A petition signed by almost 200 people who believe the Wodonga Hills Strategy will harm the area has not changed the council’s decision to push ahead with the plan.
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It will be presented to councillors at Monday night’s meeting, but will be immediately followed by a report recommending they adopt the strategy and develop a plan to put it into action.
The 198 people who signed the petition called on councillors to put a stop to the works and do a complete re-assessment, arguing ratepayers had not been properly consulted and their repeated objections ignored.
“It will significantly and unduly impact the amenity of residents and ratepayers of Wodonga,” they said.
“It will significantly increase a wide range of risks and hazards for the residents and ratepayers, especially heighten the risk of fire danger for residents and assets.”
The council’s report argued that not adopting the plan “would result in no improvement opportunities, environmental gains and amenity enhancements being implemented”.
It included details on the community consultation held over the past year – including a three-week call for submissions, a website and drop-in sessions – but the specific feedback was not released publicly before the meeting.
The view of council staff was that planning controls were needed to prevent residential development encroaching into the hills.
“The Wodonga Hills are an intrinsic part of the city’s character and sense of place, setting it apart from other regional centres,” the report stated.
“Since 2000, as the population of the city has increased, so too has the demand for recreation and access to these hills … There is unfortunately also an element of misuse, with anti-social behaviour and vandalism common across most sites.”
The financial cost of the project will not be known until the council completes its implementation plan, looking at the environmental needs, budget and resource availability.
Outside funding opportunities will also be considered.
“Careful planning, including targeted environmental assessments in relevant circumstances, will be required to ensure that implementation does not impact on the recognised environmental values,” the report stated.
“Opportunities for engagement with traditional owners and the local Aboriginal community have been identified.
“It is critical that the Wodonga community owns its hills and contributes to the management. Discussions have already commenced with environmental volunteer groups.”
Monday’s meeting will be held at the Wodonga Council Chambers from 6pm.
