Last Updated 29/3/10
PLEASE GO TO THE 2015 DPCD ADDRESS FOR PLANNING ISSUES: www.delwp.vic.gov.au
See also Catchments archive
(30/5/09 - P) Some improvements at last
The Department of Planning and Community Development has issued revised guidelines for planning permit applications in open drinking water catchments. Key changes are introduction of the precautionary principle, and a requirement that the guidelines must be addressed where a planning permit is required to use land for a dwelling or subdivide land in a drinking water catchment. These guidelines, which have been approved by the Minister, will certainly give Councils more options in refusing residential development on land which produces water for public water supply.
You can access the guidelines here: guidelines
You can also see a legal interpretation of what the guidelines mean by going to the Phillips Fox website Planning Update:
http://www.dlaphillipsfox.com/content/upload/files/Vic_Planning_Update_15_May_09_(U).pdf
MRRA Says:
Glad to see the precautionary principle getting a run, especially as its inclusion came about because of a Supreme Court decision for Macedon Ranges (Rozen). Although the guidelines represent an improvement, they would have more teeth if included in planning schemes and given real grunt by being acknowledged as State policy in the SPPF. And for good measure, it would be useful (very useful) if these requirements were added (at a minimum) to zone provisions in all rural and LDRZ zones.