Labor backed Windsor Hotel sham - The Age, 28 April
ALP state government MPs and senior staff in the planning department discussed the initial strategy to refuse the Windsor re-development, the Age revealed today. When the infamous leaked email first became public, the Premier and the Minister swore that the fake public consultation plan was just the concoction of a junior advisor. It's a tragedy for democracy when neither the government nor the department can be trusted to deal fairly, transparently and accountably with the community.
AGEPOLL: Should Madden be sacked? (CLOSED APRIL 30): YES - 92%; NO - 8%. Total votes: 4707.
www.theage.com.au/polls/victoria/should-madden-go/20100427-tpo5.html
See the full Age article here: www.theage.com.au/victoria/labor-backed-windsor-sham-20100427-tq34.html
Project Melbourne - revealing articles on urban planning by The Age
Project Melbourne: towards a sustainable city
PAUL RAMADGE, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF March 16, 2010
"These days, everything is faster, busier and more congested. A city of human scale has morphed into a 21st-century city. Apartments are towering over quarter-acre blocks. Melbourne has grown out and up. We are on our way to becoming the nation's biggest city, yet a shared vision of how we would like to live is still lacking.
Project Melbourne is a special series by The Age aimed at encouraging and broadening public debate about Melbourne's future — particularly the inner 40 kilometres. We are keen to get your views and feedback."
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/projectmelbourne
Click here for a Multimedia special on Project Melbourne <http://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2010/times/25/>
SOS April newsletter
The April 2010 SOS newsletter is now online! In this issue -
* Thumbs down to the Draft Planning Bill and the VCAT Review Report
* The Romsey pokies case
* Sydney's Independent Public Transport Inquiry
Download the April newsletter from the link below:
Melbourne 2030 Implementation Reference Group - critical reports
You may remember that after M2030 was introduced in August 2002, the State Government also set up a formal statutory committee to advise the government on its implementation. However, when Justin Madden took over from Rob Hulls as Planning Minister in 2007, one of his first actions was to unilaterally abolish this Implementation Reference Group.
RALLY to SAVE THE WINDSOR
- SAVE OUR CITY
- SAVE OUR HERITAGE
Rally - Thursday 25 March, 1 pm; Steps of Parliament Spring Street
Victorians have been enraged and appalled by Planning Minister Madden's decision
to approve the redevelopment of the Windsor Hotel.
The community has not been given its chance to be properly heard - so come along
and let the government know what you think. The Windsor is threatened with a 91m
tower addition in a 'return to facadism'. Development and heritage can and must live
together however the parliamentary precinct deserves proper protection not
discretionary height controls.