Wyndham council has knocked back plans for a fresh food market to rival South Melbourne Market.
Point Cook landowner Joe Schembri proposed to build a $35 million undercover stall-based fresh food market spanning more than 17,000 square metres on a parcel of land on Point Cook Road between Saltwater Reserve and the Point Cook RAAF base.
Councillors voted in line with an officer’s recommendation to refuse a planning permit on the basis that it was an over development of the site and could result in unreasonable traffic on the surrounding roads.
Despite voting down the proposal, councillor Mia Shaw said this type of development had merit.
“However, I agree that concerns about strategic planning, design and landscaping, traffic and transport, the large reduction in carparking by 519 spaces, and the fact that the Department of Defence objected to this development means I cannot support this development on this site,” she said.
“Maybe if it was located on a more appropriate site and council officer recommendations were taken on board to ensure it was more consistent with planning schemes and other issues raised in this report, we would be having a different conversation.”
Mr Schembri, who owns the land, said he was unimpressed his requests to discuss the plans in further detail went unheeded. He believes the proposal was not taken seriously.
“With other big projects, they sit down with the people who are proposing it, the councillors will ask questions, and if any issues are raised, we can correct it.”
Mr Schembri said he was considering appealing to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
“At the end of the day, I still want to put a market here, I’m trying to work out the best way we can agree [on the terms].”
