Southern Grampians council approves 340-home Hamilton estate despite traffic and flooding concerns

Southern Grampians council has approved the blueprint for a major new housing estate on the edge of Lake Hamilton – despite opposition from nearby residents, who warned the development was too dense and would worsen traffic and flooding.

What happened: Councillors unanimously endorsed an Outline Development Plan for the Lakes Edge estate at Tuesday night's meeting, clearing the way for planning permit applications for a development expected to deliver between 280 and 340 homes over four stages.

• The development will include a childcare centre, convenience store, public open space, new walking and cycling connections and upgrades to the Ballarat Road and Rippon Road intersection.

• The decision followed weeks of community consultation that attracted two petitions, three written submissions, 50 online responses and several deputations to council.

Residents raise traffic and flooding fears: Residents urged councillors to defer or reject the plan, arguing it did not adequately address concerns about increased traffic, existing drainage issues, housing density, small lot sizes, construction access, public open space and the potential impacts of the proposed childcare centre and convenience store.

• Many also called for the Ballarat Road and Rippon Road intersection upgrade to be completed earlier in the project, warning the existing intersection was already unsafe and would come under greater pressure as construction progressed.

Changes accepted: An intersection upgrade will now take place at an earlier stage in the build after concerns were raised about lot sizes.

🗣️“The major change to the ODP following consultation confirms the average lot size will be 525sqm, and moving the intersection upgrade proposed for Ballarat and Rippon Roads from stage 3 to stage 2 of the development,” mayor Dennis Heslin said in a statement. 

🗣️ “Other changes include incorporating bike path connections, drainage infrastructure, and the recognition of the Cultural Heritage Management Plan.” 

More scrutiny to come: Infrastructure and Sustainability Director Rory Neeson said the Outline Development Plan was a strategic planning document that would guide future planning applications rather than approve detailed designs.

He said each stage of the subdivision would still require separate planning permits, with further technical assessment and opportunities for public consultation before construction could proceed.

Now what? The Lakes Edge development is expected to be built over four stages during several years, with the southern section of the site proposed as the first stage of construction.