is covered by an Environmental Significance Overlay, a Significant Landscape Overlay and a Land Subject to Inundation Overlay. The development plan involves moving around 100,000 square metres of soil to raise buildings above flood levels and for internal roads, a bridge and raised boardwalks and breaching of a man-made levee dating from the 1960s to allow inundation of parts of the site. | Councillors can $380m marina plan June 18, 2020 - Council wastes little time in rejecting a marina development proposed for Mahers Landing. Tell him he’s dreamin’ Nov 22 2019 - The Mahers Landing marina project was always a fantasy. The last rites were performed this week when head consultant John Woodman was grilled at a corruption hearing. |
The council officer’s report recommends it be rejected on multiple grounds. “The proposal is locationally challenged and shows a highly modified and maladapted response to facilitate the development that would result in an unacceptable outcome and does not represent orderly planning.”
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority didn’t mince words:
“It is not consistent with state or local planning policy, it is likely to result in danger to life, health and safety of occupants due to flooding of the site, it relies on low level access to and from the site, it is likely to increase the burden on emergency services and the risk to emergency personnel and it is likely to increase the amount of flood damage to public and private assets.”
While the applicant argued that the proposed development was “low-impact and will generally not be seen”, the council officer’s report stated the built form would be significant with heights upwards of 8 metres from natural ground level to achieve the necessary heights due to flood risk.
The Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action stated the proposal did not adequately address the impacts of creating breaks in the existing levee to allow inundation of the site as well as bulk fill, boardwalks and bridgework.
The chairman of Mering, Jason Yeap, owns a holiday house in Inverloch. He’s a lawyer, property developer and philanthropist. Remarkably, given the nature of the two proposals Mering has put to the council, he’s also a board member of The Nature Conservancy.
It’s not the first time developers have been bewitched by the money-making potential of this site. In 2003 a developer proposed a project called Tarwin Cove, which included a golf course, housing and a marina. At the same time a 2000-lot development was proposed for the floodplain opposite Maher’s Landing, at Venus Bay.
In the light of strong community opposition to the developments, the then Department of Sustainability and Environment undertook a study of the many issues, pros and cons. The outcome was clear: the cons far outweighed the pros. Both projects were abandoned.
Since then the development prospects have only deteriorated, with rising sea levels and sand from Inverloch’s surf beach drifting into Anderson Inlet, creating unpredictable sand barriers.
While Mering could appeal against a rejection to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, or even the Planning Minister, the chances of success are minimal given the overwhelming opposition from planning agencies.
Mahers Landing is mainly used by the boating fraternity, especially when conditions at Inverloch are unsuitable for launching a boat. A major upgrade, incorporating a new boat ramp, jetty and rock revetment, is nearing completion.
West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority didn’t mince words:
“It is not consistent with state or local planning policy, it is likely to result in danger to life, health and safety of occupants due to flooding of the site, it relies on low level access to and from the site, it is likely to increase the burden on emergency services and the risk to emergency personnel and it is likely to increase the amount of flood damage to public and private assets.”
While the applicant argued that the proposed development was “low-impact and will generally not be seen”, the council officer’s report stated the built form would be significant with heights upwards of 8 metres from natural ground level to achieve the necessary heights due to flood risk.
The Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action stated the proposal did not adequately address the impacts of creating breaks in the existing levee to allow inundation of the site as well as bulk fill, boardwalks and bridgework.
The chairman of Mering, Jason Yeap, owns a holiday house in Inverloch. He’s a lawyer, property developer and philanthropist. Remarkably, given the nature of the two proposals Mering has put to the council, he’s also a board member of The Nature Conservancy.
It’s not the first time developers have been bewitched by the money-making potential of this site. In 2003 a developer proposed a project called Tarwin Cove, which included a golf course, housing and a marina. At the same time a 2000-lot development was proposed for the floodplain opposite Maher’s Landing, at Venus Bay.
In the light of strong community opposition to the developments, the then Department of Sustainability and Environment undertook a study of the many issues, pros and cons. The outcome was clear: the cons far outweighed the pros. Both projects were abandoned.
Since then the development prospects have only deteriorated, with rising sea levels and sand from Inverloch’s surf beach drifting into Anderson Inlet, creating unpredictable sand barriers.
While Mering could appeal against a rejection to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, or even the Planning Minister, the chances of success are minimal given the overwhelming opposition from planning agencies.
Mahers Landing is mainly used by the boating fraternity, especially when conditions at Inverloch are unsuitable for launching a boat. A major upgrade, incorporating a new boat ramp, jetty and rock revetment, is nearing completion.