July 2010: MRRA website tops 394,000 hits  

Welcome to MRRA's website and thank you for visiting us.  MRRA is a voluntary, community organisation, established in 1995.  The MRRA website is another way in which the Association can communicate with members and Macedon Ranges' residents on issues that affect them.  Current and previous items on this site can be accessed through the main menu bar (above).  Any problems?  Email us on secretary@mrra.asn.au.

Days To Next Council Mayoral Election: (8/12/10) 110 Days To Next Council Election: (24/11/12) 827 Days To Next State Election: (27/11/10) 100   "Instead of controlling the environment for the benefit of the population, maybe we should control the population to ensure the survival of our environment." Sir David Attenborough - The Life of Mammals   I'm starting with the man in the mirror I'm asking him to change his ways, No message could have been any clearer If you wanna make the world a better place Take a look at yourself and then make the change You gotta get it right, while you got the time 'Cause when you close your heart Then you close your mind Michael Jackson/Siedah Garrett/Glen Ballard - "Man In The Mirror":  Make That Change

Quick Links To Top Issues

RED ALERTS

Breaking News, Action Required   See also Events Calendar (below)

Special (22/5/10):  Want to know what 'growth' means - really means? 

Check out "Arithmetic, Population and Energy" (aka The Most Important Video You Will Ever See) by Dr. Albert A. Bartlett.  The theme is:  "The Greatest Shortcoming of the Human Race is Our Inability To Understand The Exponential Function".  More...

Dr. Bartlett demonstrates that knowing how to do arithmetic can change how we see everything.  Click here for YouTube links.

NEW  MRRA Asks Federal Lower House Candidates:  What Will You Do To Protect Macedon Ranges?

(13/8/10 - FG)  With the Victorian State government pushing growth into Macedon Ranges, MRRA turns to Federal politicians for help.  Family First and the Greens are the first to respond, with a very positive answers.  More...

NEW   State Govt's Regional Strategic Plan Puts Growth Agenda In Place For Macedon Ranges: Council Endorses Plan Without Community Consultation

(13/8/10 - P)  That puts around another 20,000 people and 7,000 houses in the Shire by 2036.  And the State government's VC66 amendment has already been put in place (also sans consultation) to implement it.  Hello suburbia!  More...

NEW  Action Required  Australian Conservation Foundation [ACF] Releases "Better Than Growth: The New Economics Of Genuine Progress and Quality Of Life"

(13/8/10 - E)  Aha, someone gets it!  Also, check out the ACF's environmental scorecard for the Federal election.  More...

NEW  Hasty Woodend Bushfire Meeting Runneth Over

(13/8/10 - P)  The local 'bush telegraph' gets numbers to the meeting  More...

NEW  VCAT Restructure Announced

(13/8/10 - P)  No information on anything else yet  More...

NEW  Update From Black Forest Drive Action Group

(13/8/10 - SG)  Don't forget to sign up on BFDAG's Facebook page!  More...

NEW  Action Required  Ratepayers' Victoria Inc Backs Rates' Increase Rage, Says "Angry Ratepayers Across Victoria Unite" And Wants To Know Your Concerns

(13/8/10 - C)  Boycott on paying rates for staff superannuation being investigated. More...

NEW  Minister For Planning, Justin Madden, Reports On Ministerial Interventions

(13/8/10 - P)  They're a way of life these days, aren't they?  More...

NEW  Action Required  GetUp Says Go For Fearless Fashion

(13/8/10 - O)   Care about carbon pollution and the need for renewable energy?  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  Special Federal Election Feature

(8/8/10 - FG)  Who are the candidates in Macedon Ranges Shire?  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  State Govt Move Opens Door For Logging In Wombat and Cobaw Forests

(8/8/10 - E)  Locals fire up to save forests - again.  Call to action - join CAWFAG  More...

CURRENT  Latest VCAT Red Dot Decisions

(8/8/10 - P)  Wind turbines to 'adjoining' to coastal  More...

CURRENT  Essential Services Commission Releases Local Government Reporting Framework

(8/8/10 - SG)  Also, latest ESC newsletter and next consultation details (for councils)  More...

CURRENT  Environment Defenders Office [EDO] Bulletin #14

(8/8/10 - E)  Climate change, bushfires and expansion of the urban growth boundary are in the spotlight in this edition.  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  World Wildlife Fund [WWF] "Living Planet" Magazine Now Available

(8/8/10 - E)   WWF reference guide for the Federal election  More...

CURRENT  Alert  Macedon House (People First) Proposal In Gisborne Raises Its Ugly Head Again

(15/7/10 - P)  Seems silliness just doesn't go away  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  Update from Victorian Environmental Assessment Council [VEAC]

(15/7/10 - E)  More details on meetings and submissions for Remnant Native Vegetation Investigation Discussion Paper  More...

CURRENT  MR Settlement Strategy: Is Macedon Ranges Making The Decisions, Or The State Government?

(29/6/10 - P)  Meagre consultation, shabby process, a whiff of State government agenda and heaps of population growth should be ringing LOUD alarm bells More...

