A Malmsbury cattle farmer has been denied a permit to continue living in his shed turned ‘man-cave’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Travis Bruni was seeking to legitimise the new home on his 22.7ha property to farm an Angus and Hereford breeding herd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Macedon Ranges Shire councillors heard the shed, at Youngs Road, evolved into an illegitimate residence over about 18 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recommending refusal, council officers warned councillors against fragmentation of agricultural land without justification for a permanent dwelling on site. The application also attracted two objections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Councillor Anne Moore said approval was problematic, unwarranted and could encourage similar applications elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe application is asking the council to close its eyes and mind to a long-running unlawful use of the land, and its legal and moral obligations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a shed, built to shed standards, and it will always be a shed no matter how it\u2019s dressed up to look like a house\u2026 If we\u2019re going to go with this \u2013 how many others will get a shed permit and ask us to turn it into a permit for a dwelling?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis problematic structure, if approved, can also be sold; handing the problem over to someone else.\u201d
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The land with the shed in question was expected to be consolidated with two other lots as part of a larger farm enterprise. Mr Bruni manages another 400 acres in the vicinity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The farm has about 60 cows and 60 weaned calves in autumn and spring calving, with capacity for 300 cattle.
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Agriculture Victoria commented a manager\u2019s residence supporting this farming operation and succession planning might be justified, however, it noted that the house on the adjoining property (owned by the parents) was leased out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis undermines the assertion that the dwelling is required when an existing dwelling could be made available for the stated purpose,\u201d they said.
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Cr Mark Ridgeway said it was not the council\u2019s position to discuss Mr Bruni\u2019s personal and family arrangements and sought support for the living arrangement with tight conditions on land use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sympathetic to Mr Bruni\u2019s case, he argued the 40ha Farm Zone build restriction was designed to protect farmers and farmland.
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\u201cAn applicant must demonstrate that they are a genuine farmer, planning to use the land for farming purposes to justify a planning permit,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn this case we have a young farmer who is demonstrably creating an expanding farming enterprise\u2026his farm plan isn\u2019t just a wish-list for what might be: it is actually what he is doing now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cr Ridgeway\u2019s motion won the support of Crs Bill West and Geoff Neil but was lost 6-3. A division recorded the same three councillors opposed to the officer\u2019s recommendation for refusal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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