PlanningAlerts

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1. We, Leif and Meagan Eriksen, are the property owners of 17 Shelley Street for the past 12 years, and we want to register our opposition to any subdivision of the land at 21-25 Shelley Street Spring Gully and the removal of any native vegetation to subdivided the bush land.

   Our property at 17 Shelley Street Spring Gully is positioned next to the proposed site at 21-25 Shelley Street Spring Gully. Our property is situated on the top of the hill and runs alongside the bush land behind 19 Shelley Street and overlooks 21-25 Shelley Street.

   The bushland behind 19 Shelley Street belongs to the owners of 21-25 Shelley Street, Spring Gully.
   The owners previously sold 19 Shelley Street, and we are aware prior to selling the property, they had an easement removed allowing them to retain the large bush area behind 19 Shelley Street. We are also aware they did this with the intention of subdividing this land.

   There is a large, established native bush land that runs behind the majority of houses on the topside of Shelley Street and meets with the bush land behind the houses along Milton Avenue. This land is largely covered by significant indigenous flora and is home to native wildlife of Bendigo. This native bush has been retained and maintained by its previous owners since the 1960's, creating and preserving a unique, tranquil and important wildlife corridor and home to many species of Bendigo's wildlife. This unique bushland creates privacy and a peaceful environment for current property owners and native animals. There are no roads or subdivisions in this bushland, meaning the wildlife corridor has been maintained allowing residents and native animals to co exist for over 60 years. We do not agree to this harmonious environment being destroyed by subdivision.

   This land is home to indigenous trees, plants, bulbs, grasses and shrubs, with many indigenous only to Spring Gully. This bushland provides shelter, food, safety and homes to birds, reptiles, mammals and frogs.

   The removal of any of this native vegetation for subdivision of houses puts the welfare of the current natives animals in jepodity, along with creating instability of the lands large natural water run off.
   All the water from the top side of Shelley Street runs down hill towards the properties of Milton Avenue, the removal of vegetation and destabilising of the land caused by building houses can and will have negative ramifications on the current properties on Milton Avenue.

   All the land along Shelley Street and down the hill beyond Milton Avenue is situated on Dead Dog Reef, a rocky ironstone bushland formed million of years ago. The ironstone sits on the surface of the land and is barely penetrable. Our fencing contractor had great difficulty building a new farm fence due to the sheer amount of hard rock that covers this entire area.
   This land relies heavily on the indigenous trees, plants, grasses and shubs to maintain the current soil, leaflitter and rocks from being washed away.
   This land depends on the bush to create a natural barrier to erosion.

   There are no roads or houses at the back of the properties between Shelley Street and Milton Avenue. These old and tightly held properties have always had bush backyards, many without fencing so neighbouring bush merge together allowing and creating a unique, peaceful, tranquil home for native birds, reptiles and and marsupials. Echidna's and wombats use the bush behind these properties to safely live and move about without harm. Reptiles and bitds use the grass, plant life, and trees as home, shelter and a refuge from the weather.

   In addition to the above, we object to subdivision at 21-25 Shelley Street due to lack off and dangerous visibility on the road in front of the said property due to a hill. It is impossible to see vehicles driving on either side of this hill that sits in front of 21-25 Shelley Street.
   There are no footpaths on Shelley Street, meaning children, families, the elderly, walkers, push bikes are left to use the road. The postman also has limited visibility due to the hill.

   Subdivision will create more vehicles coming and going directly onto this dangerous blind hill and incresse the risk of an accident. We have many young families moving into Shelley Street, with children walking past 21-25 Shelley Street to attend Spring Gully Primary School.

   There is also a blind corner on Shelley Street leading down towards Lawson Street, creating yet another dangerous black spot. We need to restrict the movement of vehicles along Shelley Street to current residents only...not add to the problem by allowing further vehicle traffic due to subdivision.

   Shelley Street sits at the top of a hill, surrounded by bush, in a High bushfire BEL rating zone. Allowing subdivision at the end of dead end battleaxe driveway
   surrounded by bush, on a blind spot exit... would be a failure of the Bendigo Councils Planning Department Duty Of Care to any purchasers of this land. Additionally, this land as mentioned sits on Dead Dog Reef made up entirely of ironstone, meaning it will be nearly impossible to build on, meaning the engineering and/or building cost to the purchaser will be astronomical.

   We are not negotiating on our objection to subdivision and removal of vegetation for houses at 21-25 Shelley Street Spring Gully. We are sure the adjoining residents will also be against the subdivision and removal of vegetation if they were to be made aware of the application. We have not been advised by the Bendigo Council about the subdivision application which as a rate payer is very disappointing.

