Friends of Nillumbik Inc.
                                                                         P.O. Box 258 Eltham 3095
                                                                      mail@friendsofnillumbik.org

The Planning Officer,                                                                           22nd March, 2017
Nillumbik Shire Council,
Greensborough.

Re: Application No. 412/2016/05P (14 Barreenong Road, Cottles Bridge)

We wish to object to this application.

This is an application for a residential use in the Rural Conservation Zone, a zone which does not encourage residential uses.
The 0.76 hectare land area of 14 Barreenong Road is a long way below the 8 hectare minimum lot size for development applications in the RCZ3 area.
In order to complete the proposed development, 0.384 hectares of native remnant vegetation would need to be removed, i.e. this amounts to more than 50% of the site!
The land is part of a State-significant biosite having State fauna importance.
In this Bushfire Management Overlay area a high priority is given to ensuring that new developments avoid bushfire risk to human life, yet the application would place people directly in harm’s way were a bushfire to occur.

In effect, in order to make room for a dwelling and outbuildings and to try to keep safe from bushfire, over half of the site will be cleared of remnant vegetation which will destroy the environmental significance of the land, when environmental protection is the main purpose of the Rural Conservation Zone.

This application undermines policies meant to maintain the Green Wedge and its values.

Greg Johnson (President, Friends of Nillumbik Inc.)