CURRENT  Action Required  VEAC Releases Discussion Paper On Remnant Native Vegetation, Asks For Submissions By 30 August

(29/6/10 - E)  This could be the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council's last report, as the Brumby government moves to dissolve VEAC, so don't miss this opportunity to comment  More...

CURRENT  Victorian Competition And Efficiency Commission's Local Government Report

(29/6/10 - SG)  MRRA gets a run but so does yet more de-regulation  More...

CURRENT  Latest VCAT Red Dot Decisions

(29/6/10 - P)  Whew!  There are some 'hot' ones here, including the Windsor Hotel (National Trust v Minister For Planning) decision.  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  VCAT Review Submissions Now Available

(27/6/10 - P)  Also a reminder that next round of submissions closes 28 June  More...

CURRENT VCAT "Rozen Decision" Sets Bar High For Houses In Water Catchments: That's A "Well Done"

(22/5/10 - P)  Definitive interpretation of State guidelines for development in open, potable water catchments  More...

CURRENT  Cheap And Nasty State Government "Review" Of The State Planning Policy Framework [SPPF]

(22/5/10 - P)  The very, very lazy Department leaps over proper planning by sliding MELBOURNE 2030 over the whole State!  More...

CURRENT  State Govt - Proposed Changes To Planning And Environment Act Would Create Two Planning Systems: Us And Them, with all the rights and privileges going to 'them'

(22/5/10 - P)   Joke Joyce - only an 'improvement' if you are a developer.  More...

CURRENT  State Government Now Moves To 'Review' Environmental Effects Statement [EES] Act

(22/5/10 - SG)  Another attempt to massage law to fit an agenda?  More...

CURRENT  Municipal Association of Victoria [MAV] Releases Local Government Cost Index

(22/5/10 - C)  More bad news - the gist seems to be 'expect higher rates'  More...

CURRENT Action Required  Latest Department Of Planning And Community Development [DPCD] Notices

(22/5/10 - P)  On guard, people, annual report released on Urban Development Program (Brumby's Bible?)  More...

CURRENT  Are You Going To Finish Strong?

(30/5/09 - O)  The try, try and try again principle, beautifully repackaged. More...

ALERT   Who Is Behind The Massive Development Push At Woodend's Iconic Golf Course Hill?

(17/4/07 - P)  MRRA looks at who is behind Davies Hill Pty Ltd - the company selling land to Braemar and no doubt looking in future to rezone the current Farming zone to clear the way for massive residential development.  It turns out that Woodend local lawyer Mr. HEP (Chinka) Steel, and local development consultant Paul Tomkinson are major players...  More...

BULLETIN BOARD

Humour

CURRENT  July Newsletter From Sunshine Residents & Ratepayers Association Inc

(15/7/10 - CC)  Some interesting questions being asked  More...

CURRENT  Environment Defenders' Office [EDO] Bulletin

(15/7/10 - E)  Learn more about what's going on in our environment... and please support EDO if you can  More...

CURRENT  Another Update From CanDoBetter

(15/7/10 - O)  Everything from population to picket lines!  More...

CURRENT  Edition # 92 Of Sustainable Population Australia [SPA] Newsletter (June/July)

(29/6/10 - CC)  It's all about - what else - the hottest topic around: population!   More...

CURRENT  Action Required  Latest FriendsNet Newsletter #71

(29/6/10 - E)  Working with local government...  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  Landcare Australia Presents A Fresh Face

(22/5/10 - E)  Catch up on Landcare's 'brand makeover' and all the latest news  More...

CURRENT Apollo Bay Activist Puts It All In Print:  "The Great Ocean Gulf - The Story Of A Strategic Planning Fiasco" By John Spencer

(22/5/10 - C)  Excellent, brilliantly-written and thought-provoking book about the Apollo Bay "Great Ocean Green" proposal that saw Colac-Otway councillors sacked for not supporting the mega-development on the Barham River floodplain, written from a community perspective.  A must read for all activists.  More...

CURRENT  EPA News

(22/5/10 - E)  First issue of EPA News for 2010  More...

CURRENT  Just Released Book "The Dominant Animal - Human Evolution And The Environment"

(11/12/09 - O)  Looks at our impact on the planet   More...

CURRENT "Billie Jean" Bubs Skate Into Pop Culture

(13/7/09 - O)  Cool kids take the world by storm  More...

CURRENT  Ye Gods!  Is This Where Train Travel In Victoria Is Heading?

(1/5/08 - SG)  'Squeezy' and 'sardines' hardly rate - have a look at how too many people, not enough trains is "handled" in (we believe) China   More...

CURRENT Australian Conservation Foundation Serves Up "Consumption Atlas" : See How Places Perform On Water Use, Eco-Footprint and Greenhouse Pollution...

(12/7/07 - E) Macedon Ranges isn't performing as well as it should  More...

EVENTS CALENDAR

NEW  Council Meeting Dates For June 2010 to June 2011  More...

CURRENT  Action Required Enviro-Email - Latest Update Of Local Landcare Events

(8/8/10 - E)  August 4 edition - some super stuff here!   More...