   We look forward to hearing from the Planning Department regarding our objective to DS/491/2023 3 lot subdivision and removal of vegetation.

2. We, Leif and Meagan Eriksen, owners of the property at 17 Shelley Street Spring Gully further object to any subdivision and removal of vegetation at 21-25 Shelley Street Spring Gully....because the current owners are planning on selling the property and moving to Anglesea on the west coast, so they won't be around or liable for any repercussions caused by the subdivision or removal of native vegetation. They will be gone and the neighbouring properties will be left to deal with any fall out caused by this planning application.

   The owners of properties on Shelley Street and Miton Avenue have purposely bought properties surrounded by and with bush blocks. The adjoining properties on Shelley Street and Milton Avenue are some of the most expensive and sought after in Bendigo due to the unique native corridor running in between the properties

   This native setting creates shade, wind protection, privacy, an eco system and a peaceful environment in which to live. It's extremely unfair to expect the owners of the many properties on Shelley Street and Milton Avenue to be forced to have this tranquil and unique setting destroyed and replaced by subdivision and houses.

   It's unfair to expect these properties that currently have privacy , to be overlooked by new houses. It is also unfair the current owners who have enjoyed the bushland and privacy during their entire ownership of the property, now want to destroy this unique environment by introducing subdivision. A decision based solely on profit, and not on what is best for the environment, for the neighbouring properties or the current native flora and fauna.

   To erect a shed is one thing but to build 3 houses is a completely different scale that will cause irreversible destruction to this very old, original nature bush setting.

   The bush blocks on the top blocks of Shelley Street help stabilise erosion for the bush blocks and properties on Milton Avenue. Any or all of the removal of vegetation or digging out and removal of surface rock at 21-25 Shelley Street can have a negative impact downhill, flooding and erosion.

   An example of this can be found on council record when the property at 16 Shelley Street Spring Gully removed the native trees, vegetation and rocks from their property. After flattened the natural slope , the land was exposed to erosion and the rain water ran straight of the flattened land into the neighbouring properties causing flooding and damage. Water naturally runs down hill, and when you remove the trees, plants and rocks that stabilise the land, that creatie natural barriers to the water run off...you create flooding down hill.

   The only sewerage line is on the down side of Shelley Street, meaning these planned subdivision will be having to pump all their swerage waste up hill, and if there is any sewerage leak it will run downhill into existing native bushland, owned by properties on Milton Avenue.

   The water run of from this bushland crosses Milton Avenue into the native bushland and seasonal creek in between Milton Avenue and Autumn Gully Road. This bushland has water catchment ponds in which native frogs reside.

   As our climate is rapidly changing, creating more risk of bush fires, extreme heat, heavy rain fall, erotion, loss of natural habitat, flooding and poor air quality, there has never been a greater need by councils to take precautions when approving subdivision planning.

   The flooding in 2022 in Bendigo was a perfect example that highlighted subdivision that should never have been approved. I have videos of subdivisions in Strathfieldsaye completely underwater, and properties in the Imagine Estate sandbagging to prevent flooding from the seasonal creeks as they burst their banks and joining together to make one extremely powerful force of destruction.

   We hope the Bendigo Council will not just look at this subdivision as a way to build more houses, but to look at the long term effects it will have on the environment, the current native bushland. The native animals and to the neighbouring properties that call this unique setting home.

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3. We, Meagan and Leif Eriksen, owners of 17 Shelley Street Spring Gully, would like to bring to the attention there are two known mines shafts in the vicinity of the proposed planning application which means there are possibly other mines in the area proposed to be built on at 21-25 Shelley Street Spring Gully. As there are many unknown mine locations in Spring Gully, it would be unsafe and a breach of the Bendigo Councils Duty Of Care to allow perspective buyers to purchase land and build new dwellings on a area with the possibility of old and unstable mine shafts that could collapse.

   Building on either of the proposed area will require a large removal of native vegetation and the disruption of current stable ironstone surface. This inturn will create erosion that could disrupt the stabilisation of 'existing known' mines shafts and 'existing unknown' mine shafts and tunnels. This erosion and disruption of mine shafts and/or tunnels could have dangerous, irreversible and irreplaceable damage to current neighbouring properties, current native landscape and the natural run off storm water.

   The land behind the existing dwelling at 12-25 Shelley Street Spring Gully was previously a dam, and is now a green area of land due to the amount of storm water that naturally runs down hill from Shelley Street. Storm water runs from both the top and sides of neighbouring properties to 21-25 Shelley Street Spring Gully into what was previously a dam. It is a natural storm water run off created over thousands of years that should not be altered.

