Archive: Economic Development Policy
Last Updated 29/3/10
(21/8/09 - C) Room for improvement...
MRRA this week made a submission on Council's draft Economic Development Strategy. We previously ran a notice of the draft Strategy's exhibition, in which we expressed the hope that the Strategy would reflect the need to only promote economic development proposals within the context of Macedon Ranges' environmental sensitivity.
We found a number of issues in the draft Strategy that are of concern: a potentially damaging priority for industrialization (including agricultural industrialization), assumptions of on-going or perhaps increased growth, what seems to be an unrealistic quest for creating local jobs for residents working in certain industries regardless of where they work and what they do now, and an objective of 'fast-tracking' approvals for economic development applications.
We recommended that the draft Strategy be re-thought to include more of the principles of sustainability incorporating a more balanced approach than prioritizing economics (i.e. give more recognition to social and environmental issues that also need to be considered), ditch fast-tracking economic development applications, rethink industrialization, and inject a whole lot more "Macedon Ranges" values into the document.
Council Economic Development Strategy On Exhibition, Submissions Invited Until 19 August
(22/7/09 - C) Information meetings to be held 27 July and 10 August in Woodend
Council is currently considering a 10 year Economic Development Strategy which will influence decisions Council makes relating to economic development in the shire over until 2020. It is an important and not overly-long document that shouldn't be too hard to read. Here's the advice MRRA received from Council:
Macedon Ranges Shire Council is seeking your comment on the Economic Development Strategy.
As well as referencing all relevant documents this strategy was built based on the following research:
Please note the document (and reference material) is also available for upload at the Macedon Ranges Shire Council website. Click here or visit http://www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/page/Page.asp?Page_Id=238&h=-1
Please email any comments to ecodevadmin@macedon-ranges.vic.gov.au by the 19th of August 2009.
In the coming weeks, Kylie Lethbridge will be attending association meetings and the Economic Development Unit will stage 2 public meetings at the Victoria Hotel, Woodend.
Public Meeting 1: July 27
Victoria Hotel, Woodend
6.30pm
Public Meeting 2: August 10
Victoria Hotel, Woodend
6.30pm
Click here to see the Consultation Information Sheet Click here to see the draft strategy for public consultation.
MRRA Says:
Our key concern with any economic development strategy is whether it recognises such development must respect and respond to the State level environmental values in the Shire, and to community values that the rural character of towns and the Shire are preserved. There is no justification for turning the Shire into an industrial estate on the basis that it happens somewhere else. The beauty and existing unique values of this place must come first. The Association will be looking at the strategy, and we encourage all residents to do likewise and put in their views to Council.