CURRENT Woodend Landcare Workings Bees

(29/6/10 - CC)  Get aboard!!  More...

SAY NO TO SUBURBIA CAMPAIGN

Urban Growth Boundary Changes

Minister for Planning And Mayor Noel Harvey:  Tag-Team To Shut Down SPP8?

(14/10/08 - P)   Labor colleagues are singing the same song, while Mayor seems to put "party" line before environment and community  More...

DPCD Orders The 'MACEDON RANGES POLICY' Removed From Our Planning Scheme

(29/9/08 - SP)   There's only one reason to do that: to open the door for suburbia  More...

Hello, Hello, Hello - Where Did Statement Of Planning Policy No. 8 Go?

(16/7/08 - P)  Council's 'review' of Macedon Ranges' Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) and Local Policies sees the Macedon Ranges Policy dropped from the Macedon Ranges planning scheme.   MRRA says, we want it elevated to State policy, not shredded     More...

Overseas Invasion?  Land Grab On Macedon Ranges' Southern Boundary Is A Worry

(28/7/08 - P)   Green Wedge under threat?  More...

MRRA  MEMBERSHIP & MEMBERS' FORUM

Note: Access is available to Members through Members' Forum

CURRENT  MRRA Submission - President's VCAT Review Consultation Paper

(13/7/09 - P) Please, go back to planning, get the lawyers out of it, and start healing rock-bottom public confidence  More...

CURRENT  MRRA Submission On Environmental Regulations

(30/5/09 - SG)  We say, think about tomorrow, not just today More...

CURRENT  MRRA Submission On New State Residential Zones

(30/5/09 - P)  Association stands up for rural areas  More...

FEATURES

"From the Vision Splendid to The Vision Sullied"

(25/6/05 - SP) A suburban, industrialized future for Macedon Ranges, home of Australian icons,  Mount Macedon and Hanging Rock More...

The Urban Conversion:  'Victoria In Future' Growth Projections and The Hidden Agenda For A Suburban Macedon Ranges

(29/4/05 - SP)  If you've been wondering why the State government hasn't delivered its seven year old promise to protect Macedon Ranges Shire, wonder no more.  More...

COMMUNITY CLIPBOARD

Clipboard

CURRENT  Action Required  A New Community Voice1: They Say...

(17/9/09 - CC)  Forging strength and purpose to promote compassion and save communities  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  A New Community Voice2:  Living With The Bush (and Bushfire)

(17/9/09 - CC)  A site where you can show you support sensible solutions to bushfire safety - sign up if you think there's more to it than just clearing vegetation  More...

CURRENT Action Required  Reminder From Planning Backlash

(2/4/09 - P)  Are you looking at www.marvellousmelbourne.org?  More...

Community Groups In The Spotlight

Bendigo and District Environment Council Inc (BDEC) (26/4/05 - CC) More...

Bendigo Bushlinks  (26/4/05 - CC)  More...

Central Coast (NSW) (10/6/06 - CCG) Central Coast SOS Save Our Suburbs  More...

Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network (19/11/08 - CC) More...

Macedon Ranges Landscape Guardians & Victorian Landscape Guardians (7/8/05 - CCG)  More...

Melbourne 2030 Portal (1/4/06 - CCG)  A Community Resource   More...

Planning Backlash (2/3/10 - CCG)  Planning Backlash is an "umbrella" for co-ordinated action by a wide range of groups across city, country and coast concerned with inappropriate planning in Victoria. http://marvellousmelbourne.org/drupal/?q=node/6

Point Lonsdale Civic Association (10/3/06 - CCG)   More...

Save Our Suburbs (NSW) (10/6/06 - CCG)  More...

Southern Peninsula Rural Protection Group [SPRPG] (21/10/06 - CCG)  More people wanting to keep rural land RURAL, this time in Mornington Peninsula  More...

Sunbury Conservation Society (31/1/06 - CCG)   More...

Sunshine Residents and Ratepayers Association (21/6/09 - CCG)  More...

Sustainable Population Australia (Victoria) [SPA] (12/9/06 - CCG)  SPA asks: Can Australia afford to just keep going on the growth spiral?   More...

Victorian Coastal Alliance [VCA] (7/9/07 - CCG)   An alliance of community groups formed to protect Victoria's coastline. UPDATE 24/4/09 Latest Description and Objectives More...

Victorian Landscape Guardians (VLG) Give An Insight Into What They Stand For (3/7/06 - E)   "The landscape is a finite resource.  There is no more of it.   Things which are finite deserve our ultimate respect and we should do all in our power to protect them for future generations."   Randall Bell, President, Victorian Landscape Guardians. More...

Watershed (previously Your Water, Your Say) : First Newsletter (17/9/07 - CCG)  Addresses processes (or lack of them) surrounding the proposed desalination plant on the Bass Coast  More...

Political comment on this website relating to the 2010 Federal Election is authorized by Louise Whitefield, Public Officer, Macedon Ranges Residents' Association Inc., 2 Dalrymple Road, Gisborne, 3437.