BALLARAT City Council is seeking urgent legal advice to help end a stalemate banning block owners from building in the Sanctuary Estate in Mt Helen.More than 170 landowners have been affected by government-introduced legislation, the Wildfire Management Overlay, which came into effect following the Bushfire Royal Commission.Earlier this week, Ballarat East MP Geoff Howard said council and government needed to work together to find a solution for the landowners affected.Mr Howard said he believed council was in a position to use their Municipal Fire Management Plan as well as the Forest Code of Practice to order the owners of the pine plantation and the goldfields to create a buffer zone between their boundaries and the residential area.Chief executive officer Anthony Schinck said council was determined to fix the problem if it can and was seeking urgent legal advice on whether its MFMP may provide theavenue.“This is the latest move in ongoing efforts by council to see this unfortunate situation resolved as quickly as possible. If we can fix it we will,” Mr Schinck said.“A proposal has been forwarded to the government for the introduction of buffer zones in this area which maygive council the option of approving planning permits using Council’s own fire prevention plan.”Mr Howard said if it proved to be a viable option it would be assist many landowners tied up in red tape.“It will provide greater protection for existing houses and enable those who are waiting to build to move ahead with greater certainty,” he said.“It’s always been a matter of the state working with council to explore every avenue possible to be in thecommunity interest.”Council originally refused an application for the Sanctuary Estate subdivision based on its suitability and vegetation cover.However the developer took council’s decision to VCAT, where it was over turned and the subdivision was approved.“Council is always conscious of its responsibility to protect the safety of residents which is one of the reasons it refused the subdivision application in the first place,” Mr Schink said.“I can assure land owners that we are doing everything possible, and applying as much pressure as we can to relevant authorities to fix this situation.”