Stockland project to generate 2000 jobs, says Madden

Approval of a controversial residential project has cleared the way to create 2000 jobs, according to Planning Minister Justin Madden.
Mr Madden said the $330 million Stockland development at Point Lonsdale would generate the jobs over its 10-year construction period.
Mr Madden has approved a planning scheme amendment and a planning permit for the 600-allotment project to go ahead after years of objections from environmentalists and residents.
Mr Madden said he had set down “strict” additional planning controls to ensure the project was sensitive to the environment.
The controls included a 120 per cent bond on the cost of landscaping to ensure Stockland complied with its plan to landscape the site.
Mr Madden said the Government “understands” the need for a development “sympathetic” to the site, near wetlands and waterways adjoining Swan Bay.
However, he pointed out that the development was earmarked for a “degraded” site, previously home to shell grit and sand mining operations.
Mr Madden said the housing component would stay within an existing residential-zoned site covering 81.5 hectares on the southern side of the Bellarine Highway.
“This development will provide a much-needed economic stimulus to the local and wider regional economies through the creation of more than 2000 jobs, an increased permanent resident population and employment opportunities in the aged care industry.”