Macedon Ranges council made a second submission to the Amess Road Precinct Structure Plan during an additional consultation period, which sought feedback on amendments to drainage infrastructure.
The proponent made the amendments to its development contributions plan (DCP) and associated documents in response to original submissions on drainage infrastructure.
According to a submission from Macedon Ranges planning and environment director Rebecca Stockfeld to the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) , the proponent made the changes to the amendment documents primarily due to Melbourne Water’s recent advice that a drainage services scheme (DSS) would not be prepared for the precinct structure plan area.
“This has made council the responsible drainage authority, a role which council had not previously envisioned or expected and which now places responsibilities on council under various pieces of legislation,” Ms Stockfeld wrote.
Ms Stockfeld requested the council have extra time to consider this amendment.
“In order for council to give its views on the proposed DCP and the incorporation of the various stormwater assets to be responsibility of council, council requires an additional three months to sufficiently consider and inform itself of the changes made and in particular to review the various assets, their design, costing and adequacy against relevant guidelines and standards,” she wrote.
In the submission, Ms Stockfeld said some of the council’s concerns included a “lack of assessment on the impact on downstream flows” and an “uncertainty of the costings due to the lack of materials … further compounded due to the lack of detailed studies in regard to cultural heritage or contamination having been factored into costing calculations in some areas.”
She said the council believed that there was not “any assessment of downstream impacts to watercourses from the increased volume of stormwater being released to the system after being generated in the PSP area.”
A DTP spokesperson said public consultation was open for eight weeks and all submissions received are currently being considered.
“The proponent has been engaging with the council on the precinct structure plan for over six years,” the department spokesperson said.
Star Weekly understands that Melbourne Water has been consulted and is providing advice on the proposed drainage design, and the department of transport and planning will provide advice to the minister for planning who will make a final decision.
