East Gippsland Shire Council has rejected an application to build an abalone storage facility in Mallacoota.
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Despite a council report encouraging council to approve a planning permit application at 94 Bastion Point Rd, a motion to adopt the recommendation was voted down six votes to three at council’s ordinary meeting on August 1.
In the executive summary, statutory planner Robert Pringle said the proposal was assessed as compatible with the zone provisions and surrounding development and consistent with existing development in the locality.
But Crs Mark Reeves and Marianne Pelz argued the proposal was inconsistent with the purpose of the zone and did not respect the established character of the neighbourhood, as well as potentially having a detrimental impact to residential amenity.
Applicant Southern Ocean Seafoods stated the facility would hold wild-caught abalone before being transported interstate for processing, with loading operation occurring between 10am and 6pm.
The proposal received 25 objections, resulting in a planning consultation meeting in June.
Objections included the appropriateness of of the development in a mixed-use zone, the visual appearance and the amenity impacts of noise and odour drift.
Several objectors argued the facility would have been better placed in at the Commercial Rd industrial precinct.
Crs Joe Rettino, Ben Buckley and Colin Toohey voted in favour of the motion to adopt the recommendation, while Crs Richard Ellis, Natlie O’Connell, Marianne Pelz, Mark Reeves, Jackson Roberts and John White voted against.