By Jessica Micallef
Macedon Ranges council has approved the expansion of a Woodend retirement village.
The application proposed to amend an existing planning permit to build an additional 19 dwellings at GemLife Retirement Village, 1849 Mount Macedon Road, Woodend.
The extra dwellings will be built on abutting land at 29-33 Sullivans Road, and will result in 245 residential units, a manager’s residence and recreation facilities.
The council’s planning and environment director Angela Hughes said an existing tennis court and recreational vehicle (RV) compound would need to be relocated to another part of the site and a larger RV compound constructed to give “greater” access to vehicles parked on the site.
“A dump point for the RVs will also be installed on site for private use only by residents of the site,” she said.
“While the GemLife development doesn’t cater for aged care, it does allow for retirement living which is usually for older people and … it gives an opportunity for local people of Woodend to stay in the area, downsize and continue being part of the community that they may have been for quite a while.”
Cr Jennifer Anderson said the proposal did not meet the town’s character style.
“It will serve a purpose for certain residents that like the style of living but … for me it does not really fit the intent of the neighbourhood residential zone,” she said.
“It’s borrowing off open space … and I have a concern that this village will just keep growing and then you have a whole part of Woodend that is no longer what it used to be.”
Councillors Janet Pearce, Roger Jukes, Andrew Twaits, Mandi Mees, Bill West and Henry Bleeck voted in favour of the planning permit.
Councillors Anderson, Helen Radnedge and Natasha Gayfer were opposed.
