State Election Noticeboard

Last Updated 21/3/07

State Planning Protection In Macedon Ranges: What Is It, and Why Is It Needed?

MRRA's presentation on the issues confronting Macedon Ranges, and what it needs to survive

Spectacular Response To MRRA's Request For Comments On Protecting Macedon Ranges

MRRA Asks Candidates: Where Do You Stand On State Level Planning Protection for Macedon Ranges?

Updated (18/11/06) Final: Candidates in ballot order & abridged comments on protection

(18/11/06) Spectacular Response To MRRA's Request For Comments On Protecting Macedon Ranges

MRRA has received a spectacular response from candidates and parties, at what is an extremely busy time for these people, to its request for comments on protection in Macedon Ranges.

MRRA sincerely and deeply thanks all candidates and parties who responded and expressed their support. Your participation has enhanced democracy in this part of the world, and told Macedon Ranges people they aren't alone.

We thank especially Dianne Hadden and the Greens for their support and for also taking time to meet with us and hear first-hand our concerns.

Thanks also to People Power and Rob Guthrie, Dave Barry and Steve ‘Jack’ Medcraft who came to us.

Finally, we express our great appreciation to Ted Baillieu, Dave Davis and Robyne Head for their time (and it has been a lot!), for meeting several times with us, listening, and taking our concerns seriously, as shown in the Liberal's 17/11/06 announcement.

MRRA wishes all candidates well.

YES Greens Back State Level Planning Protection in Macedon Ranges "Sustainability In Macedon Ranges Means No Over-Development. The Greens Support That" (14/11/06 - SP)

After meeting with Greens representatives in early October to discuss the need for restoring State level planning policy and controls for Macedon Ranges, MRRA last week issued a press release announcing Greens' support for that level of planning protection. Upper House candidate for the Northern Victoria Region, Jennifer Alden, headed up the Greens' delegation that met with MRRA. Jennifer said, "We acknowledge that the Macedon Ranges is a discrete and special area that Is not only environmentally sensitive but in need of specific State-level planning protections for its rural land and towns. On this issue we are in agreement with the Macedon Ranges Residents Association." Click here to see MRRA's Press Release.

It is a breath of fresh air, after the Bracks government's stubborn refusal to recognise Macedon Ranges' plight and provide protection, to find that others can see the problem and the need to fix it. We would like to sincerely thank the Greens for working with MRRA to produce this very welcome result.

YES Rob Guthrie (People Power) Won't Rest Until Macedon Ranges Is Again Protected - Major Influence Over Why He Is Standing (18/11/06 - SP)

"The government may not care about Macedon Ranges, but I do, passionately. I care about the contribution this unique area makes to the liveability of Melbourne; the drinking water it produces for communities and cities throughout the region; its rare richness of resources, features and assets that benefit all Victorians; and most of all I care about the permanent damage that is being done because of the Bracks government’s treachery. I make a rock-solid promise to voters that I won’t rest until Macedon Ranges is again protected from the destructive suburban invasion and over-development the Bracks government is pushing on us."

YES A Liberal Government Will Protect Macedon Ranges & McHarg Ranges: Announcement By Ted Baillieu Yesterday in Macedon, Will Provide State Strategy, State Policy, State Legislation, No Wind Turbines In This Area. (18/11/06 - SP)

The Liberal Party yesterday pledged that, if elected on November 25, it will give Macedon Ranges and the McHarg Ranges (near Pyalong and Baynton) State level planning protection. In part the Policy released yesterday said "The Macedon and McHarg Ranges need proper planning safeguards and to be recognised for the areas' State significance... the two areas... demand protection but are now under threat from insensitive and inappropriate development." Ted Baillieu said a Liberal government would "move quickly" to protect the Ranges from inappropriate development and is committed providing similar protections to Macedon Ranges as are provided to Yarra Ranges - protection by legislation and State level policy. Statement of Planning Policy No. 8 - Macedon Ranges and Surrounds which, under the Bracks government, has languished and been mainly ignored as a Local Policy, will at last be restored to State policy under a Liberal government. Click here to see Ted Baillieu's press release. Click here to see the policy "A Liberal Government Plan to protect the Macedon and McHarg Ranges"

To pilfer Martin Luther King's words, will it be a case of "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"?

