Shire warned on college bid

VICTORIA’S Planning Minister has refused to rule out overriding Surf Coast Shire on Christian College’s application for a campus at Torquay.
Mr Guy said he would “cross that bridge when it comes to it” when asked whether he might call in a decision on the application.
Surf Coast councillors last week voted to defer their decision on the application to build in Spring Creek.
Mr Guy slammed council for failing to provide the college with a “straight-forward” answer on a “basic decision”.
“It’s council’s decision whether they go ahead with a school there or not,” Mr Guy said.
“We’re not talking about thousands of houses, we’re talking about one private school.
“I shouldn’t have to play big brother.”
Council has stymied three Christian College attempts to develop a prep-to-year-nine campus and kindergarten since buying the land in 2007.
Fierce community protests against any development in Spring Creek led the former council to seek a planning scheme amendment putting the land outside the western town boundary.
Mr Guy last week gave council a green light to start work on the amendment but said on Wednesday that councillors could make a decision on the college application regardless.
He accused council of putting “stumbling blocks” in the way of Christian College.
“Why do they need meetings with me to decide what to do? No other council in the state needs to do that.”
Mr Guy said the shire needed “a kick in the backside”.
Christian College chairman James Shirley said the school had sought State Government intervention to rezone the farmland to allow the campus but not housing.
Surf Coast Mayor Libby Coker had not returned the Independent’s call for comment before the paper went to press.