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Page 8 The Moorabool News – 22 March, 2022
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Recission on abattoir building delayed By Lachlan Ellis A Council motion to impose a new time condition on an abattoir’s expansion was unable to be heard at the latest Development Assessment Committee (DAC), as not enough Councillors were present. The motion goes back on an amended motion that passed at the 16 February DAC, which allowed Westside Meats to construct a new building at its Woolpack Road facility. Condition 4 of the original motion required the building to be moved to Parwan within five years, but an amendment proposed by Cr David Edwards struck that condition out. At the 16 March DAC, however, Cr Moira Berry put forward a rescission motion that, if passed, would impose a seven-year timeframe to move that new building, after construction is complete. Cr Edwards was an apology for personal reasons, and Cr Rod Ward was also an apology. This meant that under Council’s Local Law, consideration of the rescission needed to be delayed. “Under Council’s Local Law 3.61c, this matter cannot be considered, as the number of Councillors in attendance at the meeting has to be equal to the number of Councillors in attendance when the original resolution was passed, so we cannot proceed with this,” Mayor Cr Tom Sullivan explained. Cr Paul Tatchell enquired as to when the rescission motion would be heard again, with the next DAC scheduled for more than a month away on 20 April. “On the basis that rescission motion won’t be heard tonight, I imagine there are some commercial implications. Would it be appropriate to try to organise Councillors to hold a Special Meeting? Another month might have significant commercial or
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The Moorabool News – 15 March, 2022 Page 3
Abattoir to expand By Lachlan Ellis A Bacchus Marsh abattoir has been approved for an expansion, which it applied for to allow the facility to run at full capacity under social distancing requirements. Westside Meats’ application was heard at Council’s 16 February Development Assessment Committee (DAC), with the application proposing a new 1,300 sqm building to be built directly south of the existing building at 6 Woolpack Road. Conditions on the permit require the buildings to be temporary, to allow for removal and for parts of the building to be relocated to Parwan. Westside Meats is located on Woolpack Road and Main Street and the expansion was not designed with an increase in output or employee numbers in mind. There were three speakers in favour of the application, including Joe Failli, who runs Westside Meats with his brothers Michael and Pietro. Mr Failli objected to Condition 4 of Council’s recommendation, which said Westside Meats must move the proposed building to Parwan within five years, “unless otherwise agreed to by Council”. “As you know, we’ve been trying to get out to Parwan for the last 16 years. We’ve had a long, drawn-out period trying to get up there…if you told me 16 years ago we’d be taking 16 years, I would’ve said you’ve got rocks in your head,” Mr Failli said. “A five-year timeframe on trying to run a business, keep people employed, then also move an operation up there that would cost up to $90 million is a bit hard to take in regard to a timeframe. We’re definitely going up there, on the proviso we get our first stage of the protein plant and industrial park operating, and also start filling it up.” Standing orders were suspended for a discussion of the application, following which Cr Edwards moved to amend the recommendation, with the removal of Condition 4. The amended recommendation was moved by Cr Edwards and seconded by Cr Ward. Cr Tonia Dudzik dissented to the motion, beginning a debate. “From my perspective, we’re allowing this building to be built…the usage is in line with what’s currently being used on-site. I think if it helps create jobs or maintain jobs within our Shire, that’s a good thing,” Cr Edwards said. “I think we shouldn’t confuse the issue of this site being used versus us having a desire to grow the Parwan Precinct. Whilst I fully support the Parwan Precinct and I’d love the Faillis and the meatworks to move up there in the next 12 months, that’s a business decision, I don’t think it’s a planning decision.” Cr Dudzik said the applicant has time to actually construct the building, the five years doesn’t start until it’s constructed. “If he doesn’t believe he can move to Parwan within the five-year period, he has the option of putting in a further application to Council for an extension of time on that. I think that’s the process that should be followed,” she argued. Cr Paul Tatchell said the abattoir moving to Parwan was a complicated situation, given Council’s investment in the relocation. “I’d just like to include that the ratepayers do have an investment in this, and we have invested heavily in this arrangement to move the abattoir out to Parwan, so it’s a little bit more complex than a business decision,” he said. “I think if we were to have no timeframe, that creates a problem for future Councillors. I note that Mr Failli does have the capacity to negotiate if there’s an issue or if things change, as they do…I think we need to be really careful that we don’t have an open-ended arrangement that then we can’t control.” Crs Edwards, Berry, Munari and Ward voted in favour of Cr Edwards’ amended recommendation, and thus it was carried. The Moorabool News contacted Michael Failli for further information on Westside Meats’ future plans in Bacchus Marsh and Parwan, but he did not respond to our requests.
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COUNCILLOR DRAWS A DISTINCTION Speaking to the Moorabool News, Cr Edwards said the plans for Westside Meats to expand to Parwan, and the application for a new building at Woolpack Road, were “separate matters”.
financial implications to the applicant,” he said. Council CEO Derek Madden replied they will look into it “straight after this meeting”. “Reading the rescission motion and the Local Law, we need to get clarity as to if it can be brought to the [6 April] Ordinary Meeting of Council,” he said. $4 millionhard sports pavilion Cr Berry who said she worked and with put4 in rooms for Ballan Football an enormous effort to getchange this turned over, was & Netball Club, Cricket Club, Bowling Club & Tennis Club. disappointed that they could not discuss the item. “It is a very important motion, Toand felt the need to see theIdesigns & follow this project Michaela Settle MP rescind this to a more acceptable motion,” she said. “It is a little bit disappointing that it did not occur however, there will be another time when we can revisit this and hoping a Special Meeting in a couple of weeks or sooner.” Cr Berry said the importance of her recission was an opportunity to “protect the gateway of our beautiful town and Avenue of Honour”. “Now, we’ll have to wait just a bit longer,” she said. “They’re not related, one is for a planning permit to put a cool room on an existing facility, and the other one is a future plan that is not part of that plan. From a planning perspective, they’re completely different things,” he said. “Whilst it might be good intention to say ‘move it in five years’ … it is an application in its own right whether to have a cool room on that sight. Council may want them to move out to Parwan, and that’s their plans … that’s a business decision, that’s not a planning decision. “Their packing facility at the moment is all under one roof…if they get a case of COVID with one of their meat workers, then it shuts down not only the meatworks, but also the packing facility. By having a separate building they can continue to supply meat, by having that separate cooling facility.”
The amendment moved by Cr Edwards means not only will the new building not have to be moved within five years, “it will not need to be moved at all.”
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Do you use your local library? If you answered yes to that question, there is a state-wide survey that would like you to share your experiences. The survey is called ‘The Great Victorian Public Libraries Users Survey’ and asks 28 questions. The survey is anonymous and is encouraging library users to share their experiences and ‘Have Your Say’ about library services and programs. All Victorian public libraries, including the Lerderderg Library in Bacchus Marsh and the one in Ballan, are conducting a survey of library use. “Your answers will help us to make library services better for you and your community,” a spokesperson for the survey said. “Your opinions matter.” Some of the questions ask what library you use, if you are a member and how do you access your library; by visiting in person, the mobile library or other options. How often do you use your library and how do you travel there? Do you go by yourself, with friends or children? What do people do at the library that they visit is another question in the survey. Do you borrow books, dvds, download an e-book, or just read a magazine or newspaper? How satisfied are you with the library services in Moorabool? To participate in the survey type https://www.research.net/r/ publiclibrarysurvey2022 into your choice of search engine or, a paper version is available at your local library.
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