Council
29 August, 2024
Petition launched to oppose service station
A PETITION has been launched to oppose a new service station in Mortlake, after widespread social media backlash about the proposal began to circulate.
As Western District Newspapers reported last week, a planning permit has been lodged with Moyne Shire Council for the development of a new 24/7 Liberty Petrol Station located just outside Mortlake on the Hopkins Highway.
The proposal drew the ire of a large number of residents online, who expressed concern existing businesses could be negatively impacted by the proposed location.
Concerns were raised the proposed location on the outskirts of town would essentially encourage a large volume of traffic, travelling between Warrnambool, Ararat and Ballarat, to bypass travelling through Mortlake.
Mortlake resident Fiona Stewart-Murray, who launched the petition which she says has already garnered more than 100 signatures, went before councillors at this week’s Ordinary Meeting of Council through public participation to implore councillors to give the community time to have their say before a decision is made.
She said she believed the community needed more time to discuss the potential addition, and the wider economic impact it could have on existing local businesses.
“We’ve lost a lot since COVID-19 – we’ve lost a bank, a newsagency and things like that,” Ms Stewart-Murray said.
“This is a big difference to our town so we really need to discuss it and know what its implications are.
“I’ve door-knocked two streets with the petition I’ve wrote up, and I found the majority of people in town had no idea it was about to occur.
“The majority of the older population, which is nearly half our population, were very much against it.
“I think we just need the ability to discuss this a bit longer.”
Moyne Shire Council director environment, economy and place Jodie McNamara assured Ms Stewart-Murray the community still had time to make submissions, despite reports circulating which stated yesterday (Wednesday, August 28) marked the close of objections.
“We are able to provide more time for submissions to come in to the application - 14 days is the statutory timeframe that council is not allowed to make any decision within, but we definitely can accept submissions post that date,” she said.
“If I can ask that they come in as soon as possible, that would be appreciated because then we can start to understand what their issues are.”
Cr Jim Doukas sought to clarify if the petition could be counted as a formal submission against the planning permit, and if residents can both make a formal objection through council and sign the petition.
Ms McNamara confirmed both points.
Cr Jordan Lockett sought to confirm a petition would receive adequate recognition as being more than one objection.
Ms McNamara said while the petition would be formally counted as one objection, if the matter came before councillors they would have the opportunity to determine “how much weight” they would give the objection as determined by how many signatures it contained.
Cr Doukas suggested a “strength in numbers” approach would be advisable as residents lodging their own formal submission would help identify a broader range of concerns.
“If you’ve got 200 signatures on one or two points in the submission, that’s all they will look at,” he said.
“But if you’ve got 200 people putting in 200 submissions they would all have to be looked at depending what is in it.”
Copies of the petition are available at the Mortlake BP and Shell service stations, Mac’s Hotel, The Shadwell Hotel, Mortlake Roadhouse, Bates IGA, the chemist, Clarke’s Café and Golsworthy and Sons Home Timber and Hardware.
Those wanting to make a formal objection can do through an objection to planning permit form on Moyne Shire Council’s website (Use the search feature on the home page to find ‘Objecting to a planning application’.)
For more information on any planning permit applications contact the planning unit directly on 1300 656 564 or email moyne@moyne.vic.gov.au.