Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant has assured the Point Lonsdale community she has been speaking for the community on the proposed Coles development.
In an update released last week Ms Marchant thanked community members for contacting her and sharing their views on the possibility of a new Coles supermarket at 2341-2349 Bellarine Highway, Point Lonsdale.
Ms Marchant said she had been actively involved in representing the community on the issue, including writing to and meeting with both the Geelong and Queenscliffe mayors, hearing directly from Stop Coles organisers and liaising with Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny’s office.
Ms Marchant said she understood the proposed supermarket development had “caused great concern in the community”.
“As per my statement in September, no formal planning application has been lodged by Coles. That remains the case today,” she said.
“I can confirm that if a formal planning application is lodged at any stage, the community will have the opportunity to have their say.
Ms Marchant said she remained “committed to representing the interests of our community”.
The proposal is yet to progress beyond the first stages of a pre-application enquiry to determine whether the proposed development would be eligible for the Victorian government’s Development Facilitation Program (DFP), overseen by Ms Kilkenny.
Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj has been vocal in his support of the community on this matter, but if the proposed supermarket were deemed eligible for the DFP the development would bypass municipal planning procedures, with the minister the sole arbiter of the issue.