The Liberals' package would mean we in Macedon Ranges could again protect our towns from suburban influences and over-development, and protecting water catchments, landscapes, conservation, recreation and tourism values would again become the primary focus of planning decisions. At a minimum, this announcement at least means there is at least hope. Hope of some sanity instead of the development madness the Bracks government is forcing into a fragile area that is already beginning to disintegrate under the pressure, and onto communities that don't want it. Now, there really is an alternative to the absolute blackness of Macedon Ranges' future under the Bracks government's mindless suburban agenda.

There was a strong sense of deja-vu at the Liberal launch yesterday. 30 years ago the Hamer Liberal government gave Macedon Ranges its own State planning policy: Statement of Planning Policy No. 8. The Policy's objectives were to resist metropolitan development pressures, keep towns rural, preserve farmland, strictly limit development in elevated, significant landscape and water catchment areas, and protect the area's importance as a major recreation and tourism destination and as a natural contrast to Melbourne's urban environments. Macedon Ranges lost that State policy and its protective planning scheme (which put the policy into practice) under Labor. Yesterday Ted Baillieu and David Davis, and Liberal candidate for Macedon Robyne Head, vowed a Liberal government would give it back.

After almost 3 years of trying to convince the Bracks Labor government to act on its promises to protect, MRRA was stunned and delighted by the breadth of the Liberal commitment yesterday. It is what MRRA has asked both the Labor party and Liberal party to provide. Of the two, only the Liberal party has recognised our desperate need for protection. And yet, MRRA has found there is wide-spread, cross-party support for action to preserve Macedon Ranges. Most other candidates at next Saturday's election have confirmed they too support either State level protection or work being done to protect the area's significant natural attributes, landscapes and amenity.

MRRA reps Neil Manning (President) and Christine Pruneau (Secretary), along with local resident and former State MP for Gisborne, Seeker Athol Guy, were at the launch to witness the historic announcement. Athol, as the then local member , strongly advocated in the 1970s for the introduction of Statement of Planning Policy No. 8. Another who was also involved in the 1970s told MRRA they never thought "we" would ever have to fight for the Policy again. Neither did we. Thank you, Ted and Dave.

NO Joanne Duncan's Final Response Means Only One Thing: A Vote For LABOR Is A Vote For SUBURBIA. The opportunity was there to say 'yes', but Joanne Duncan confirms Bracks government still says 'no' to protecting Macedon Ranges (14/11/06 - SP)

At last Thursday's Meet The Candidates Forum in Gisborne, MRRA reminded Joanne Duncan of some of what she said in parliament on 12 May 2004 (as recorded in Hansard):

"Planned and appropriate development that protects the unique character of our towns, appropriate densities and the protection of farmland are what is needed to make sure that the reasons we move to this area in the first place are preserved for future generations."

"Macedon Ranges has always been seen as needing special protection. Assistance to the council in preparing the strategic basis that would deliver this protection is needed. I ask the minister to work with the council in bringing about this level of protection."

Given that the Bracks government's line since April 2005 is it won't help, and it is up to Council to do the work - and that Macedon Ranges is already protected - the questions MRRA asked of Joanne were: 'when did you change your mind, and why won't the Bracks government protect Macedon Ranges?' Joanne's response went something like this: It's up to Council to do the work, you wouldn't like it if the Minister told the Council what to do, MRRA is upset because it doesn't like these answers, the government is acting responsibly, Council is being consulted about the Bendigo Regional Plan. As MRRA pointed out, the Bendigo Regional Plan has been 3 years in the making, and no-one in this community has ever been consulted about it.

Most of Joanne's 6 minute speech was, disappointingly, a blur of figures supporting claims of Labor having delivered, with a hurried reference at the end to 'planning and climate change need consideration' the only recognition of major water and planning issues affecting the Shire.

