SOS MEDIA RELEASE
23 November 2010
Greens top SOS planning survey
Residents’ lobby group Save Our Suburbs has welcomed the Greens commitment to
introduce more prescription, transparency and certainty into Melbourne’s planning
regime, along with a greater role for councils and communities in planning decisions.
The Greens and the Liberals were the only parties to respond to a survey conducted
by Save Our Suburbs which sought a response from each of the three major parties
to their Position Statement on town planning issues. Planning Minister Justin Madden
failed to respond. [For detailed responses see <SOS Newsletter #28 Nov.10 >]
SOS President Ian Wood said that the Greens response would meet the concerns of
Melbourne residents that their views on planning matters were not being heard.
“However, the Greens aren’t likely to be in a position to directly implement their
policies. But with more seats in the Upper House and possibly the Lower House, we’ll
expect them to at least ensure a lot more transparency and accountability, no matter
who gets elected next weekend”, he said.
While SOS also applauded the Liberals’ support for a new planning policy for
Melbourne, the group is concerned at the Liberals’ lack of commitment to curbing
urban sprawl or to more democratic reform of planning and local government
legislation.
“Based on the Liberals’ response to our survey, they wouldn’t be making planning
controls mandatory or funding a fully-integrated metro-wide public transport system.
But neither would Labor, based on it’s last few years in office. The community has
been sidelined on planning issues and even councils have largely been ignored”, Mr
Wood stated.
“And right after the election we’ll face a combination of new changes to the planning
act removing council controls over large high-density development sites along public
transport routes. The proposed changes will hand private developers and the Minister
even more power to decide planning matters”.
Ian Wood
President, Save Our Suburbs
For more information: Ian Wood – 0424 104 274
SOS Newsletter #28, Election Edition: <http://www.sos.asn.au/node/12>
(inc. SOS Position Statement & full responses of Greens & Liberals)