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A growing religious community in the city's south-east will have to keep looking for a new spiritual home, after councillors rejected a bid to build a church on protected green wedge land.
An artist's impression of a proposed development in Cranbourne South. A growing religious congregation in Melbourne's south-east will need to continue searching for a new spiritual home, after an application to build a new church was rejected by the local council.
The Bethel New Life Christian Fellowship had applied to build the two-storey church in a green wedge in Cranbourne South. The church group can appeal the decision before a tribunal, but says it will discuss next steps with its community. A new church proposed for protected land in Melbourne's outer south-east is unlikely to go ahead, after councillors knocked back an application for a planning permit.
The Bethel New Life Christian Fellowship had wanted to build the $3.5 million dollar church in a green wedge zone in Cranbourne South. The green wedge was established to protect biodiversity, agricultural land and rural townships against development. Despite council officers recommending the project proceed, the councillors rejected the application at a City of Casey council meeting on Tuesday night.
"They're meant to provide a physical buffer to urban sprawl. "ABC News: Maren PreussThe proposed development would have included a two-storey church for up to 400 patrons and 120 car parking spaces, built opposite a bustling residential development. The religious group said it had outgrown its space in an industrial part of Dandenong, which serviced hundreds of people in Tamil and English. Mr De Britto said he was disappointed with the council's decision.
"90 per cent of the church community live in Casey, so the council is not listening to those members of the community. "ABC News: Maren PreussThe church group bought the $1.8 million site on Cranbourne-Frankston Road in the hopes that they would be able to continue servicing the congregation in a new home. Despite more than 230 objections to the proposal, council officers had recommended approval subject to 56 conditions.
"We're talking about a 3,515 square metre building that's up to nine metres high," he said. The application to relocate the church group to a green wedge zone sparked controversy across the community. When a council refuses to grant a planning permit, the application can be appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal .
Urban Planning Urban Development Green Wedge Zone Church City Of Casey Bethel New Life Christian Fellowship Cranbourne-Frankston Road
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