Planning Minister Gives Minister For Skills And Workforce Participation Cart Blanche On Planning

(23/12/09 - SG) New order says Minister for Skills and Workforce doesn't have to comply with planning schemes

The Victorian government, through Planning Minister Justin Madden, has done away with the need for the Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation to comply with planning schemes. This means that Minister may now push forward skills and workforce participation projects without regard to planning requirements or community views and values.

Here's the announcement of the Order that gave the Minister for SWP such sweeping and unfettered powers:

New Section 16 Order
The Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister for Planning, has made a new Order under section 16 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 exempting the Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation from the need to comply with planning schemes. Government Gazette 10 December 2009 (3325).

MRRA Says:

No doubt about it, not having to consult, or be accountable, or follow policy really does speed things up. Doesn't do anything for getting good or agreed outcomes, or democracy, but... you can't have everything, can you?

The mystery is, why do democracy, community and proper planning always seem to come second these days? Wouldn't be an election next November, would there, where some nongs think jobs are everything? We hope people start making it clear that it is democracy that is everything... if you want to call yourself a democratic government.