Archive:  Amendment C48: 2000 Lots Missing From Scheme Maps

 Last Updated 21/3/07

Close To 2,000 Existing Rural Lots Left Off New Macedon Ranges' Planning Scheme Maps

(18/3/06 - SP)  The list of mistakes keeps growing as Department of Sustainability and Environment shafts Macedon Ranges again

MRRA has sent an email to the Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls, alerting him to a major problem with the new planning scheme maps produced after approval of Amendment C48.  By MRRA's count, close to 2,000 (1,800++) existing lots in rural zones have simply vanished - all 44 maps in the scheme are affected but the highest proportion of lots are missing from the Romsey, Woodend, Malmsbury and Kyneton north areas.  Note:  The maps we used were downloaded from the DSE website at Planning Schemes Online.  Click here to see the email sent to the Minister and an example of the missing lots. 

MRRA Says:

There seems to be one problem after another for Macedon Ranges coming out of the Department - lots missing from maps; errors in Amendment C48: part of Amendment C38 taken out of the scheme, policy maps that overlap (one area has 4 policies applied) and that don't match policy areas, inclusion of Rural Living zones even though the Panel Report recommended, and Council agreed, they be abandoned, only one zone schedule for two different minimum lot sizes, and so on.  This builds on past planning disasters for Macedon Ranges such as the 1997 draft new format planning scheme which had to be totally rewritten before adoption in 2000 (at our cost); Amendment C8 - abandoned (at our cost); and recently Amendment C40 - abandoned (at our cost - the Panel Hearing proceeded based upon advice from the Department).   Not only is this bad news for Macedon Ranges from the perspective of making progress on fixing planning, lack of Departmental quality control is also wasting bucketload after bucketload of ratepayers' money.