The Bendigo plan isn't State level protection. As far as we can tell, it's the government's Melbourne 2030 growth plan for the Bendigo (Calder) corridor. MRRA's understanding is the plan contains (contained?) "accelerated growth rates", even higher than the inappropriately high growth rates released by the Department of Sustainability and Environment in 2004 (Victoria In Future). This plan certainly isn't the protection from too much growth and over-development the government promised us, or what MRRA, Council (2004) and the Macedon Ranges' community have been calling for, and Ms Duncan should know that.

Joanne should also know is that it isn't just MRRA that doesn't like the government's 'weasel-word' answers or the suburban invasion that is over-running Macedon Ranges under this government's watch. Little wonder planning and climate change were added almost as an after-thought; there is no amount of spin that can cover-up the government's blatant broken promises on this one. Never let it be said the government didn't have opportunities to deliver its promises, or wasn't given a chance to change its mind. MRRA has tried for almost 3 years to get the government to make good its 1998, 1999 and 2004 promises to protect this environmentally sensitive, State significant area.

It's not as if existing local members Joanne Duncan (Macedon), Geoff Howard (Ballarat East) and the government have never recognised the problem or never agreed with what MRRA is saying. They have; that much is obvious from the Hansard extract and the promises/commitments the Bracks government has made. They know Macedon Ranges needs strong protection to survive as an area of State significance. The fact is, they've changed their minds.

In 1998, MRRA met with John Thwaites who agreed to protection, and in 1999 agreed to include Statement of Planning Policy No. 8 - Macedon Ranges and Surrounds, as State policy. In 2004 MRRA met with Planning Minister Mary Delahunty, who agreed to protection. In 2005 MRRA met with Planning Minister Rob Hulls - our press release after that meeting summed up the Minister's backflip nicely: "No Money, No Help: Macedon Ranges You're On Your Own". In September 2006 MRRA asked for a meeting with the Premier and Ministers for Planning and Environment. The answer was NO: there will be no change to State policy, Macedon Ranges is already protected by Green Wedges (which is not true - there are no Green Wedges in Macedon Ranges), there is nothing to be gained from a meeting.

Historically, Macedon Ranges was protected by explicit State policy (as were Yarra Ranges and Mornington Peninsula) and strong, prescriptive planning schemes. All protection was lost when the Bracks government approved Macedon Ranges' new, Victoria Planning Provisions planning scheme in June 2000, a scheme where our former State policy languishes as local policy (and we all know how easily local policies are ignored). Yet in 1998 and 1999, before approving the new scheme, this government promised to put back protections the Victoria Planning Provisions took away. It hasn't done it, and now not only refuses to do it, has decided to say it already has.

Last Thursday, MRRA gave Joanne Duncan (and the Labor government/party) one last chance to stand up for Macedon Ranges and its community. But she/they didn't, again turning away, apparently preferring the party line over the wishes of the people.

While the Kennett government introduced the increasingly despised Victoria Planning Provisions, the Bracks government has the distinction of being the first government in 30 years to not protect Macedon Ranges. As a result, Victoria is about to lose one of its three State significant areas, all formerly protected by State policy. The Bracks government has given two of those three areas State level planning protection (Yarra Ranges and Mornington Peninsula); Macedon Ranges alone has missed out. Equal significance, unequal protection.

In MRRA's view, the Bracks government has another (suburban) plan for Macedon Ranges, but it doesn't have the bottle to come clean and tell us. It doesn't have to. By simply not providing protection, by doing nothing, the suburban agenda will happen (is happening), because we just don't have any way of stopping it, because this government won't give us what we need to stop it.

MRRA isn't indulging in bashing the government or bashing Labor here, the fact is the Bracks government has made it absolutely clear it will not protect Macedon Ranges. It will not protect our towns or our water catchments, our rural land or our landscapes. That leaves us to draw but one conclusion:

Macedon Ranges is ear-marked by the Bracks government to become a suburb of Melbourne, and so...

