Posted 16/11/12

 

Former councillor Helen Relph's response to MRRA request for information: Controversial Changes to Council Policy

 

 

From: MRRA [mailto:mrra.sec999@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, 4 July 2012 4:46 PM
To: 'Cr Joan Donovan'; John Letchford; 'Rob Guthrie'; 'Cr Neil Manning'; Helen Relph; Henryka Benson; Joe Morabito; Roger Jukes; Henry McLaughlin
Cc: 'Editor - EMN Kyneton'; 'Kristy Sheridan'; Angela Valente; Barry Kennedy
Subject: Controversial Changes To Council Policy

 

MRRA  Established 1995.  Included in the National Library of Australia and State Library of Victoria archives in 2009

Macedon Ranges Residents’ Association Inc.     Regn. No. A0034439T

 

Dear Councillors,

 

Please find attached a copy of Council’s closing submission to the Amendment C84 planning panel on 22 June, 2012.

 

You will note that the submission says:

 

Page 2:  That the statement in the Macedon Ranges Settlement Strategy, that “No further Greenfield land is required to be rezoned for residential purposes out to 2036” – supported by the Woodend community and Council in its adoption of the Settlement Strategy – can arbitrarily be deleted and replaced with a ‘less firm’ statement about no broad acre land and monitoring land supply and demand in Woodend.

 

Page 4:  Amendment C84 deletes the existing planning scheme’s Rural Living Policy Area (along the southern boundary) and, unannounced, instead applies the (highly altered) Rural Living policy to the whole Shire. 

 

Page 7:  Council (despite telling the planning panel that Settlement Strategy recommendations prevail over Small Towns Study recommendations) supports the Small Towns Study’s recommendation for rezoning and new residential development at Newham, even though the Settlement Strategy doesn’t.

 

Page 8:  Amendment C84 is not policy neutral, it is a standalone amendment, and is not a rewrite of 2008 draft amendment C62.  Yet Council told the panel that the MSS update element of C84 was policy neutral, and Council has put it in writing that C84 is based on C62.

 

Page 8:  C84’s replacement of the existing planning scheme’s “must” with “should” doesn’t change the existing scheme’s policy intent, when clearly it does.

 

Page 9:  Council will go ahead with tourism development in water catchments regardless of water authority concerns/objections.

 

As the above statements include highly controversial changes from known policy, and confirm Council mislead the community in saying Amendment C84 was ‘policy neutral’, the community is entitled to an explanation.  We ask you to please provide the following information:

 

 

Thank you, Councillors, for your assistance.  It would be greatly appreciated if you could please provide responses at your earliest convenience.

 

Christine Pruneau,

Secretary.

 

Postal: P.O. Box 183, Gisborne, 3437.

Email:  mrra.sec999@gmail.com

Web:  www.mrra.asn.au

Reg. Address: 2 Dalrymple Road, Gisborne, 3437

Telephone: (03) 5428 3197 (Pres), (03) 5427 1481 (Sec)

 

 

From: Cr Helen Relph [mailto:CrHelenRelph@bigpond.com]
Sent: Thursday, 5 July 2012 8:55 AM
To: 'MRRA'; 'Cr Joan Donovan'; 'John Letchford'; 'Rob Guthrie'; 'Cr Neil Manning'; 'Henryka Benson'; 'Joe Morabito'; 'Roger Jukes'; 'Henry McLaughlin'
Cc: 'Editor - EMN Kyneton'; 'Kristy Sheridan'; 'Angela Valente'; 'Barry Kennedy'
Subject: RE: Controversial Changes To Council Policy

 

As council is involved in a number of strategic planning projects at present, the C84 review/amendment must recognise and accommodate these otherwise we would have direct contradictions that could cause confusion at VCAT hearings. The changes mentioned below represent the “whole” of council’s work in numerous planning projects and would be seen as clarifying some issues or were there are minor differences allow for interpretation were necessary.

Water catchment authorities have there own role in planning which is separate to C84. They will make their own judgements in their referral role on individual applications when they do their assessment.

In essence, the changes are bought about to support other “pieces of work” council is doing and the direction council has given officers to carry out these projects.

 

Warm regards,

 

Cr. Helen Relph

 

Macedon Ranges Shire

P. O. Box 151,

Kyneton. 3444.

