LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
WE are the owners of a one acre block which already has a home on it.
We have recently applied for dual occupancy on this block to build another home.
This has always been an option for these blocks of land under council rulings.
This is a low density residential area.
Our application has been processed and recommended by the planning department of Wellington Shire Council to proceed.
We are totally bewildered that the application was ‘called in’ by the councillors.
We have every confidence in the council departments — our problem has arisen with the councillors themselves.
One would expect the role of a councillor to be one which would seek both sides of a story before making a decision to call in an application.
We are gobsmacked that this has not happened in our case.
Not one councillor out of nine has made contact with us to gain both sides of a story before making their decision on this issue.
This seems unfair and unwise in their role as representatives of all ratepayers.
We unfortunately now only have one option — to take council to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal so we can continue with our plans for our land.
We apologise to the ratepayers for this action, however we are within our legal rights and council planning rights to do this, as we see no reasonable or just reason for their denial.
We believe they have little or no chance of winning this action in VCAT, and are wasting ratepayers’ money.
They will have to engage costly consultants to represent council, and may have to pay all our costs involved in representation.
Would they take this course of action if the money was coming out of their own pocket?
Can the entrusted councillors who have been voted in by ratepayers please explain the reasoning behind this waste of our money?
