Harbouring doubts: Denis More at the harbour he built without a planning permit. Picture: Tommy Ritchie 56039
Andrew Mathieson
LEOPOLD could have a public boating facility after council lifted a development moratorium on land around a harbour, built without planning approval.
But owner Denis More fears his clashes with City of Greater Geelong over the harbour five years ago could scuttle the City’s own plans to deliver a “boat launching facility” for Leopold.
Mr More, who already has a permit for a caravan park on the 45-hectare site, said he wanted to use the harbour for a public sailing school.
The “quite restrictive” moratorium had prevented plans for further development on the site, he said.
“This now means I can now move on. It’s been quite (a psychological strain) as well but now it’s like I’m a free agent again.”
The City had been unaware of the development until aerial pictures first revealed the harbour.
Council took Mr More to Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal in 2007 over concerns about potential environmental damage from a channel he dug between the harbour and Corio Bay.
A three-year agreement between the City and Mr More forced him to place rocks in the channel, preventing boats from using the harbour.
Mr More also had to excavate and revegetate 4000 square metres of the site and build a spillway to prevent flooding.
Mr More said the channel would remain blocked with the rocks unless council was willing to take over management of the harbour.
He pointed out that the City’s 2006-2016 strategic plan for Leopold included buying land to build a boat launching facility.
“I’m happy to give part of the land away for free but they can buy it off me if they want,” Mr More said.
A survey found that residents were overwhelmingly in favour of using Mr More’s site for a boat harbour.
Leopold and District Community Association president Alan Ireland said residents wanted more access to Corio Bay’s foreshore near the town.
“Anything that opens up more land for the public use is a benefit to the community. In most instances, there is no road going down that give access to the foreshore,” Mr Ireland said.
“It (development of a harbour) really is now dependent on council and its attitude toward allowing him to proceed with his dream, so to speak, because there is a fair amount of tension between the two.”