YES Dianne Hadden, Independent Confirms Support for State Level Planning Protection Dianne has already said she supports it, and has already called for the Bracks government to act, including re-instating Statement of Planning Policy No. 8. She hasn't changed her mind... (14/11/06 - SP)

MRRA first met with Dianne in 2004, and met again with her earlier this year to put the State protection issue. She has been both supportive and active, taking the issue to parliament and writing a number of times to the Minister for Planning calling for State level planning protection to be given back to Macedon Ranges, including re-instatement of Statement of Planning Policy No. 8 as State policy. Rock-solid support. Click here to see MRRA's Press Release.

NO Labor Says NO Again In Response To Liberal Protection Proposal: Lies, Damned Lies and More Lies? (18/11/06 - SP)

The Bracks government reacted as we've come to expect to yesterday's Liberal Party announcement that, in government, it would act quickly to put planning controls in place at State level to keep Macedon Ranges rural, and protect the area's State level environmental significance.

Planning Minister Rob Hulls said, incredibly, that the Liberal plan offers less protection because the Liberals would scrap Melbourne 2030! (Herald Sun, 18/11/06). What a joke. While parts of 2030 were supposed to protect our catchments, rural land and focus growth in nominated towns, it has turned out to be a horror story, with the regional network corridor between Melbourne and Bendigo instead becoming a hell-for-leather suburban growth corridor (with growth and development driven by the Bracks government), and with those parts of 2030 that Melbourne hates (e.g. activity centres, jammed up and multi-storey development) floating to the top in Macedon Ranges as well.

As for the Minister's statement (Age, 18/11/06) that the Liberal plan would "open the floodgates for uncontrolled urban sprawl to the very foot of Mount Macedon and beyond"... We have a NEWSFLASH for the Bracks Government: YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE THAT, and that's what is upsetting so many people.

Mr. Hulls went on to say "The Macedon Ranges are already named in the State planning policy, alongside the Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley, as an environmentally sensitive region with significant recreational value". NEWSFLASH #2: Tell us Mr. Hulls, just how do we put that single policy statement 'on the ground'? HHmmm? Those other places have the tools they need to IMPLEMENT that and other State policy, and they have their own rules. Your government has given us nothing. See comparison Yarra Ranges/Mornington Peninsula/Macedon Ranges.

The Bracks government hasn't delivered its own series of promises to protect Macedon Ranges and seems in such a state of denial it is spinnnnning uncontrollably to cover up its irresponsible abandonment of a State significant area. Unbelievable.

“Labor will protect Melbourne’s green belts and sensitive areas such as the Dandenongs, Macedon Ranges and Mornington Peninsula” Labor Position Paper On Planning Policy, August 1998

Labor will make Macedon Ranges’ Statement of Planning Policy No. 8 a State Policy, Minister Thwaites, December, 1999

Bracks government is committed to protecting Macedon Ranges and will act, Minister Delahunty, April 2004

To pilfer Martin Luther King's words, will it be a case of "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"?

And yet, MRRA has found there is wide-spread, cross-party support for action to preserve Macedon Ranges. Most other candidates at next Saturday's election have confirmed they too support either State level protection or work being done to protect the area's significant natural attributes, landscapes and amenity.

YES Greens Back State Level Planning Protection in Macedon Ranges "Sustainability In Macedon Ranges Means No Over-Development. The Greens Support That" (14/11/06 - SP)

"People Power fully supports the restoration of State policy and specific State-level planning strategies and controls to protect Macedon Ranges from over-development".

YES Laurie Whelan Independent Supports Sustainable Planning And Development To Protect Rural Landscapes And Amenity (18/11/06 - SP)

"I have a strong belief in sustainable planning and development to ensure the protection of rural landscapes and amenity. My experience from dealing with a range of planning issues during my six years as councillor representing the large Eppalock Ward in the southern part of the City of Greater Bendigo gave me a broad understanding of the local and state level planning frameworks. The complexities of planning schemes and protection of natural features and landscapes require good planning processes and consultation with local and regional stakeholders."

