samantha in the press

Child vetoes 'biased report'
by Mara Pattison-Sowden
Mail Newspapers
21 May 2013

Council's nod for small lots
by Mara Pattison-Sowden
Mail Newspapers
21 May 2013

Birdsland of a feather
by Emma Sun
Mail Newspapers
21 May 2013

townships get more definition

report from the roundtable - 14 may

I was pleased to be able to move a motion to adopt the Yarra Ranges Activity Centre Network Strategy. The strategy provides the finer detail of the role of our townships and outlines a hierarchy of activity centres based on:
 

~Two major activities areas: Lilydale and Chirnside Park

~ Nine large Neighbourhood/Town Centres: Belgrave, Healesville, Kilsyth, Monbulk, Mooroolbark, Mt Evelyn, Seville (included due to the addition of a full line supermarket, approved by council Feb 2011), Yarra Glen & Yarra Junction

~Ten small Neighbourhood/Town Centres: Coldstream, Montrose, Mt Dandenong, Olinda, Sassafras, Tecoma, Upwey, Wandin North, Warburton & Woori Yallock

~ A network of Local Centres including (but not limited to) Colby Drive, Belgrave South & Switchback Rd, Chirnside Park

The purpose of the strategy is to provide a more integrated and strategic approach to land use planning and development, it outlines the towns where major development should be considered and those towns where it’s not appropriate. It also provides greater clarity on those small centres/villages that provide for local convenience but also have a high tourism value as well.

It will provide much greater clarity in terms of where development should be guided to meet need and/or demand. It will also provide a clear policy basis for assessing development applications and whether the fit is right for the town.

As part of implementing the strategy a Planning Scheme amendment will be prepared to update our planning policy to reflect the activity centre hierarchy and strengthen planning policy to retain industrial land for industrial related and employment generating purposes.

Important to note is the emphasis and addition of “well designed pedestrian friendly places where people enjoy shopping, doing business and participating in community activities”. This is one of the key strategies that is planned to be embedded in our Municipal Strategic Statement under the clause relating to the Activity centres network and will give far greater strength to applications that encourage pedestrian friendliness.

I am very pleased to see this body of work progress as it provides far greater clarity to our planning scheme and what’s appropriate in what town.

Councillors supported the motion unanimously.

Note: Cr McCarthy absent and Cr Child left the chamber due to a conflict of interest (nb: interesting to note that this same conflict saw Cr Child remain in the chamber when considering the application for a supermarket in Warburton).

samantha in the press - planning

Fire rules too harsh
Mail Newspapers
by Mara Pattison-Sowden
04 July 2012

samantha in the press - planning

Yarra Ranges farms in jam over sales at farm gateYarra Ranges Weekly
by Claire Thwaites
26 June 2012 

samantha in the press - planning

Money for jam push
Mail Newspapers
by Mara Pattison-Sowden
20 June 2012

Bottling facility in hot water
Mail Newspapers
by Mara Pattison-Sowden
20 June 2012

changes to planning scheme - who's heard?

report from the roundtable - 24 apr

One of the items on this week's agenda was some proposed changes to the Victorian Planning Provisions (VPPs - they're the statewide planning controls).

The Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) is seeking feedback to proposed changes to provisions that relate to walls on boundaries, community housing, residential aged care facilities and broiler farms.

The two that particularly caught my eye were the changes in relation to community housing and residential aged care facilities.

The changes put up for community housing raised concern with the proposed changes omitting of a number of standards as part of permit exemptions including neighbourhood character considerations, private open space requirements and energy efficiency requirements.

If changes to the VPPs mean we want buildings to stick out like sore thumbs, mean people live in places with no private open space and in buildings that cost a fortune to run then that is disgraceful. 

The other issue that particularly raised my ire was around residential aged care facilities. The proposed changes mean there would be no specific consideration to the location and the proximity of shops and public transport. What a shocking outcome this would be.

Council was concerned that the public had not had a good opportunity to understand or comment on the proposed changes and as such not only endorsed a submission to the DPCD highlighting our concerns but we will also be writing to the Minister for Planning seeking assurances that the community will be fully consulted on any proposed changes to the planning system that will
affect public consultation, notification and appeal rights.

Given this government's election commitment to open and transparent government I'd hope that the community is given ample opportunity to comment on changes to the planning scheme which will have a fundamental affect on the places they live, work and play.

Council supported the motion unanimously.

hail netting - are you with us?

report from the roundtable - 28 feb

At this week's council meeting I moved a motion about hail netting and our planning scheme. My motion sought to obtain letters of support from MPs and Agriculture Associations to assist council in its efforts to see planning scheme changes via Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy.

It was a follow on from the unfortunate comments made by Minister Walsh in relation to the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme (see blog 5 Jan) and hail netting.

The motion:
That council write to all Local MPs and agricultural associations...seeking letters of support to be sent to the Minister for Planning, requesting his government to urgently respond to the issues previously flagged by council and to seek amendments to the planning scheme fo facilitate:
- Horticultural structures
- Value adding of farm produce
- Accomodation in the green wedge (in conjuction with natural systems)
- Festivals and events.

I thought it was important to continue to advocate for changes given the issue is an important one for growers in the Yarra Ranges and particularly while there's current government interest in the planning scheme.

I've been disappointed by the government response which encourages council to undertake a Planning Scheme Amendment process, this is costly and time consuming and given we have already extensively consulted over this issue with the development of our Green Wedge Management Plan, it's an impractical and expensive way forward.

The government's lack of response and support is disappointing given back in 2010 the Coalition (as well as the government of the day) supported key recommendations from the Inquiry into Sustainable Development of Agribusiness in Outer Suburban Melbourne, which deal with removing the requirement to obtain a planning permit to install netting (recommendation 39) and remove restrictions on the proportion of land able to be covered with netting (recommendation 40). The Inquiry showed these are issues much broader than Yarra Ranges and need addressing, it would be a very positive move of government to be proactive and act on these recommendations, they continue to be very important to Yarra Ranges growers.

It was extraordinary to read that Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy, believed council had "again endorsed" our Horticultural Structures Policy in 2008 through Planning Scheme Amendment C81. C81 was a policy neutral amendment, what C81 did was restructure the Local Planning Policy Framework into an easier to follow format, eliminate repetition and rewrite it into plain English. It did not consider the policy content of the scheme, that was not the purpose of the amendment and the Minister should know that.

We need to work together to get a good result for our growers, as a council we are willing to collaborate. We are well aware, as is the government, of what's required, we need to unite to see the changes we need in the Planning Scheme without the expensive and time consuming Planning Scheme Amendment process.

I'm pleased to report councillors supported my motion unanimously, let's hope the local MPs do too.

samantha in the press - planning

Yarra Ranges urges planning scheme rethink
Leader Newspapers
by Kimberley Seedy
29 Feb 2012

samantha in the press - planning

Home dream comes true for Kalorama couple
Leader Newspapers
by Kimberley Seedy
21 Dec 2011

Council keeps eye on phone towers
Leader Newspapers
by Kimberley Seedy
21 Dec 2011

samantha in the press - planning

Shire OK's policy for telecoms facilities
Yarra Ranges Weekly
20 Dec 2011

Council overrules bushfire concerns
Yarra Ranges Weekly
by Natalie Kotsios
20 Dec 2011