- BLOCK THE BILL, STOP THE GREEN WEDGE LAND GRAB
- BRACKS HOLDS THE LINE ON GREEN WEDGE ZONES
- GOVERNMENT GREEN LIGHT FOR DESTRUCTION OF GREEN WEDGES
- Historic Bushland Property to be Bulldozed for Frankston Bybass
- Land and biodiversity submission
- Legislative Inquiry into Public Land Development
- SAVE STATE SIGNIFICANT BUSHLAND & STOP ENVIRONMENTALLY DESTRUCTIVE FREEWAYS
- STOP BUILDING BUSHFIRE FODDER
- WILL TED THROW OUT GREEN WEDGE BABY WITH M2030 BATHWATER?
WILL TED THROW OUT GREEN WEDGE BABY WITH M2030 BATHWATER?
Media Release
WILL TED THROW OUT GREEN WEDGE BABY WITH M2030 BATHWATER?
Now that the Liberal Party has tossed the leadership baton to its planning spokesperson, Ted Baillieu, what will happen to the Hamer Liberal vision of green wedges?
Baillieu’s recently-released planning policy reflects Liberal support for green wedges as does his opposition to a proposed resort overdevelopment at Main Ridge in the Mornington Peninsula Green Wedge. Welcome also is his plan to purchase green wedge parkland, particularly if this includes endangered remnant native flora and fauna habitat such as the Bundanoon near Sunbury and the Kilsyth spider orchid site.
However 90 per cent of green wedge land is privately owned. Baillieu’s proposal to dump Melbourne 2030 could see the demise of green wedges, beyond the relatively small proportion that could be acquired. To encourage sustainable agriculture in green wedges requires incentives like rate rebates rather than compensation for farmers, which would set a disturbing precedent.
The policy is to uphold the state planning policy framework, but to dump clause 12, which defines Melbourne 2030. However this includes positive policies such high capacity public transport, protecting green wedges, promoting regional cities and
towns, promoting cultural identity & neighbourhood character, long-term protection of public open space and improving the environmental health of the bays & catchments.
The Liberal Party would be better off to identify the faulty elements of Melbourne 2030 and work how to fix them and to properly implement those policies with which we all agree.
His proposal to reduce the state intervention designed to protect green wedges, such as the ministerial approval required for preparation of planning scheme amendments and parliamentary approval for Urban Growth Boundary changes is also ominous.
Most councils cannot stand up to developer pressure: this was why State Government needed to legislate and introduce new planning provisions to protect green wedges. Loopholes in those provisions require more – not less – ministerial intervention or the green wedges will be gone forever, as the current Minister did with a recent Keysborough golf course housing estate application.