   Building on a filled in dam is not only unsafe and unstable for any future dwelling, but will alter the current storm water run of by redirecting it to neighbouring properties on Milton Avenue possibility causing their properties flood and/or cause structural damage to their sheds, garages, houses, gardens and driveways.

   The desire for more housing in a suburb should not be the deciding factor when considering subdivision on unsuitable land. A topographic view of the proposed area to be developed as three housing lots, will show the removal of existing native bushland will
   definitely be out of character to the current environment. There are NO other houses build in the backs of current neighbouring properties for good reason. The ironstone, sloping land is unsuitable to build dwellings. A builder recently viewed the land from our property and expressed it was not suitable land to build dwellings on.

   The current neighbouring properties to 21-25 Shelley Street DO NOT have battleaxe driveways with several new houses built on what is native bushland. The majority of these properties have retained the native bushland and farm fencing, with the occasional property having a shed or out buildings.

   When taking into consideration the effect of subdivisions at 21-25 Shelley Street, it is important to consider how this will negatively impact the whole of Shelley Street and Milton Avenue. Destroying an existing, old, established, natural environment where subdivision has previously not existed.

   It is important to consider how subdivision will effect not only the front of the existing street, but to consider the negative impact it will have behind the existing properties on both on Shelley Street, and Milton Avenue.

   Don't these owners have a right to object to the destruction and irreversible damage to the land beside and behind them, regardless of whether they are adjoining 21-25 Shelley Street?
   Change is not always for the better. Development for the sake of housing and profit is not always for the better.

   Council must look at how two extra driveways will add to an already dangerous traffic spot in front of 21-25 Shelley Street. How adding more vehicles to Shelley street due to subdivision will only exacerbate the dangers on the hill and corner of Shelley Street, possibility causing serious injury or even death. I believe Vic Roads and TAC would not approve to more driveways on this dangerous part of Shelley Street where pedestrians are walking on the road due to there not being any footpaths. This hill is a danger to oncoming vehicles from both directions.

   Shelley Street and Milton Avenue are both very quiet trees lined with families living in mostly existing homes built from 1960 (not 1970's as stated in the statement in the proposed planning application). These families living on existing properties on Shelley Street and Milton Avenue not only have the right but should have the assurance the investment they have purchased will not be devalued, harmed, put at risk or loose its current outlook, the surrounding natural bushland, the native environment, their privacy, shade, wind barriers, safety, erosion stability, storm water barriers.... due to subdivision and the removal of not only current native vegetation but native ironstone foundations of which all of Shelley Street and Milton Avenue are sitting on.

   We will not ever agree to subdivision of the land at 21-25 Shelley Street Spring Gully and are prepared to engage a solicitor and take this matter to VCAT should Bendigo Council approve this Planning Application.

4. We would like to register our objection to the proposed subdivision and removal of vegetation. Milton Avenue is a rare and unique environment which is cherished by all who are lucky enough to live here.

   Over the last six years we have restored our garden and planted native trees and shrubs which has increased the native birdlife. We have carefully protected the woodland on our property and now have a beautiful and sustainable environment in keeping with the local bush. We have worked with the environment and the challenges of leaf litter, rocks and poor soil and we're very pleased with the results of our efforts.

   The area is loved by the many walkers who come this way to access the reserve and the Goldfields Track. It is one of Bendigo's most special places.

   The proposed removal of vegetation would eliminate a valuable living environment for native flora and fauna as well as significantly impact the tranquil atmosphere so highly valued by residents and visitors. There are also drainage considerations given the geology of the landscape.

   We strongly object to the proposed changes. Anyone who values the environment and the special places that contribute to making Bendigo an amazing place to live cannot possibly allow this to happen. Bendigo will soon become just another drab suburban sprawl if applications such as these are passed through. The native bird population will be decimated and the city will lose it's strong appeal to tree changers.

   It's areas such as Milton Avenue, where housing and bushland are sensitively preserved, that make Bendigo special. Please let's keep it that way!!

5. We strongly object to the proposed changes. Anyone who values the environment and the special places that contribute to making Bendigo an amazing place to live cannot possibly allow this to happen. Bendigo will soon become just another drab suburban sprawl if applications such as these are passed through. The native bird population will be decimated and the city will lose it's strong appeal to tree changers.

6. We strongly object to the proposed changes. Anyone who values the environment and the special places that contribute to making Bendigo an amazing place to live cannot possibly allow this to happen. Bendigo will soon become just another drab suburban sprawl if applications such as these are passed through. The native bird population will be decimated and the city will lose it's strong appeal to tree changers.

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