The Geelong Council on 10 February 2015 passed the an Amendment C297 which rezoned the vacant land at 32 Murradoc Road, Drysdale, from the Commercial 2 Zone to the Commercial 1 Zone.
This Amendment was also combined with a planning permit to construct a full-line Coles supermarket at 24-26, 28-30 and 32 Murradoc Road, Drysdale.
The Council received 20 submissions, 16 in support or not objecting and 4 opposing the Amendment. The contentious issue was whether there was sufficient economic and policy justification for another supermarket in Drysdale at this time and consequential impacts to local traders and the Jetty Road developers.
Council referred the submissions to an Independent Planning Panel appointed by the Minister for Planning. The Panel Hearing was held in November 2014. The Panel concluded that the proposal was strongly supported by State and Local Planning Policy, was strategically justified and warranted, and would strengthen the role and function of the Drysdale Town Centre. The Panel was satisfied that the existing road network would adequately cope with the traffic generated by the new supermarket.
The minutes of the meeting are on the
City of Greater Geelong Website.
From my perspective, the old house is gone and the site has been cleared - that is a good thing. The trees apparently will be kept - also good. However, it remains to be seen whether Murradoc Road can cope with an increase in the number of cars accessing the new supermarket. Its bad enough now on Wednesday and Saturday mornings when Aldi has their specials days. The combination of the roundabout, and traffic lights and schools drop off and pick up times creates a huge traffic jam both in the morning and afternoon.
I have also noticed an increase in cars accessing Clarendon Road generating more corrugations and dust - many people are now using this as a way to bypass the town centre. This will only get worse until the bypass is built and that wont be tomorrow.
So Coles - great for competition between Aldi and Woolworths but we no longer have a green grocer. It will be interesting to see how the existing retail outlets perform once Coles becomes operational.
