Plans for a $5.5 million drug rehabilitation hospital near Towac Park racecourse have won the support of Orange City Council.
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The council agreed to support the DA for the complex at its meeting on Tuesday night.
However, as the value of the project exceeds a state government-set limit the DA will be decided on by the Western Regional Planning Panel, and not the council.
However, council will write to the WRPP supporting the proposal.
A staff report to council said the complex was planned for a site on Lysterfield Road which already housed a group home with 10 beds for drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
However, the new complex will be much larger with 29 beds and will run separately to the existing home although administration and management will be integrated.
"The proposed involves the construction of four new buildings, including one administration building, one withdrawal unit building and two rehabilitation unit buildings, connected by open and covered walkways," the report said.
"The facility is to be used for residential treatment for drug and alcohol problems (29 beds), including withdrawal support, therapy, and mental health management. Treatment programs run between 6-12 weeks, where clients are admitted and stay on site 24 hours a day for the duration of their treatment."
A new car park will have 20 extra spaces on the site plus a vehicle drop-off and service vehicle area.
About 22 trees will have to be removed to make way for the new centre but new landscaping is planned.
Cr Tony Mileto questioned who would pay for connecting the sewer mains.
However, council was told connecting water and sewer was a requirement of the developer.
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
Meanwhile, council also agreed to support its own DA for a 43-unit industrial park on Clergate Road.
However, two councillors, Cr Stephen Nugent and Cr Joanne McRae, said they were concerned about the native vegetation that would need to be removed to make way for the complex.
Council was told the site had 4.29 hectares of native vegetation with the dominant species being Yellow Box-Blakely's Red Gum grassy woodland which is considered critically endangered, 2.93 hectares of it will removed.
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