October 2009: MRRA website tops 315,000 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) 352 Days To Next Council Election: (24/11/12) 1,061 Days To Next State Election: (27/11/10) 349     "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

19/10/09

National recognition for MRRA & www.mrra.asn.au

MRRA included in Canberra's National Library Of Australia archive - in perpetuity!

  click here for more

"Keep Macedon Ranges Rural"

Macedon Ranges: Too beautiful to lose... Help us, Victoria, to protect Macedon Ranges and keep this special place rural!

Black Saturday Bushfires

RED ALERTS

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

NEW  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 More...

NEW  Action Required  Support Needed To Save Dimmeys In Richmond

(23/12/09 - P)  Residents say "NO" to partial demolition and 11 storey tower - help by signing online petition  More...

NEW  Latest Notices From The Department Of Planning And Community Development

(23/12/09 - P)  Announcements, Changes, Reports More...

NEW  Latest VCAT "Red Dot" Decision

(23/12/09 - P)  Footscray Football Club social venue and gaming machines approved More...

NEW  Action Required  Outrageous: State Government Goes For Broke With Changes Relating To The Subordinate Legislation Act - 146 Pages Of Changes, Submissions Due February 15

(23/12/09 - SG)  EVERYBODY needs to read this attempt to remove requirements for notice, consultation and risk assessment in all walks of life  More...

CURRENT  Macedon Ranges' Mayor For 2010 Is Cr. Rob Guthrie

(11/12/09 - C)  Cr. Henry McLaughlin Is Deputy Mayor  More...

CURRENT  Action Required State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF) Review - Draft Now On Exhibition

(11/12/09 - P)  State government moves to drop Macedon Ranges as an area of high conservation values - last vestige of recognition for State significance of Macedon Ranges gone. Submissions due February 2, 2010 - you will be working over Christmas.  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  Draft "Modernized" Planning & Environment Act Exhibited Over Christmas (As You Do)

(11/12/09 - P)  A stunning effort by the State government to smother developer-driven changes to Victorian planning law More...

CURRENT  Decision On Growth Areas Tax And Blow Out Of Urban Growth Boundary Deferred Until February 2

(11/12/09 - P)  Last minute amendments from government throw debate into disarray and deferral  More...

CURRENT  Latest VCAT Red Dot Decision

(11/12/09 - P)  Requirements if a planning scheme changes for as-of-right (no permit required) use and development  More...

CURRENT  VCAT Says Yes To 102 Title Subdivision In Hazard Zone At Port Campbell

(11/12/09 - P)  "Another Cranbourne In The Making"  More...

CURRENT  Macedon Ranges' Council And Community Wins VCAT Decision On The Romsey Hotel Proposal: NO POKIES FOR ROMSEY!

(19/11/09 - P)  First the Supreme Court, and now VCAT, say social impacts and community well-being really, really do count.  More...

CURRENT Action Required  Bob Carr Joins Kelvin Thomson In Speaking Out Against Over-Population

(19/11/09 - P)  But is anyone listening?  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  Optus Applies For 36m Mobile Phone Monopole On Hill Next To Hanging Rock

(19/11/09 - P)  Improves telecommunications, but hey, what about impacts on a national if not international icon and landscape?  More...

CURRENT  NSW Labor Government Takes Giant Strides By Banning Developer Contributions To Political Parties

(19/11/09 - P)  So, when can we expect the same propriety in Victoria?  More...

CURRENT  Dastardly DACs Go Through Upper House With Only Greens And DLP Opposed

(19/11/09 - P)  Read it and weep  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  Urban Growth Boundary Planning Scheme Maps Now Available

(19/11/09 - P)  These changes are scheduled to be debated in the Upper House on 24th November  More...

CURRENT  Another VCAT Red Dot Decision...

(19/11/09 - P)  Stonnington this time, and failing to serve witness reports  More...

CURRENT  Bushfire At-Risk Schools, Kindergarten and Child Care Facilities List

(19/11/09 - E)  These are the places that will close on Catastrophic fire danger days - and there are some surprises in Macedon Ranges.  More...

