Land for Port Fairy bypass 'should be released', says agent

Garry Lockett has renewed calls for the state government to release land that has been earmarked for a bypass near Albert Road.

"Port Fairy is a growing place and there's nowhere to grow," Mr Lockett said.

He said the lack of available land and increasing popularity of the seaside village had driven up prices, with the median price sitting at $900,000.

"It's been like that for 30 years but everyone you speak to says they're never going to use it (for a bypass)," Mr Lockett said.

"It's time to get rid of it and make hundreds of blocks of land available in a good, dry area."

A Department of Transport and Planning spokesman said a planning study had been completed to determine whether the overlay would remain.

"We have undertaken a planning study, with support from Moyne Shire Council, to assess the impacts and need for a bypass in and around Port Fairy, as well as considering current and future land use," the spokesman said.

"We are finalising recommendations from the study, which will provide us with clarity around the need to retain the existing public acquisition overlay."

Mr Lockett said he believed if the overlay remained, the land would remain vacant for years to come and house prices would continue to skyrocket.

He said the number of listings he had for properties had risen to about 14, with some investors exiting the market.

But there remains a major discrepancy between supply and demand.

"Historically we always had about 30 listings," Mr Lockett said.

"During the boom, when everyone was buying, that got down to three.

"It's starting to build up now but there are a lot of people looking to buy."

Mr Lockett said most houses were being snapped up for between $700,000 and $900,000.

He said if more land was not available, prices would continue to rise.

Moyne Shire councillor Jim Doukas has also been a vocal supporter of having the overlay removed.

He said the council was pushing for it to be removed to allow its strategy for the town to go ahead.

"It should have been done years ago," Cr Doukas said.

"It would free up a fair bit of land."

Mr Lockett has previously called for the bypass to be scrapped, saying it would have a negative impact on businesses.

"We don't want people going around - we want people to come to the town and spend money at the shops," he said.

The overlay has been in place at Port Fairy since the mid-1990s to protect the long-term strategic need for a public purpose, such as a future road connection.

The desire for a bypass of Port Fairy was first raised in the 1950s and a PAO to reserve land was put in place following community consultation and extensive investigation into growth and future transport needs of the area.

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