Please vote to protect Green Wedges
The Green Wedges Coalition is asking voters to please find out where candidates stand on protecting the green wedges that make Melbourne one of the world’s most livable cities and that protect our farmland, recreation and environmental conservation areas from urban development and vote accordingly. To assist, the Coalition is surveying candidates in green wedge and marginal electorates.
Before the 2006 State election, Liberal, ALP and Greens candidates supported policies to protect the green wedges within the then Urban Growth Boundary. National Party candidates were generally supportive, but wanted to allow farmers the “right” to subdivide, although this makes it harder for other farmers to exercise their right to farm. DLP MPs did not respond.
This year, the ALP Government and Coalition Opposition parties betrayed their election pledges by voting to extend the Urban Growth Boundary to remove 43,600 ha from the green wedges: virtually handing it to developers and forcing farmers and land-holders to sell up or be surrounded by suburban sprawl and hit by urban-scale rates.
Only the Greens MPs have consistently supported green wedge protection.
Ominously, the Liberal Party has said it wants to rezone even more green wedge land for urban development. We will ask them where their “strategic opportunities” might be and also ask the ALP whether they will at least hold the Urban Growth Boundary where it is.
We will supply results to the media and display them on our website, or readers can phone me regarding the performance of specific candidates. We know that many ALP and Liberal MPs and candidates have tried to support green wedge protection within their parties and have supported their local green wedges and are keen to hear from others.
ALP policy has been consistently strong on green wedge protection since September 2002, when Premier Bracks announced a package of legislative and planning measures to protect the green wedges. Before that, Green wedges were a Liberal legacy, initiated by the Hunt Hamer Government in the 1970s.
Rosemary West
Coordinator
Green Wedges Coalition
14 Dudley Grove Edithvale
The GWC will be happy to pass on detailed survey results: email rowest@ozemail.com.au or phone 9772 7124.
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| GWC State election questionaire Nov10.doc | 35.5 KB |