CURRENT  Good Move As Macedon Ranges Council Simplifies Its Email And Web Addresses

(30/10/09 - C)  Out with www.macedon-ranges.vic.gov.au, in with www.mrsc.vic.gov.au  More...

CURRENT  State Government's New Major Transport Legislation A Horror Story For Democracy And Sustainability

(10/10/09 - SG)  You want it? You got it, but only if you are or work for the government. For everyone or everything else, it's "too bad, so sad" More...

CURRENT  Precinct Structure Planning Guidelines Released By State Government

(10/10/09 - P)  Something old, something "flexible"?  More...

CURRENT  Department of Planning and Community Development [DPCD] Announces More Ministerial Amendments Approved

(10/10/09 - P)  VC60 addresses a catch-all of issues including native veg and renewable energy, while VC58 changes residential subdivision requirements. More...

CURRENT  Dept of Planning & Community Development Advises New Web Page For Bushfire Resource Info

(10/10/09 - SG)  Easier access  More...

CURRENT State Government's Euphemistic "Interim Measures For Bushfire Protection" Rammed Into Planning Schemes

(17/9/09 - P)  This knee-jerk piece of political opportunism creates a dangerous future for rural Victorians  More...

CURRENT  State Government Tries To Gag Planning Objections By Making People Pay To Object

(17/9/09 - P)  Get off!  More...

CURRENT  Former Mayor Noel Harvey: Latest Developments On Macedon Ranges' CEO Contract

(21/8/09 - C)  Local politician and current Mayor stand up for good governance More...

CURRENT  MRRA Lodges Formal Complaint About Cr. Joe Morabito

(21/8/09 - C)  Association says Councillor's behaviour steps over what is tolerable  More...

CURRENT  MRRA Makes Submission On Braemar Amendment

(21/8/09 - P)  It's worse than we thought...  More...

(21/8/09 - C)  Tourism this time  More...

(22/7/09 - C)   Harvey admits signing dubious CEO contract but claims lack of Council seal is an 'administrative oversight' - response from former councillor colleague refutes Harvey's claims - story picked up Sunday Herald Sun - expanded by Glen Eira Residents' blog  More...

CURRENT  Restore Residents' Rights Protest Rally Gets Up Development Industry's Nose

(21/6/09 - P)  Yeehaa - success!  More...

(9/3/09 - P)  New planning provisions for bushfire recovery now in planning schemes, and new building standards to be met   More...

(24/11/08 - P)   The Safeway application: a fairly perfect example of (bad) development that takes away more than it gives. A whole precinct of the town's rural character will be lost if this proposal goes ahead... More...

(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...

Climate Change

Humour

NEW  Sunshine RRA Does It Again With Another Brilliant Newsletter

(23/12/09 - CC)  Some (beautifully) blunt comments on planning, democratic process  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  Action Required  FriendsNet Newsletter, Events And Report On The VEFN Grantville Conference

(11/12/09 - E) Latest from the Victorian Environmental Friends Network  More...

(11/12/09 - P)  Bob Carr, record births, record annual population growth, new cities...  More...

CURRENT  Action Required  Humane Society International Says Help Stop Canada's Cruel Seal Hunt

(10/10/09 - E)  Boycott Canadian seafood  More...

(21/8/09 - E)  Jobs to go in the Macedon Ranges region  More...

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

(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...

(22/8/07 - E)  Tired of the word 'sustainability' being thrown around like confetti?  Then check this out: "The laws . . . that follow are offered in order to define the term "sustainability," which must be understood to mean, "for many millennia"."   More...

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

NEW  Council Meeting Dates For June 2009 to June 2010  More...

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

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

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

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

(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...

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

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

(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...

(21/6/09 - CC)  SRRA is the residents' group surrounded by Brimbank Council that helped blow the whistle on the latest expose of corruption in local government.  More...

(21/6/09 - CC)  Independent Panel says "no", Minister for Planning Madden says "yes" - as you do!  More...

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

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...

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...

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 2008 Council Election is authorized by Louise Whitefield, Public Officer, Macedon Ranges Residents' Association Inc., 2 Dalrymple Road, Gisborne, 3437.