samantha in the press

In response to this article:

The owners of Burnham Beeches have asked the Minister for Planning to determine a Planning Scheme Amendment (PSA) for their site.

 

It is up to the Minister to decide if the community will be consulted, not councillors, not council officers, not Burnham Beeches owners (unless the owners ask the Minister to do so and  at any rate it's still the Minister's call). It is also up to the Minister to determine if he makes a decision or asks council for a decision on the PSA.

 

The owners of Burnham Beeches have been in talks with Yarra Ranges Council for approximately 2 years, in this time they have been encouraged by council officers to lodge a Planning Scheme Amendment with council, the owners have chosen to go directly to the Minister and not to council.

 

What will be interesting in all of this is what the Minister will do, given it is very close to a state election in Victoria. I can only hope that the community does get to have a say, consultation is an important part of the planning process. Given it's a tight contest in the seat of Monbulk I wonder what all the candidates for Monbulk think?

It is an exciting time for Burnham Beeches, it's a much loved site and it's terrific to see it being used again, but I also think the community has a right to be consulted.

 
Tourism feast
FTG Mail Newspaper
by Marc McGowan
26 Aug 2014

 

design guidelines off to panel

report from the roundtable – 28 may

 

At this week’s meeting councillors had to consider submissions to what we call C126, a Planning Scheme Amendment (PSA) incorporating a set of Design and Development Overlays (DDOs) that provide guidance about the type of built form we’d like to see in our townships. The DDOs are a translation of Vision2020 by Design, ultimately for incorporation into the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme.

I was pleased to be able to move the motion to request that the Minister for Planning appoint an independent planning panel to consider all the submissions to PSA C126.  Given that there are some issues that cannot be resolved in some submissions the only option available to council is to take the PSA to a panel or abandon the amendment, which certainly wasn’t on the cards.

The DDO’s will give the planning scheme more rigour as they provide a finer grain of detail of what the built form elements of townships should be. The DDOs detail what council’s expectations are in relation to built form and will assist future applicants in understanding Council’s design objectives.

It was interesting to note that of the 72 submissions, 57 of them were in relation to the issue of drive through restaurants in the Dandenong Ranges. In considering the submissions officers have recommended that an addition be made to the design guidelines for  DDO14 (this applies to Olinda, Mt Dandenong, Sassafras and Kallista) and DDO15 (this applies to Belgrave) being:

“Buildings that include drive through sales facilities associated with a convenience restaurant are discouraged”.

Officers have also recommended that Tecoma (originally in DDO13) be included in DDO14 as a response to submissions about the similarity of Tecoma with other villages of the Dandenongs.

I was pleased to support the officer’s recommendations and this will form part of council’s submission to the planning panel. 

The planning panel will also provide submitters with the opportunity to participate in the panel process to reinforce their original submission. I’d certainly encourage all submitters to participate, it is important that the planning panel have a full understanding of the issues raised.

I’m pleased to say that councillors voted unanimously to support the motion.

 

Note: Crs McCarthy and Avery absent, Cr Child left the chamber declaring a conflict of interest due to an interest in properties in Warburton and Yarra Junction located within the exhibited DDOs.

 

puffing billy seeks planning scheme exemptions

report from the roundtable – 12 feb

At this week’s council meeting we had to consider a request from the Minister for Planning via the Emerald Tourist Railway Board (ETRB), the board that runs Puffing Billy. The request was to undertake a planning scheme amendment that would see any building and works associated with the ‘normal’ operations of the railway be exempt from planning permits without the need for public consultation.


The issue came about from the most recent construction by Puffing Billy out at the Menzies Creek Railway Station, an enormous zincalume shed, built without any consultation with the neighbours or with a planning permit.


The planning scheme amendment sought by ETRB would mean that no advertising or public consultation would be required to change the planning scheme, it would also mean that the current compliance action and need for a planning permit would cease out at Menzies Creek.

The issue out at Menzies Creek highlights how important public consultation is. The newly constructed shed is reflective silver in colour, far greater in size than anything in the region and there’s no vegetation buffer or screen planting, a resident in the rail corridor would never be allowed to build in that way and many local residents complained to council about the construction.


I had concerns about allowing the amendment without proper process. I think it’s important that the community, particularly those who live along the Puffing Billy corridor have a say about what happens in the corridor and the station precincts. I was concerned about changing the planning scheme first, then consulting residents second. The community who lives along the line understands the importance of the landscape and the environment, I believe maintaining that corridor is a shared responsibility and it is as much up to Puffing Billy to consult residents and go through proper process as it is for residents to apply to Puffing Billy when they seek changes.


Mr John Robinson, CEO of Puffing Billy, presented to council. He advised that Puffing Billy were developing a strategic plan that they would be sharing with council and the community in the future, that the organisation wanted to be transparent and consult with the community over the plan. He said that the railway was vigorously protective of the environment.


It was my view that locals are equally vigorously protective of the environment and that’s why the amenity of the corridor is a shared responsibility. I thought that no advertising was inappropriate and usurped good process.


I congratulated Puffing Billy on the development of a masterplan as a great mechanism to get community and council input to inform any changes to the planning scheme and the direction of the railway into the future.


Council agreed unanimously to write to the Minister indicating:


Resolved on the motion of Crs Dunn and Cliff

That Council write to the Minister for Planning indicating the following:

1. It is Council’s preferred approach to retain the current planning provisions affecting the land managed by the Emerald Tourist Railway Board and that any changes to permit exemptions should be undertaken as part of a detailed master planning exercise that involves public consultation.

2. As an interim arrangement, Council would be agreeable to work with the ETRB and the Department of Planning and Community Development in modifying the current permit exemptions under Clause 53 generally as proposed by the ETRB but modified to address issues raised in this report and in particular:

a. The definition of normal operations is clarified to determine the exact location and area of land where the proposed exemption would apply.

b. Clarify the meaning of the interpretation centre, cafe/kiosk, gift/souvenir shop and define the extent of the station precinct/precincts, or remove them from the proposed exemption altogether.

c. Either through a permit threshold trigger or an alternative mechanism ensure that any building constructed in the railway corridor is designed appropriately to minimise environmental, amenity and visual impacts.

d. In supporting the interim provisions, Council seeks assurance from the Minister that the ETRB will seek community input on a detailed master plan and proposed planning framework for the whole Puffing Billy railway corridor within 12 months of approval of the interim provisions.