SOS MEDIA RELEASE       23 December 2010  

AMENDMENT VC75 – EXPLANATORY REPORT
What the amendment does
The amendment amends Clause 16 – Housing of the State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF) by removing Melbourne @ 5 Million policies relating to intensive housing development along public transport corridors and around train stations from the clause.
In particular, the amendment removes reference to locate, in Metropolitan Melbourne, more intense housing development in an around activity centres, in areas close to train stations and on large redevelopment sites from Clause 16.01-2 and to locate new housing along  tram, train, light rail and bus routes and around train stations from Clause 16.01-3.
The amendment also removes Melbourne 2030: A planning update Melbourne @ 5 Million (DPCD 2008) as a document listed under Policy guidelines in Clause 16. 

Labor promised to reintroduce more planning prescription, greater local council control and more resident participation in decisions.  But the government is attempting the most radical change in Victoria’s planning history by shifting planning power from local councils to developers and the state. This is more fundamental than the deregulation imposed by the former Kennett government….

READ THE FULL ARTICLE by Prof. Michael Buxton:  

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)
 

SOS MEDIA RELEASE  16 November 2010 
 
The decision of the Coalition to preference the Greens last in all Victorian lower house
electorates confirms that the real differences between Liberal and Labor are so small
that either major party would prefer the other in opposition if they won government.

Ian Wood, president of community planning group Save our Suburbs, pointed out that
Labor preferencing the Greens ahead of the Coalition was irrelevant.
 
“There’s no lower house seat where the Greens could benefit from that. Labor is also
preferencing the Country Alliance ahead of the Greens in the Upper House", he said
 
"What’s at risk in this election is nothing short of democracy in planning for the
sustainable future of Melbourne.  We desperately need what neither major party has
committed to – an ongoing community consultation process to incorporate community
feedback for a City Plan run by an independent planning authority”. 
 
“As part of that the city is crying out for a metro-wide fully integrated public transport
system, not more freeways”.
 
"But the liberals would rather hand four or more marginal inner city seats to Labor
and risk re-electing a Labor government than see any more Greens or independents
elected which might result in a more accountable parliament", Mr Wood said.

Ian Wood
President, Save Our Suburbs
 
For more information:  0424 104 274

Save
 Our 
Suburbs 
and 
Citizens 
for 
a 
Liveable 
Melbourne rated 
the 
candidates 
in 
the
 
electorate 
of 
Essendon 
in 
response 
to 
a
 questionnaire 
which 
focused 
on 
changes 
to 
planning 

legislation 
and 
the
 democratic 
rights
 of 
councils 
and
 residents 
to 
have 
their 
views 

incorporated 
into 
new 
planning
 policies 
and
 laws.




Responses
 were 
rated 
in 
conjunction 
with
 Professor 
Michael 
Buxton, 
RMIT. 


See 
links 
below 
for 
the 
questionnaire, 
our 
Media
 Release,
 and
 the 
response 
from 
the 
Greens

candidate 
(Rose
 Iser), 
the 
only
 candidate 
who
 bothered 
to 
answer 
the 
questionnaire. 


Note: 

the 

ALP
 candidate 
is 
the Minister 
for 
Planning, 
Justin
 Madden, 
who
 is 
seeking
 
to 
move 
from 
the 
Upper 
House 
to 
the 
Lower 
House
 seat 
of 
Essendon.



Other 
candidates:



‐
 We 
did 
receive 
a 
late 
reply 
from
 Planning 
Minister 
Madden 
which 

promoted
 "Labor
 
planning 
achievements" 
but 
did
 not 
answer 
the 
questionnaire
 
‐ 
Independent 
Paul 
Giuliano 
merely 
referred 
us 
to 
a 
planning 
statement 
on 
his 
website

‐
 no 
response 
at 
all 
was
 received 
from 
the 
Liberal 
Party


Links:

SOS/CALM 
Media 
Release
 
 
 
 
 
 
 










Questionnaire
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 










Greens
response
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 








Madden 
letter 
p1 
& 
p2


Save Our Suburbs believes that more accountable and transparent planning controls
are needed to manage sustainable urban growth, provide effective transport
solutions and maintain residential amenity.  Instead, planning in Victoria is being
increasingly deregulated.  [see SOS Newsletter #28 Nov.10 & SOS newsletter #27 Oct.10]
 
In response to this crisis in planning and to the coming State Election, SOS compiled
a Position Statement on Planning and sought responses from the 3 major political
parties.  Read the 2 replies we got (from the Greens & Liberals – links below)

We received no response from ALP Planning Minister Justin Madden; a detailed
response from the Green Party MP Greg Barber; and a belated response from
Liberal shadow Planning Minister Matthew Guy (see links below).
 
(We did receive a late reply from Planning Minister Madden to a separate
questionnaire sent to all four Essendon electorate candidates by SOS and CALM
(Citizens for A Livable Melbourne) – see  www.sos.asn.au/node/184

SOS Position Statement – 2010 Victorian Election
Response from Greg Barber (Australian Greens Victoria)
Response from Matthew Guy (Liberal Shadow Planning Minister)