YES Andrew Robinson, Democratic Labor Party Supports State Level Protection And Protection Of Water Catchments (18/11/06 - SP)

"Thank you for clarifying the queries I raised during the phone conversation we had on the 14th. In light of this discussion I believe there are issues that have not been properly addressed by the state government with concern to "State level protection of the Macedon Ranges" and so I would be in favour of supporting a resolution that retains the unique character of the Macedon Ranges and prohibits any development that is detrimental to the area, or has a negative impact on the water catchment capacity.

NO Labor Says NO Again In Response To Liberal Protection Proposal: Lies, Damned Lies and More Lies? (18/11/06 - SP)

“Labor will protect Melbourne’s green belts and sensitive areas such as the Dandenongs, Macedon Ranges and Mornington Peninsula” Labor Position Paper On Planning Policy, August 1998

Labor will make Macedon Ranges’ Statement of Planning Policy No. 8 a State Policy, Minister Thwaites, December, 1999

Bracks government is committed to protecting Macedon Ranges and will act, Minister Delahunty, April 2004

YES A Liberal Government Will Protect Macedon Ranges & McHarg Ranges: Announcement By Ted Baillieu in Macedon, Will Provide State Strategy, State Policy, State Legislation, No Wind Turbines In This Area. (18/11/06 - SP)

To pilfer Martin Luther King's words, will it be a case of "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"?

At a minimum, this announcement at least means there is at least hope. Hope of some sanity instead of the development madness the Bracks government is forcing into a fragile area that is already beginning to disintegrate under the pressure, and onto communities that don't want it. Now, there really is an alternative to the absolute blackness of Macedon Ranges' future under the Bracks government's mindless suburban agenda.

Macedon Ranges lost that State policy and its protective planning scheme (which put the policy into practice) under Labor.

Yesterday Ted Baillieu and David Davis, and Liberal candidate for Macedon Robyne Head, vowed a Liberal government would give it back.

YES Greens Back State Level Planning Protection in Macedon Ranges "Sustainability In Macedon Ranges Means No Over-Development. The Greens Support That" (14/11/06 - SP)

"People Power fully supports the restoration of State policy and specific State-level planning strategies and controls to protect Macedon Ranges from over-development".

YES Country Alliance Moratorium On All Changes Until Studies Finished (18/11/06 - SP)

"The Country Alliance position at this stage is to opt for a moratorium on all changes in the Macedon Ranges until we are fully informed of all the issues. We would would want all the studies that were initiated to be recommenced and completed before we made any decision. We also have deep concern about developing areas that maybe better left as farming and conservation. The only approved development would be to provide for the needs for the current residents. I know this is vague but we cannot promise to favour a particular point of view without knowing what the majority of the Macedon residents want and before we know the full impact etc. I hope this helps you and if we are elected you can be assured we will do everything in our power to provide a common sense solution."

Thank you, Sue Bull (who responded on behalf of the Socialist Alliance) for your wonderful support.

Click here to see Ted Baillieu's press release. Click here to see the policy "A Liberal Government Plan to protect the Macedon and McHarg Ranges"

To pilfer Martin Luther King's words, will it be a case of "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"?

Macedon Ranges lost that State policy and its protective planning scheme (which put the policy into practice) under Labor.

Yesterday Ted Baillieu and David Davis, and Liberal candidate for Macedon Robyne Head, vowed a Liberal government would give it back.

NO Labor Says NO Again In Response To Liberal Protection Proposal: Lies, Damned Lies and More Lies? (18/11/06 - SP)

“Labor will protect Melbourne’s green belts and sensitive areas such as the Dandenongs, Macedon Ranges and Mornington Peninsula” Labor Position Paper On Planning Policy, August 1998

Labor will make Macedon Ranges’ Statement of Planning Policy No. 8 a State Policy, Minister Thwaites, December, 1999

Bracks government is committed to protecting Macedon Ranges and will act, Minister Delahunty, April 2004