Wyndham council has doubled down in its fight against a developer’s plan to build houses on a Truganina site originally set aside for a school.
At the Tuesday 14 October planning committee, council voted to update its refusal to grant Intrapac Ellarook Pty Ltd, the landowner of 267-279 Woods Road, a permit to build houses instead of a previously planned primary school.
Council will inform the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) it does not have the authority to settle the matter at a compulsory hearing, expected to take place in late October or November.
Council first refused to grant the permit in December 2023, deeming that houses did not provide a net benefit to the community and that the proposed Forsyth P-6 school was needed to accommodate population growth.
Star Weekly understands Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has received a request from the landowner to reclassify 279 Woods Road from ‘potential government primary school’ to ‘residential’ zone.
It is also understood that the state government opened Wareen Primary School and a kindergarten 400 metres from the site and the Department of Education no longer need Forsyth P-6 to address public school capacity.
Cr Preet Singh said granting the permit could be a slippery slope.
“This issue is not merely about planning, it is about protecting the rights of our children, our residents and the future of Wyndham,” Cr Singh said.
“This could set a concerning precedent, potentially obliging us to future demands from developers at the expense of our community’s long term interests.
“While the government has secured an alternative site and constructed a school there, this does not negate the need for another education facility in this area.”
Cr Shannon McGuire said, “Ultimately, I think if we just fill every parcel of land we have with housing– and this is a big parcel of land– with housing, all it does is create more demand for schools and infrastructure in the area,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport and Planning said it will consider the council’s submission before making a decision about reclassifying the site.
Intrapac Property was contacted.
