Posted 14/11/06

Media Release

Greens Say “Yes” To Special Planning Protection For Macedon Ranges

Greens’ candidates in the up-coming State election and Macedon Ranges Residents’ Association [MRRA] representatives met recently in Woodend to discuss planning and environmental issues.  The main focus was current lack of planning protection, damaging impacts of resultant over-development on the area’s water catchments, landscapes, towns and rural land, and the need for stand-alone State-level planning controls to protect Macedon Ranges.  

Greens’ Upper House candidate Jennifer Alden (Northern Victoria Region), and Lower House candidates John Bardsley (Bendigo East) and Leigh Johnson (Macedon) attended the meeting.  President Neil Manning, Deputy President David Bromley and Secretary Christine Pruneau represented MRRA.

MRRA President Neil Manning said, “We recognised that many of the Greens’ planning policies would of themselves be beneficial, but had some reservations about others.  We wondered whether, on their own, they would be enough to capture and address Macedon Ranges’ exceptional needs.

“The resources, features and assets of Macedon Ranges – their extent, rarity, variety, importance and the very concentration of them in a relatively small area close to Melbourne – make Macedon Ranges unique in Victoria.  This place needs more, it needs its own policy.   Our question to the Greens was, “will your party in parliament support re-instating dedicated State level policy and protections for this environmentally sensitive area – its towns and its rural land?” and to our delight, they said “Yes”.”

Jennifer Alden, Greens candidate for Northern Victoria, said "Macedon Ranges is a sensitive place, said to be "the lungs of Melbourne".  As such it needs special planning controls to ensure its preservation for future generations."

"We give our support to re-instating protective planning measures, crafted to accommodate the distinctive values of this area," said Jennifer Alden.

"All efforts to protect water catchments, including those in Macedon Ranges, are vital in this time of climate change.  Sustainability in Macedon Ranges means no over-development.  The Greens support that," said Jennifer Alden.

Greens’ Western Victoria Region Upper House candidate, Marcus Ward, Ballarat East candidate Michele Harvie, and Macedon candidate have confirmed they also support protection.

Neil Manning said, “We greatly appreciated the time the Greens gave us, and are genuinely impressed with their forthright and favourable response.  We have found common ground and objectives, and voters will now have a clear choice between candidates who will, and won’t, support giving this irreplaceable area the State level protection it needs to survive.”

Contact:

Jennifer Alden (Greens Upper House candidate, Northern Victoria Region): 0427 430 233 jenniferalden@vic.greens.org.au