 

Mobile: 0418  39 88 56

Phone: 613 5420 7781

 

MACEDON RANGES

NATURALLY COOL

 

From: MRRA [mailto:mrra.sec999@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, 12 July 2012 2:28 PM
To: 'Cr Helen Relph'; 'Cr Joan Donovan'; 'John Letchford'; 'Rob Guthrie'; 'Cr Neil Manning'; 'Henryka Benson'; 'Joe Morabito'; 'Roger Jukes'; 'Henry McLaughlin'

Cc: 'Editor - EMN Kyneton'; 'Kristy Sheridan'; 'Angela Valente'; 'Barry Kennedy'; Matthew Guy MP
Subject: RE: Controversial Changes To Council Policy

 

Dear Helen,

 

Thank you for your response, confirming you support C84 and the unannounced, un-consulted changes in Council’s closing response to the C84 panel (which betray the people of Woodend and Newham, and confirm Council lied to the community and others about the nature of C84). Could you please advise where the official record of Council’s ‘direction’ to officers can be accessed?

 

Your response can also be regarded as confirmation that Council is operating as if a law unto itself, where Council’s concept of “the end” justifies whatever means Council employs to achieve it. 

 

Council should but apparently doesn’t know that water and other authorities are not subservient to Council and their role is not confined to assessing planning applications.  They not only have a right but an obligation under their own legislation to comment on planning scheme amendments.

 

Council doing something ‘strategic’ would be a welcome change.

 

Regards,

 

Christine Pruneau,

Secretary,

MRRA Inc.

 

 

 

From: Cr Helen Relph [mailto:CrHelenRelph@bigpond.com]
Sent: Monday, 16 July 2012 11:19 PM
To: 'MRRA'; 'Cr Joan Donovan'; 'John Letchford'; 'Rob Guthrie'; 'Cr Neil Manning'; 'Henryka Benson'; 'Joe Morabito'; 'Roger Jukes'; 'Henry McLaughlin'
Cc: 'Editor - EMN Kyneton'; 'Kristy Sheridan'; 'Angela Valente'; 'Barry Kennedy'; 'Matthew Guy MP'
Subject: RE: Controversial Changes To Council Policy

 

Dear Christine,

 

The amendment C84 is being assessed by an independent planning panel and includes council and many other submissions with a variety of views including your submission that I understand you read for in excess of the 4 hours allocated to you so I am sure your views will be assessed by the panel and recommendations will be forthcoming balancing all submissions against state and local provisions.

My view is as a member of council and has not been expressed as an individual.

I absolutely agree with you regarding water authorities.

 

Warm regards,

 

Cr. Helen Relph

 

Macedon Ranges Shire

P. O. Box 151,

Kyneton. 3444.

 

Mobile: 0418  39 88 56

Phone: 613 5420 7781

 

MACEDON RANGES

NATURALLY COOL

 

 

From: MRRA [mailto:mrra.sec999@gmail.com]

Sent: Wed 25/07/2012 10:44 AM

To: 'Cr Helen Relph'; 'Cr Joan Donovan'; 'John Letchford'; 'Rob Guthrie'; 'Cr Neil Manning'; 'Henryka Benson'; 'Joe Morabito'; 'Roger Jukes'; 'Henry McLaughlin'

Cc: 'Editor - EMN Kyneton'; 'Kristy Sheridan'; 'Angela Valente'; 'Barry Kennedy'; Matthew Guy MP

Subject: RE: Controversial Changes To Council Policy

 

MRRA  Established 1995.  Included in the National Library of Australia and State Library of Victoria archives in 2009

Macedon Ranges Residents’ Association Inc.     Regn. No. A0034439T

 

Dear Helen,

 

Thank you for your response, but can you please provide an answer to the original questions:

 

Why did Council lie to the community and others about C84 being policy neutral, when Council now admits it is not?

Why has Council betrayed the people of Woodend, and Newham?

 

Regards,

 

Christine Pruneau,

MRRA

 

Postal: P.O. Box 183, Gisborne, 3437.

Email: mrra.sec999@gmail.com

Web:  www.mrra.asn.au

Reg. Address: 2 Dalrymple Road, Gisborne, 3437

Telephone: (03) 5428 3197 (Pres), (03) 5427 1481 (Sec)