Councillors excited by new butcher/café for Mole Creek

By Sharon Webb

MEANDER VALLEY councillors have told seven Mole Creek objectors and 78 residents opposing another café in the small town that a $360,000 new butchery café is ‘fantastic’ and ‘exciting for Mole Creek’

At the council’s August meeting Cllrs Susie Bower and Stephanie Cameron enthused over the planning application by wealthy Sydney landowner Denis Durham, with Cllr Bower commenting, ‘Research in small towns found having more cafés brings a sense of excitement and more people stop there. Let’s hope for Mole Creek it’s a positive effect!’

Cllr Michael Kelly agreed with them.

But other councillors hearing Mr Durham’s application recognised that a town of only 200 people may not be able to support so many cafés and a new one might affect the livelihoods of others

Mole Creek has three cafés, a pub and a supermarket selling takeaway snacks, and another café just out of town.

Cllr Frank Nott acknowledged the concern of those who had petitioned against the butchery café, which is part of Mr Durham’s larger plan for an abattoir to supply the butchery with meat from his Mole Creek property, The Den.

Effect the value of neighbouring properties and competition policy but they’re not planningmatters. If one business is in town and another comes in that can have an effect but it’s survival of the fittest,’ he said.

Cllr Rodney Synfield said he was not convinced the planning scheme got matters like this right ‘but it’s how we assess it at the moment’

The application was passed unanimously with amendments to pedestrian access and parking, and the addition of a landscaping plan, a drainage plan and privacy screening.

Planners also stipulated that if stormwater is to be managed onsite, discharge is to be located outside of the identified karst buffer zone and is to be fitted with a spreader or similar dispersal system designed to mimic overland flow.