by Sahar Foladi
A planning permit for a church’s 840-square-metre shed to store charity items in the Bangholme Green Wedge has been granted by Greater Dandenong councillors, despite 16 objections.
Objectors cited a lack of consultation, the “massive” size of the shed, concerns of future industry on the site and the buffer zone distance from the shed to a neighbouring chicken farm.
Councillor Rhonda Garad’s “reluctant” attempt at deferment citing health risks, lack of due process and the “industrial-scale” size was lost, and the permit application passed.
In support, Cr Lana Formoso noted the church was storing second-hand furniture to distribute during an economic crisis.
She said council officers had “no issue” with the proposal from a church that was “prepared to do good for the community”.
The Samoan Seventh Day Adventist church was granted permission to build a storage shed of 40 metres long by 21 metres wide at the rear of the 445 Thompson Road site.
The shed will stand 10 metres from its rear boundary shared with the poultry farm.
Cr Garad says the owner of the farm fears being closed down in case of avian flu outbreak due to the proximity to the church.
She mentions Broiler Farms 2018 guidelines require a minimum buffer zone of 250 metres, extending to 472 metres for a farm with 200,000 birds.
The council’s city futures executive director Sanjay Manivasagasivam says there’s no requirement for a separation or buffer to distance the broiler farm from the newly proposed outbuilding.
Eight of the objections were filed by residents more than seven kilometres away from the church.
Few other objectors were located within a few kilometres of the church, besides the poultry farm owner.
A council report stated all the objections were addressed, and the permit, its activities and the process of obtaining a permit is in line with the procedure.
The large shed is said to store second-hand furniture for charity entity Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA), which is associated with the church, to help families and communities doing it tough.
The church’s senior pastor Tui Fanene said lack of space was the biggest hurdle they’re facing to continue their charity works hence the size of the shed.
“Thanks to Cr Formoso and the rest of the councillors for supporting our application to build a shed to improve and extend our service to our community.
“This has been part of its mission and vision to make sure that one of the key purposes is to serve the needs of the community.
“While our goal is to help our community especially with families who are struggling with the high cost of living, we also make sure that we look after our neighbours first.
“Should we have spoken to them (neighbours) about it? It’s probably beneficial if we had time to, even though it is not required as we advertised the project according to the Council’s requirement.
“In fact I mentioned it to one of our good neighbours and she had no issues with it.”
He says Cr Garad’s concerns over the process and compliance were untrue and that the procedure was followed according to council’s requirements and the plans fully comply too.
A notice of the planned work was given to them by the council for advertisement purposes which was put up on the fence of the site for the public to view.
As part of the process, the notice was up for two-weeks before the matter was brought to the council.
Mr Fanene says he had spoken to his next-door neighbour and also his neighbour who owns the chicken farm after his objection.
Chicken-farm owner Noel Williams had questioned the guarantee that the building would not be sold off to a defacto factory in the future.
“I assured him we had no plans whatsoever.
“There’s another body above the church that technically has the title of church properties, so the decision is not entirely held by the local churches themselves.
“At the end of the day we’re going to be there forever with them. We want to make sure we are in a good relationship.”
The application mentioned the charity works have been carried from a portable unit on site serving the community for the last two years. But now the space has reached its maximum capacity and has become unsafe.
Mr Fanene mentioned there had been a break-in last week of the portable and the two cool rooms placed on site which stored frozen items for donation.
The locks were broken, food and some other items were stolen. He says this could’ve been easily avoided if they had the shed, which provides extra security.
