By NOEL MURPHY
ANXIOUS neighbours have stymied plans for a kennel complex housing 150 dogs and cats at Wallington after raising $1.5 million to buy the Sproules Rd property.
Residents wanting to preserve the serenity of their rural lifestyle launched the campaign to buy out Andrew Marriott after he lodged plans for the kennel with City of Greater Geelong.
Letterbox drops and community meetings of up to 60 concerned residents resulted in 16 new owners for the 41 Sproules Rd who plan to land-bank the site under a special trust.
A spokesman for the group told the Independent the prospect of noise from 110 dogs and 40 cats and an influx of additional vehicles in the area galvanised community support for the buy-back scheme.
“We can hear the waves crashing from our properties,” the spokesman said.
“With 110 dogs and 40 cats, it would have been an absolute disaster.”
Mr Marriott had not returned the Independent’s calls for comment before the paper went to press on Wednesday afternoon.
City Hall documents show the kennel proposal went before a development hearings panel in June.
The panel deferred its considerations pending a traffic report, which Mr Marriott was to have submitted for a City Hall traffic unit review.
City Hall also wanted Mr Marriott to lodge an independent review of a noise report on his proposed kennel development.
The 28-hectare Sproules Rd property is zoned for farming, which could have allowed the animal boarding proposal.
Residents were concerned Mr Marriott could have appealed to Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal if council had rejected his application.
In a letter circulated to Wallington residents, the buyback proponents argued: “There are more than 50 properties that may and most likely will be affected by this proposal if it goes ahead.
“The potential devaluation of these properties collectively amounts to several million dollars. Residents, who now enjoy a peaceful environment, will have this disrupted in various ways.”
Under the buy-back arrangements Mr Marriott would not propose any similar operations within a 20-kilometre radius.
The residents’ group spokesman said settlement of the land sale was scheduled for November.
