Back 2 Basics’ application to operate as a charity in their current home in Narre Warren was rejected by the City of Casey’s officers, after almost two years of document deliberations.
The penultimate decision by the officers has been delegated to the council, with a recommendation to refuse it, ahead of the meeting on Tuesday, 17 June.
In the most recent agenda released on Thursday, 12 June, it was acknowledged that Bk 2 Basics, which had been fighting an application dispute with Casey, is a service that “is significant to the local community”.
However, the officers raised several key issues for the council to consider when making their decision, highlighting the community benefit against whether a charitable distribution centre is an appropriate use that can operate in the Industrial 3 Zone.
With the news, the charity, on Facebook, published a post in response to the agenda, stating that “nothing has changed and we have complied 1000 per cent”.
Building on the issues mentioned, waste management was one of them, with officers touching on the fact that the waste storage planned near the Op Shop’s entrance was deemed unacceptable, with no alternative waste storage location provided.
In response, Bk 2 Basics stated on the post that they only have one red waste bin, and all of their waste is collected in the morning by their pig farmer and other animal rescues who collect, “meaning zero waste is left on the property”.
They also added that the agenda’s statement of the charity having six waste bins is incorrect, and that in addition to the red bin, they have two cardboard bins emptied twice a week, and three donation bins for the Op Shop.
Officers stated that due to the charity’s operational capabilities, they allow, through appointments, those in need to come to the warehouse at Vesper Drive to collect goods.
In light of this, car park deficiency was a factor that officers included, indicating that the overall demand was underestimated, and that while the booking system helps manage patron flow, concerns about overflow remain.
Delivers during operation hours would also block car parking spaces and affect on-site traffic flow, noted the officers.
On a similar note, loading and delivery arrangements were deemed unsafe for the proposed setup, and both the council’s traffic engineers and the applicant’s own traffic consultants recommended that deliveries occur outside operational hours.
Traffic, such as high pedestrian movements and interactions, was also highlighted to potentially lead to road safety issues and traffic flow disruption for surrounding businesses.
BK 2 Basics’ response to the car park issue was that “the rule is next to impossible”, and that their appointment system “eliminated lines” of people.
For deliveries, the charity said that organising them in a timely manner outside operational hours is “impossible”, especially when donors such as OzHarvest and Foodbank have a strict timetable.
They did add, however, that they were able to comply with the new stipulations since the charity’s biggest deliveries happen before opening hours.
The charity now also collects from OzHarvest twice a week, and they utilise neighbouring businesses’ – with permission – driveways for additional pick-ups and drop-offs.
On technicality, officers determined that there were inconsistencies with the application materials, with ongoing deficiencies across multiple revised submissions, and that they could not be resolved due to permit conditions.
There were also conflicts with the planning scheme, where the applicant’s proposal failed to meet performance standards under multiple planning clauses.
In particular, these were Clause 22.03, the industrial development policy, Clause 33.03, industrial 3 zone, Clause 52.06, for car parking, and Clause 65.01, for decision guidelines.
While, as mentioned, the officers have acknowledged the community benefit that Back2Baciscs provides for the local community, they said that under Victorian Planning and Environment Act, 1987, specifically Section 60(1)(d), social benefits do not override unresolved planning issues.
The charity has asked the council ahead of next week’s meeting to “consider what is at stake”, saying that if the councillors ultimately reject the proposal, “it’s not the end of us”.
This story is developing, and more will be added once information is available.
