The most successful and productive community consultation in Australia over urban planning was conducted by the WA Dept of Planning and Infrastructure (2001-2005), involving innovative ways to achieve joint decision-making with the community on controversial major planning issues.
SOS believes that this pioneering of deliberative democracy is the way forward to regenerate trust in the planning regime in VIctoria. These "deliberative" consultation processes should be used to review planning policies and planning legislation for fair and effective planning in Melbourne.
We would also expect this consultation process to recommend the establishment of an independent statutory authority answerable to Parliament but not subject to interference by the government of the day.
More on WA planning consultation:
SOS flyer on democratic Community Consultation & table of Deliberative Techniques used in WA