30 Apr 2018 Wangaratta Chronicle, Wangaratta VIC (General News) by Shane Douthie Minister for Planning allows rezoning and subdivision A LONG held dream of the Wangaratta Golf Club looks set to come true with the with the State Government giving the green light paving the way for a 59-lot subdivision on its land. Jaclyn Symes (MLC, Northern Victoria) made the announcement on Friday that Minister for Planning Richard Wynne had approved a planning scheme amendment and planning permit for the subdivision ending a five-year battle for the club and the developers. For the subdivision and housing development on 7.98 hectares of land to take place part of the course needed to be rezoned from Special Use Zone (SUZ) to General Residential Zone (GRZ). This decision ticks all the boxes, Ms Symes said. Its about making homes more affordable where people want to live, boosting our construction industry and securing the future of one of our muchloved golf clubs. This venture is a long time coming. Its properly planned and carefully considered and now its time to get on with it. The announcement on Friday said the rezoning will allow new communities to be built but the development will still need to comply with the Governments new Residential Zones, which protect neighbourhood character and save the much-loved Aussie backyard. The planning decision will create more affordable homes to help people realise their dreams of homeownership, will ease pressure on the citys newer residential estates, boost the local construction industry and secure the future of the Wangaratta Golf Club. Wangaratta councillor Dean Rees described the news as fantastic. Its great news for the golf club, the developer and the rural City of Wangaratta Cr Rees said. It will create more work, more houses and more jobs. Its also great news for the locals who have already put blocks in the subdivision on hold in the hope it will progress. Cr Rees said the subdivision had the potential to become one of the most prestigious in Wangaratta. Its in one of the growth corridors and complements the developments of the North East Zone, he said. Its also great for the rural city itself who were right behind the proposal and voted 6-0 in favour of the subdivision. Were trying to build a better future for Wangaratta and economic development is essential for that happen. The original subdivision proposal was stopped in its tracks by the administrators back in 2013. An independent planning panel was convened to assess the merits of the current proposal, which received 19 submissions 14 in support and five opposed. The minister included a number of conditions on the original proposal, including rules relating to the staging of infrastructure and the provision of services, a requirement for a safety audit of the golf course that demonstrates a safe operating distance, and landscaping requirements. Caption Text: ON THE MARKET: Pictured is an artists impression of stage one of two stages that will be sold off at Waldara Golf Estate.Licensed by Copyright Agency. You may only copy or communicate this work with a licence.