The second community consultation period for the Draft Berwick Village Major Activity Centre Structure Plan came to a close on Wednesday, 9 July, with reports of positive engagement from the residents.
The event followed the initial pop-up on Primary Park, this time, however, taking it to the heart of the village at High Street.
Casey’s Mayor, Stefan Koomen, said that the “feedback we received from the community at this week’s pop-up event was very positive”.
“Council officers responded to a number of enquiries and noted the feedback provided by Berwick locals, all of which will help shape the draft Structure Plan”.
Alongside Mayor Koomen, Akoonah Ward councillor Scott Dowling was also in attendance.
Reflecting on his experience, Dowling said that the time spent during the pop-up was enjoyable, especially when it came to discussing with residents on how they could “make Berwick an even better place to live”.
“Andrew from the Berwick Rotary Club and Eileen from the Narre Warren and District Family History Group stopped by, and were both suitably impressed with our future plans for Berwick Village,” he said.
Before the pop-up, both Koomen and Dowling walked the main street, had a coffee and a quick bite to eat at a couple of the many restaurants the village has to offer.
Speaking on the residents’ voices, Koomen said that a key point that stood out “was the strong community support for focusing on higher-density developments”.
“Things such as apartments and multi-storey buildings, closer to Berwick Station, while preserving the valued village character of High Street.
“The Draft Structure Plan addresses this with clear design guidelines and planning controls that support increased density near the station.
“Our action to assess additional buildings for heritage protection and prepare a Master Plan for the village centre will ensure Berwick’s unique village character is maintained,” he said.
Cr Dowling is on the same boat, emphasising that the amount of choices in the village is plentiful, from “culinary delights or shopping for the latest designer clothes”.
“We’ve got everything you need right here in beautiful Berwick, and we’re planning to keep it that way,” he said.
An engagement summary report will be available in August, with Koomen thankful for those who made their voices heard.
“Thank you to everyone who visited the pop-ups at Pioneers Park and Berwick High Street, and provided feedback via Casey Conversations,” he said.
