Overman Court, Essendon is accessed via an approximately 10-metre section of 3.05m-wide access road. It is proposed to compulsory acquire a portion of land located at 18 Agatha Street, Essendon to widen the existing accessway from 3.05m to 5.05m.

The proposed acquisition area is comprised of two distinct areas. Parcel ‘A’ is common property on 18 Agatha Street (a small complex of five single-storey units) currently utilised for driveway, landscaping, mailboxes and utility services. Parcel ‘B’ is a portion of Lot 1, 18 Agatha Street, currently unenclosed and effectively integrated into the Overman Court carriageway and footpath. An aerial view of the of the parcels of land can be found here.

Incremental residential development over recent decades has increased the number of vehicles and pedestrians needing to traverse the narrow accessway for property access. Its narrow width impedes access for waste collection, deliveries, and most importantly, for a fire appliance. Fire Rescue Victoria has advised Council in writing that a fire appliance would be unable to enter Overman Court, thereby impeding its ability to respond to a fire or similar emergency. The proposed acquisition would enable larger vehicles – in particular fire appliance vehicles – to access Overman Court if required.

At its meeting held 10 December 2024, Council agreed to commence the statutory process under section 112 of the Local Government Act 2020 and related provisions in the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act 1986 to acquire the aforementioned land parcels via compulsory acquisition,

To comply with Council’s statutory obligations contained in section 112 of the Local Government Act 2020 and Council’s Community Engagement Policy, this notice is published to invite your submissions in response to this proposal.