Save Our Suburbs Inc. (Vic)

Last August, transport and planning lecturer Dr Paul Mees bluntly criticised the authors of a 2007 Department of Transport report on privatisation.

Then, on May 20 this year, the Age reported that "Melbourne University has demoted one of its most outspoken academics after a complaint against him by the State Government...".

The University should have investigated the veracity of Mees' comments BEFORE action of any sort was contemplated, but it removed the podcast of his presentation from the University website without even consulting him first or informing him of the official complaint.

MEDIA RELEASE 22.5.08
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."

Of interest to many SOS members, though not within our core of activities, was the announcement of the new Victorian Government 60 cent per KW energy rebate for solar cells.

If it looks too good to be true - that's because it isn't!. The rebate is only for your NET electricity consumption - ie, you have to make MORE power than you consume in your house over a day. The maximum size system you're allowed to have is 2KW - and only the excess gets the $0.60 rebate!

Unless you have a near empty house, this just isn't going to happen..

The guys at energy matters have written a good piece on this -

Dear Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc. members and friends

Here is an important notice concerning numbers of pivotal issues which affect the whole of Melbourne. PPL VIC is formally supporting the Royal Park Protection Group Inc. and the Mt Alexander Road Campaign Group:

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY PROTEST TO SAY “NO” TO THE TUNNEL & TRAVANCORE DEVELOPMENT AT 1 PM ON SUNDAY 25 MAY 2008 DEBNEY’S PARK FLEMINGTON