Posted 29/1/11 Updated 1/2/11
STOP VILLAWOOD / DAVIES HILL IN ITS TRACKS!
Support a low growth scenario for Woodend
NoVillaWoodend Facebook Page
A "No VillaWoodend" Facebook page http://tinyurl.com/62hq62d has also been set up by local residents.
For those already on Facebook, click the following link http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_151090728279140 or search for No VillaWoodend. You can join in the Facebook discussion by sending your comments on NoVillawoodend@groups.facebook.com If you are not yet on Facebook it is a fairly painless process to become a member, just go to Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ and then click on Sign up for Facebook.
1/2/11
Davies Hill Update
Opposition to including the Davies Hill 550 acre development proposal in the draft Macedon Ranges Settlement Strategy is growing in Woodend as more and more residents and people outside the town voice their objection to the 'high growth' scenario the giant proposal represents. There is strong support for the Strategy's current 'low growth scenario. The developers' actions in campaigning for support in the town has alerted all residents to the proposal and the community is taking concerted action, with Facebook, letterdrops, emails and a petition.
Keep sending those objections to the proposal / support for low growth to Council, councillors and the Minister for Planning. Council will not be making a decision on this at this exact moment, so keep going.
WIN TV Coverage
There will be a story on this issue on tonight's (1/2/11) WIN TV.
Revised Flyer
MRRA has received a revised NoVillaWoodend flyer and you can access this by clicking here.
Sign The Petition
The petition opposing Davies Hill being included in the Macedon Ranges Settlement Strategy and supporting a low growth scenario for Woodend is available in some Woodend shops. Sorry, but you will have to 'shop' around to find them. You can also download a sheet from this website and collect signatures in your street.
29/1/11
Here's an email alert MRRA has sent to its network, with a request for those people to send it on to their contacts:
As you know there is a hard sell campaign going on at the moment by the developers behind the huge Davies (Golf Course) Hill development trying to get support in the town for the 650 – 1000 lot proposal (it’s 650 at the moment but started at 1000 lots). They are in the town centre again today.
MRRA has openly opposed the development for a number of years.
We have received a message that a group of Woodend residents have started an email petition and email campaign to get residents to tell council they oppose the Davies Hill proposal being included in the Shire’s draft Settlement Strategy. We are forwarding this message (below) on to our email contacts, WITH A REQUEST THAT YOU FORWARD IT TO ALL OF YOUR CONTACTS. Let’s make this email viral, it doesn’t matter how many times you receive it. Well done to those residents, they’ve done a great job.
In addition to sending an email to Council’s Strategic Planning Department strategicplanning@mrsc.vic.gov.au , you might also want to send your views to all of our councillors, and to the Minister for Planning. Here are the email addresses for them:
Councillors
CrJoanDonovan@bigpond.com
CrJoeMorabito@bigpond.com
CrRobGuthrie@bigpond.com
CrHelenRelph@bigpond.com
CrHenrykaBenson@bigpond.com
CrNeilManning@bigpond.com
Planning Minister:
matthew.guy@parliament.vic.gov.au
Short letters to the editors of local papers will also help get the message across.
EVEN IF YOU DON’T LIVE IN WOODEND, IF YOU THINK ANOTHER 650 – 1000 LOTS WILL DESTROY WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT WOODEND, PLEASE SEND THAT MESSAGE TO MACEDON RANGES COUNCIL.
Thanks for everything you do.
EMAIL MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM WOODEND RESIDENTS
Click here to see the Villawood 'hard sell' glossy brochure
Click here to see the Summary of Macedon Ranges' draft Settlement Strategy
Click here to see the revised NO VILLAWOOD flyer
Click here to see the Villawood petition (petition against Villawood)
Villawoodend (Villawood’s Davies Hill development) is a very real prospect! A 650 home Hoppers Crossing “community” on our doorstep!
This is linked in with the finalisation of the “Macedon Ranges Settlement Strategy” which has been out in draft form for community consultation which cut’s off Monday at 5pm.
Macedon Ranges Mayor, Henry McLaughlin, yesterday said in relation to the proposed Villawood “Davies Hill” development that “if the final settlement strategy identified low growth for Woodend, then the area would be unable to accommodate the Villawood proposal. On the flip side of that is that if a low-growth proposal is contrary to the desires of the community of Woodend, then I’m sure we would hear about it in the submissions received, and that is the purpose of community consultation”.
Villawood have people all over Woodend drumming up “supportive submissions” to submit to council Monday.
Do we want a 650 home site development on the edge of our township? If you say NO then we need to counter NOW!
Attached is the Villawood brochure for the development ... looks lovely doesn’t it?
Also attached is our ‘flyer’ + some info on the draft Settlement Strategy + a petition form.
What you can do:
(1) get names on the petition and drop the petition sheets back to a council service centre or scan them and email them to strategicplanning@mrsc.vic.gov.au by Monday night, or alternatively
(2) get whoever you can to email council by 5pm Monday clearly stating that:
“I oppose the Villawood Properties ‘Davies Hill’ development” and also if they are comfortable
“I support the recommendations of the Macedon Ranges draft Settlement Strategy for low growth for Woodend to maintain our landscape, environmental & lifestyle qualities and preserve Woodend as a tourism destination.”
Please ask husband’s / wives etc to email separately ... we need numbers.
Email the Manager Planning and Development, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, (email: strategicplanning@mrsc.vic.gov.au )
Thanks ... fingers crossed we can make an impression & save Woodend!