Panel hears how council failed its seniors
PLANNING Scheme Amendment C-133, to rezone the land at 14 Radovick Street, Korumburra (former Korumburra Senior Citizens) from Public Use Zone 3 and 6, to Commercial 1 Zone and General Residential Zone Schedule 1 was referred to an Independent Planning Panel appointed by the Minister for Planning.
That panel held a hearing last Thursday, December 4 at the Korumburra Community Hub building at which the South Gippsland Shire Council, Korumburra Senior Citizens (Kris Crichton), Harry Prosser, Rene Richard and Andrew McEwen made submissions.
Mr McEwen has provided the following report (edited for space):
The four presentations by community members against the rezoning of the land from public to commercial use were each coloured by a shared sense of betrayal of our senior citizens by council. The presentations expressed the sense of loss of trust and objections to the callous unwillingness of the councillors to consult with or talk directly to the senior citizens group about the situation.
There was a strong feeling through each of the presentations that the underlying reason for the rezoning proposal was not to cater for future needs for more commercial land for Korumburra, but as a sleight of hand for council to sell the land. This agenda was confirmed by council’s representatives at the hearings. One presenter confirmed that a previous mayor had acknowledged that the sale was to help with the massive cost overrun of the Korumburra Hub.
The chair of the panel, Penelope Smith, was extremely diligent in her empathetic listening. However, she explained that the report of the formal panel legally had to deal with the planning issues. She did comment, however, on the steep slope up to the hub and the obvious difficulty of a less abled person accessing the site, with poor accessibility a major concern for senior citizens.
Two presenters used the saying of “The cart before the horse” – that to rezone before establishing legal ownership through the current legal case was ridiculous and indeed a reprehensible approach to our seniors and a waste of the community’s money by council.
Presenters tabled copies of the trust documents that clearly details the requirement to hold the title for the seniors and the legal obligation under State Government grant conditions to not sell the land and to hold it for the seniors.
The Council solicitors have already acknowledged that the trust existed and there is no evidence that it has been dissolved. One presenter said it was cathartic to have the opportunity to present to the real power holders and be heard for once.
And to have the opportunity to publish all the evidence of the breach of the contents of the trust. The Hub has only half the meeting space of the Seniors Centre and is incapable of meeting more than 10 per cent of its activities because of its serious access issues.
The proposed rezoning was criticised for the lack of evidence to support the rezoning. No consideration was given to the fact that the old Health Department, the previous elected Council who rejected the Hub site, the local medical practices and numerous seniors have all declared that the Hub site is not accessible for many, including the 20 per cent of Korumburrians who have a disability.
Harry Prosser, an aged care nurse manager, addressed the serious risk of falls on the Hub site with steep slopes and a lack of a footpath on a busy Commercial Street, forcing people to walk on the road and the impact on seniors’ wellbeing with the loss of the centre. Further, there is no social
infrastructure planning to identify any future needs for public space in the precinct.
The Supreme Court is due to hear the case about ownership of the Senior Citizens building and land in March 2026.
Andrew McEwen, Strzelecki Ward Citizens Assembly