Work on the 2000-lot development at Echuca West is expected start in October next year and, according to developers, will have an immediate impact on the price of land in Echuca and Moama.
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Campaspe Shire Council rubber-stamped amendments to the Echuca West Precinct Structure Plan at its meeting on Wednesday after nine initial submissions had been withdrawn.
The development will now be able to continue without any lengthy hearings or associated hold-ups as council officers, the developer and the groups who raised concerns in their submissions have all found common ground.
Welco Group founder and managing director and former Essendon footballer Andrew Welsh was celebrating the news when contacted by The Riv on Thursday.
Mr Welsh, who is not a new face to Echuca, said council officers were outstanding in working through each of the different submissions.
“Usually there is a gulf between what the council views as a good outcome and the outcome being sought by those who made submissions.
“Their desires are usually very different. In this case, though, through the work of Adrian Fletcher (planning and building manager) and his team, all of those submissions were withdrawn,” he said.
The amendments passed by council, once the planning permit process is complete, will allow work to commence on the site. The Welco component of the development represents almost half of the Echuca West Precinct land area.
Mr Welsh said the speed, and relative ease, with which the amendments to the development were passed through the council further underlined the need for future residential opportunities for the region.
“The council didn’t want to sit and wait for other people to take charge of the outcome.
“They were very proactive and ensured that the re-zone could happen,” he said.
Welco will now work with the council as the developer to deliver what is expected to be an outstanding community living space.
“The council were very collaborative. This project will provide a diversity of lot sizes, averaging 700 to 800 square metres, but going right up to 2000 square metres — with a rural interface,” Mr Welsh said.
He said the development could suit everyone from the investor to the retiree and from the first home owner to someone looking to relocate from the city.
“In the case of this development one size certainly isn’t for all,” he said.
Welco will hold discussions with the council next week about planning permits, and it is expecting to be able to release parcels of land to be purchased in the middle of next year.
The approval on Wednesday was a great result not only for the developer, but according to Mr Welsh, for anyone looking to enter the property market.
“Regional markets are really strong at the moment,” he said.
“If the demand continues we have the ability to add more stages if required.
“There will always be land available.”
Mr Welsh said the development would have an impact on the affordability of land in regional areas.
“First home buyers will be able to get into the market.
“With this Precinct Structure Plan being released, and with over 2000 lots, it will bring the affordability back.”
Mr Welsh’s connection to Echuca began with it being a holiday destination, but he also played a season of football with Echuca United alongside close friend Guy Campbell.
He played 162 games for the Bombers and met Mr Campbell when he spent a summer trying out for the Essendon senior list after working his way through the Bombers’ feeder club at Bendigo.
“He came and lived with me for a couple of months, but ended up getting picked up by the Swans,” Mr Welsh said.
“I enjoyed that whole experience in Echuca.”
Welco is a company that focuses exclusively on high growth areas.
It has nine projects and about 4000 home lots at different points of development in Victoria, South Australia and south-east Queensland.
“A couple of years ago I was looking at regional areas and their rates of growth,” Mr Welsh said.
“Echuca had always been one, from an infrastructure perspective, that stood out.
“And with housing opportunities quite thin we decided to become involved in the Echuca West process.”
Welco has a 10-year history of specialising in growth areas; a development at Huntly in Bendigo featured 400 lots, and it has just finished a project of 2000 lots near Caroline Springs. Another project, featuring 1400 lots, is currently being developed at Springwood, near Gawler in South Australia.
Lead engineer on the Echuca West project is Echuca’s Jason Fehring, who works out of Bendigo.
Mr Welsh said consultants based out of Bendigo and Echuca, with a couple in Melbourne, were involved in the initial stages of the development.
“Our consultants in Echuca have been working on this for 12 months,” he said.
Welco will put out tenders for construction work halfway through next year and the potential for employment runs into thousands of jobs.
“Once you take into account working through the development phase and right through to the construction of houses on the site, it will provide thousands of jobs,” Mr Welsh said.
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