The election of three new members and the departure of several others for professional and personal reasons has seen an injection of new blood into the SOS committee following our AGM late last year.
President Ian Wood, veteran local government activist and planning advocate, is joined by Vice-President Louis Delacretaz, an entrepreneur with extensive experience in local government as a former councillor and mayor in Melbourne’s outer east.
Also new to the committee are government bureaucracy expert Libby Blackett-Smith and lawyer Ann Birrell. Julie Buxton, from the Living in the Bush Coalition, has been appointed treasurer.
As well as submissions and advising residents on planning issues, the focus of the committee this year is upgrading and expanding our website and cooperating with other organisations on strategies to promote democratic planning reform in this state election year.
We have also already completed critical submissions on the review of the State Planning Policy Framework and on the Draft Bill for changes to the Planning and Environment Act. Both of these can now be downloaded – go to General Planning menu:
Madden reviews state planning rules – worse for the community (see attachment)
Draft Bill on changes to Planning Act – taking democratic control away from Councils and Residents (see attachment)
The SOS 2010 Committee:
Officebearers:
Ian Wood – President
Louis Delacretaz – Vice-President
Cheryl Forge – Secretary
Julie Buxton – Treasurer
Ordinary Members:
Ray Smith
David Rayson
Libby Blackett-Smith
Ann Birrell