Amy Hume
A BLOCK of units in Kilmore spells “death to the town’s equine industry by a thousand paper cuts” according to George Street residents.
Fresh from a VCAT hearing with Mitchell Shire Council, Kilmore horse trainer Ian Stewart is baffled by the decision to allow medium density housing in an area established for equine use.
Council endorsed a plan for two single storey dwellings on a 695m2 block in George Street after recognising that it was in line with Residential 1 zoning.
However, this zoning of George Street identifies horses, stables and equine businesses as prohibited.
George Street has been home to horse trainers and owners for more than 50 years and residents say the new zoning was introduced without their knowledge.
The officer’s report to council on May 2009 on a proposed planning scheme amendment concluded that:
“The George Street area should remain Residential 1 Zone to allow for the gradual relocation of the stables in the long term.”
Council allowed for an “existing rights” clause meaning that existing horses, businesses and stables in the area can remain.
Mr Stewart said this will disrupt the lives of residents by allowing something that’s “legally prohibited.”
“Horses and people living in medium density housing can’t co-exist,” Mr Stewart said, “that’s why they have these zonings.”
Mr Stewart has heavily invested in equine facilities on two properties in the street and has campaigned for safety signs and lowered speeds around the precinct.
He said the planning scheme does not recognise the importance of the equine industry – the biggest source of income for Kilmore.
Mr Stewart and his neighbours are concerned about the potential congestion caused by an overflow of parking on George Street and safety issues.
“The shire’s a bit short-sighted. It’s obscene the way they’ve gone about it.”
Despite Mitchell Shire Council’s obvious push to remove horse operations from the area, CEO David Keenan said the shire was supportive of Kilmore’s equine industry.
“Council is extremely supportive of the equine industry in Kilmore and has taken steps in the past year to amend the planning scheme to emphasise the importance of the equine industry on the north side of Union Street,” he said.
“However the southern end of George Street is residential in character with dwellings sited on smaller lots in a more ‘suburban’ garden setting.
“Following consultation with stakeholders, one of the options put forward was to encourage horse stabling facilities north of the racetrack on land zoned Low Density Residential and Rural Living.
“It was this option that was eventually supported by council and Amendment c66 introduced a Design and Development Overlay (DDO4-Kilmore Equine Lifestyle Precinct) over the land north west of George Street.”
Mitchell Shire Council statutory planner Ms Victoria Mack represented the council at the VCAT hearing on January 5.
“This development would not appear to detrimentally impact on the training, keeping and movement of race horses at premises north of the subject site,” her report stated.
“The George Street properties, including the subject land, remained in the Residential 1 Zone and are not covered by the DDo3.
“If an application to construct horse stables in George Street was to be made today it is unlikely that such application would be supported.”
George Street resident Wayne Fraser organised a petition against the planning permit that was submitted to council last year.
Like Mr Stewart, Mr Fraser agrees that bringing units into the area will open a whole new can of worms.
“[People] might complain and they’ll be well within their rights to do so because it’s zoned Residential 1 and horses aren’t supposed to be here under that zoning,” he said.
“It needs to be one or the other – it can’t be both.”
Mr Fraser is not a horse owner or trainer but has been living in the street for 10 years because he likes the ambience of horses in the area.
“Units are not in keeping with the character of this part of the street at all,” he said.
“They are slowly trying to push the equine industry out.”
The VCAT report described the area as “largely residential in character” but acknowledged “there is an area to the north of the review site that contains long established horse training businesses associated with the Kilmore racecourse.”
Mr Stewart has had 28 days from January 10 to make an appeal to the Supreme Court or the VCAT decision will be binding.
