An off-grid camping retreat at Serenity of Heathcote
CASE STUDY | Serenity of Heathcote
Planning permit application and supporting report, pre-application meetings, representing the client at a Council Questions and Hearings Committee
Serenity of Heathcote offers a private, off-grid camping experience on 15ha in central Victoria. The property has been planted with thousands of native trees and promotes its location for retreats, small events and as a base for exploring the local area.
Linda Martin-Chew worked with Serenity’s owner Stuart Jordan over more than two years, advancing the planning application process. Stuart was overseas for much of that time, so relied on his planner to problem-solve and to keep him informed of potential costs and their timing.
“Stuart relied on my knowledge of the planning scheme and Council’s planning department protocols to make sense of what was happening during a detailed application process. The outcome also reflects the value of our pre-application meetings with Council and with the local water authority.”
Linda prepared a comprehensive planning report to address relevant policy and the decision guidelines of the local planning scheme, since this was an agritourism proposal not related to farming activity on the land. With the client, she met with Mitchell Shire representatives and also engaged with Coliban Water, so that the application could address the planning controls based on their advice.
Planning issues to consider included bushfire risk, water quality and Aboriginal Cultural Heritage.
Additional specialist inputs co-ordinated for lodgement included:
an agricultural consultant report, confirming that the land was better suited to a conservation/amenity outcome than farming, due to its biodiversity values and the fragility of the existing environment;
a geotechnical report, confirming that water quality would not be affected by waste-water treatment; and
a bushfire management statement and emergency management plan.
The application attracted enough objections to go before a Questions and Hearings Committee, which Linda attended on Stuart’s behalf. Council granted a Notice of Decision, which successfully proceeded to a planning permit as there were no appeals.