PM Submission Object - Sallie Strang - MCU18/0084

 

of narrow land where landscaped screen buffer may or may not be proposed and within that narrow strip of
land where a fire break may or may not be proposed. It is acknowledged that the installation of these land
application areas will have to meet the applicable codes. But it is also acknowledged that the current
development application provides limited direction as to whether this area will be landscaped to provide a
buffer or take up aerosols or neither so as to offer asset protection. The land application areas are located 2m
from my boundary fence. The wind direction that occurs in that area is towards my property. So, the
potential of aerosols of the effluent and odour would cross over into my property and my enjoyment of my
property. It is adjacent to our pizza oven area.

Consequently, it is suggested that the development application is considered to be scant on detail on such
matters where there appears to be overlying and potentially conflicting activities proposed for critical
elements of a proposal whereby a non-rural use is proposed to be inserted into a rural area.

10. The development application fails to provide sufficient information so as | can establish if the
proposal will increase the potential for bushfire hazards

Following on from 9 above, there is a suggestion in the development application that that narrow strip of land
between the cabins and my property boundary will be landscaped with the assistance of the local landcare
group and by joining land for wildlife. It is assumed that this landscaping will be tiered planting so as to
potentially create a visual screen and that there may or may not be mulch so as to assist in the establishment
and ongoing maintenance of this vegetation. It is also assumed that the two proposed land application areas
against my fence will include mulch of some description and low vegetation will be established and
maintained so as to assist in absorbing the aerosols of pressurized treated effluent. Both the finer dead and
green plant material below the canopy of trees contribute significantly to bushfire fuel loading and can
dramatically increase the potential bushfire hazard.

The development application discusses a seriously basic emergency plan for guests in the case of bushfires
events. The development application also shows gas BBQs on the decks of the proposed cabins.

All my horse paddocks are enclosed with fencing suited for equine uses and these uses rely on such fencing
being constantly effective. The development application fails to document how asset protection will be
provided to my common fencing within the development property.

Any incident such as fires or falling branches can breach the integrity of my fencing which is essential to the
continued operation of my equine uses.

As mentioned earlier, already, the neighbours proposing the motel villas have started a fire that burnt a
section of our common boundary fence in the few months that they have owned the proposed development
property. See Photographs 4, 5 & 6, below which shows the fire after it had died down.

There has been limited need for me to maintain a fire break along our common boundary fence because there
is limited fuel hazard loading in the proposed site.

It is common that a fire break of up to 10 metres wide is established along both sides of such boundary
fencelines so as to minimise the chances of such incidents occurring.

If my neighbours were to establish a vegetated screen and land application areas along that area of the
proposed site between the proposed motel villas and my property, the potential fuel hazard loading would
increase to the extent that a fire break (asset protection strip) of up to 10m wide should be established on
both sides of the common boundary fence. The establishment of such fire break would in turn reduce that
land potentially available for landscaped buffers and land application.

7|Page Council Reference: MCU18/0084