For the personal attention of the Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls     

 

16/3/06

 

 

Dear Minister,

 

Macedon Ranges Residents’ Association has been reviewing changes made to Macedon Ranges’ planning scheme as a result of approval of Amendment C48.  To date quite a number of errors/concerns have been detected, and a letter to you identifying these is presently being drafted.  However, our most recently discovered error is, we believe, of such seriousness and magnitude, we wish to bring it to your attention immediately.

 

From our preliminary research, in excess of 1,800 existing lots in rural areas are not shown on the new planning scheme maps that incorporate Amendment C48 changes (maps belatedly made publicly available by the Department of Sustainability and Environment).  Title numbers are shown, title boundaries are not.  By rural areas, we mean Farming, most Rural Conservation and large minimum lot size Rural Living zones (brief inspection suggests similar anomalies in other zones).  The overall impression that can be gained from looking at the maps is that Macedon Ranges Shire has far less land fragmentation in rural areas than is actually the case.  Examples of the changes are attached for your comparison.  Please note that MRRA yesterday alerted Macedon Ranges Council (Chief Executive) to this situation.

 

We note that at a meeting last Tuesday promoting permits for houses on every rural lot (organized by a Woodend real estate agency), a representative of that agency stated he had counted rural lots in the Shire and found there were some 1,500 fewer than claimed by Macedon Ranges Council.  He called Council’s figures ‘dubious’.  We are not surprised he counted fewer lots, if he used the new maps.

       

We have checked planning scheme maps in adjoining Shires (Hepburn, Mount Alexander, Mitchell and Moorabool) and find they do not share the peculiarities evident in Macedon Ranges’ maps.  

 

As this appears to be yet another in a long list of errors that adversely affects Macedon Ranges Shire emanating from the Department of Sustainability and Environment, we seek clarification from you, at your earliest convenience, as to how this has happened, and what steps will be taken to remedy the situation. 

 

 

Christine Pruneau,

Secretary,

Macedon Ranges Residents’ Association.

Postal: PO Box 359, Woodend, 3442.

Email:  secretary@mrra.asn.au