A storm of dissent is gathering in the inner city over the proposed Eddington road tunnel. There has been unprecedented interest in the proposed North Fitzroy tunnel openings onto Queens Parade, highlighted by Clifton Hill community planning group, "3068".

The Eddington Study said the tunnel would have no city exits to avoid exacerbating traffic congestion where Alexandra Parade becomes one long 3-lane exit into the city from the Eastern Freeway and East-Link.

MEDIA RELEASE 22.5.08
SOS condemns State Government for removing Council Planning Powers

Removing Council planning powers - unnecessary, undemocratic and open to corruption!

Yesterday's announcement by Planning Minister Justin Madden to strip councils of planning power for major activity centre development again shows the State Government's contempt for the community.

It is yet another example of trying to make things easy for developers without regard to planning outcomes or the concerns of the whole community.

If the Planning Minister was really trying to streamline the planning process, he could simply make key planning guidelines mandatory (Rescode, Structure plans etc) which would vastly speed up the planning assessment process - any non-compliant applications would be rejected and the others would be easier to tick off. This would also greatly diminish the number of cases going to VCAT and provide what all parties want - greater certainty.

Today the Victorian Auditor General tabled in Parliament his report on Victoria's Planning Framework for Land Use and Development.

Unlike most other State Governments reports, this one is NOT a white wash saying that everything is fine!

Some highly critical key findings were that -

"In 78% of [permit application] cases examined, officer reports did not give adequate consideration to matters specified in the Act, planning scheme or both."

Here is the summary we have attached to our submission -

SOS Submission on New Local Residential Zones

The proposed new zones are completely unacceptable, for the following reasons -

1. No new zone should compulsorily replace the existing Residential 1 Zone. If a new zone is required, it should be made available to Councils to use at their discretion.

The State Labor Government is looking at scrapping the current residential zones (1,2, & 3) and replacing them with zones that allow developers to get planning permits much more easily.
In many cases, the new zones will also REMOVE the rights you currently have to appeal the granting of a permit, and to even know that a permit has been applied for!

In practice, even the proposed "Limited Change Zone" will offer less protection than the current Residential 1 Zone to over-development because -

1. It will be exempt from notice and review at VCAT if it meets a number of (unspecified) ResCode standards!
2. Even if it is subject to review, only the adjoining and opposite properties can object!!

And this is the limited change zone where new development is supposed to be minimised and most stringently controlled!

The new zones are a fundamental attack on our democratic rights - we urge everone to put in a submission saying NO to these proposed changes and requesting more mandatory planning controls! Submissions close on 18 April, 2008

To download a copy of the zones' discussion paper and a response form, click here: or www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/, or call 9637 8610 for more information about making a submission.
Submissions can be lodged in online, by email planning.systems@dpcd.vic.gov.au, or by post to Planning Systems, DPCD, GPO Box 2392, Melbourne, VIC, 3001.