'Sohos, apartments and lofts' proposed for leafy Macedon Ranges hamlet

A significant $700 million housing development is proposed for Clarkefield, a small rural hamlet in Victoria's Macedon Ranges, potentially altering its character for its approximately 300 residents. The ambitious plan by developer APD Projects envisions transforming the area into a medium to high-density "village" by constructing 2,500 homes expected to house over 6,000 new residents.

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I was thinking it was the original proposal, and it was only when someone said to me, 'Actually no, I think you should look at this again', it is absolutely not what was talked about.

However, the proposal has sparked considerable concern among current residents, particularly regarding the size of the proposed housing lots. Some of these lots are reportedly as small as 84 square meters, a size more typical of inner-city developments, while many others are less than 300 square meters. Residents also worry about increased traffic congestion, strain on public transport like the local train line, and the environmental impact on local water tables and flood plains.

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So I think the developers have really tried to play a shifty here.

Adding to the controversy, some residents, like Angela Tiede, claim APD Projects has misled the community. They allege that the plans submitted to the Victorian planning minister for fast-tracked approval do not align with the "new, smaller and sustainable" village vision initially presented in 2020. Residents describe the current plans, which include multi-storey buildings, as a drastic departure from what was promised, leading to accusations of developers acting "shifty" and presenting a "laughable" vision that fails to maintain the area's existing atmosphere.

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To cram people into multi-storey buildings, they're talking three- and four-storey buildings, and still saying they're maintaining the atmosphere of the village, well that's just preposterous, really.