Archive: Romsey (ODP) Outline Development Plan
Last Updated 21/6/09
(30/5/09 - P) There are changes here that beg for community objections - for starters, why is lovely, little Romsey down to become an industrial town? Who or what is driving this gob-smacking proposal?
The Romsey Outline Development Plan is out for community consultation until June 5. With East Ward (Romsey) councillor Joe Morabito apparently adamant no further consultation was needed, Council almost decided not to let residents see the most recent in a long list of changes that have been made to the plan over its now 4 year lifespan. Take a bow the Councillors who supported going back to the people.
The ODP is critically important to Romsey's future because it will set in place the directions Romsey will go in until 2021 and on to 2031. This includes where new residential, business and industrial zoning will go, how much, and what type it will be. Now's the time to speak up, or be prepared to hold your peace until at least 2021!
We couldn't find much information about making submissions on Council's website except that submissions close on 5th June, and you can email Council for more information.
Check it out by going to Council's website at "For Your Comment" on the Home Page, or click this link (http://www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/page/Page.asp?Page_Id=1511&h=-1)
You can get the ODP's supporting documentation including maps and reports from Council's website, but they are big files and we found it took far longer (hours, not minutes) than it should have to download the documents. Anyone on dial-up don't even try, contact Council for a hard copy.
MRRA Says:
Cr. Joe Morabito's letter to the editor last week set our interest in the Romsey ODP alight. We hadn't put Cr. Joe down as someone with a passionate interest in strategic planning so, knowing he had already opposed putting the Romsey ODP on public exhibition, when he came out in print full of effusive praise for the ODP, and warning (dare we say threatening?) he would call an enquiry if anyone objected to it, we were fairly bursting to see it.
And having seen it, we have to say it's a bit of a worry. Poor old Romsey is awash with industrial and semi-industrial land. Pops up everywhere! There's also what seems to be a large if not excessive swathe of medium density or unit development opportunities proposed for already developed residential areas, and not necessarily near the town centre, either! We would have thought turning Romsey into an industrial town with mews-style development for workers was a long way from where most Romsey residents want the town to go.
Frankly, the basis for this mass industrialization gave us a bit of a giggle. It seems that because the last census said there were people who live in Romsey who work in 'industry' - regardless of whether they work in industry in Romsey, Melbourne or Frankston - the conclusion is that acres and acres and acres of land in Romsey should be rezoned for industrial purposes to let all those 'industry' people work from 'home'. According to the ODP doco, real estate agents loved it too. Hmm... No glaringly obvious strategic basis or justification there, so 'fraid it's back to the drawing board...
Had a deliciously wicked thought though - doesn't it just make you wonder what the ODP would have looked like if the census had shown Romsey was awash with people who work in prostitution, or are train drivers?
You know what else is odd? Only last year the Department of Planning released an audit of industrial land in provincial Victoria which included Romsey (report, plan). The audit found there were some 29 vacant industrial lots within Romsey's existing industrial zones, and vacancy rates of 40% for industrial land and 14% for industrial lots. That seems to suggest Romsey isn't exactly white hot with 'on-ground' demand for industrial land, otherwise what's there now would be bursting at the seams.
And finally, as is the case whenever any piece of planning seems to have been picked over by many hands, there are mis-matched plans turning up regularly in the ODP documentation. Darn it, it's always hard to keep track when change after change is made, and the further we go, the more versions of a Romsey ODP we find, and more our hopes fade of finding clear, strategic thinking. It also seems to confirm that this latest flood of industrial and Business 4 rezoning may be of fairly recent invention. Why?
As for Cr. Morabito's extraordinary letter... Is it an attempt to bully the community out of its legal rights to participate in a public process? We put our thinking caps on but can't remember experiencing anything like this before. Not only do we find it offensive, we are wondering if Cr. Morabito's behaviour hasn't stepped well past the boundary of acceptable behaviour from a Councillor.
We certainly don't think the Romsey ODP is anywhere near as 'perfect' as Cr. Morabito says it is. Our message to Romsey residents is to ignore Cr. Morabito, just check the ODP out for yourselves and submit your views by close of business on Friday June 5.
Kyneton and Romsey Outline Development Plans (ODPs) Move - But Is It In A Forward Direction?
(17/2/07 - P) Ward Councillors and the Mayor will work on submissions
At last Wednesday's Planning Committee meeting, Council formally voted to hand over community submissions to the Kyneton and Romsey Outline Development Plans to East Ward Councillors (Henry Bleeck, Sandra McGregor and Geoff Neil), West Ward Councillors (Noel Harvey, John Connor and Tom Gyorffy) and the Mayor, Helen Relph. The submissions were noted, by Director of Sustainable Development Veronica Schilling, to "raise a wealth of suggestions and improvements to each document". She also noted that 'given the diversity of input, and in some cases the potential conflicts between submissions", the Councillors and Mayor be invited to help assess submissions and recommendations on modifications to each document.
MRRA Says:
MMmmm... As we see it, the only Councillor in the group with any credibility on planning is Cr. Tom Gyorffy. With the Mayor (Relph) and two of the three East Ward Councillors (Bleeck and Neil) and a West Ward Councillor (Connor) giving an excellent impression, over time, of being amenable to approving almost every planning application that comes before Council, and Crs. McGregor and Harvey being difficult to predict, it won't surprise MRRA to find that the ODP's end up heavily favouring galloping growth and development. Residents will need to be ultra-vigilant and keep tabs on the direction these documents take "Post-Councillor assessment". Residents should be prepared to take their concerns to an independent Planning Panel because, if the feeling in our water is right, residents are going to have to fight to keep Kyneton and Romsey rural.
Romsey & Kyneton Outline Development Plans On Exhibition Until November 24
(31/10/06 - P) Alert to residents: these plans will shape the future of the towns for the next 20 years so have your say!
Draft Outline Development Plans [ODPs] for Kyneton and for Romsey are on exhibition until November 24, 2006. These plans look at how the towns will develop in coming years. It is critically important for all residents to have a say in their town's future, and you are strongly encouraged to take the time to look at these plans and put your comments in to Council.
The plans are available from Council's website (www.mrsc.vic.gov.au) and Council offices (including copies for loan).
Only one day is now available to residents to get more information about the plans: Wednesday 1st November. Residents wanting an appointment should contact Lorna on 5422 0306 or email lorna@macedon-ranges.vic.gov.au
Written comments should be sent to Veronica Schilling, Director Sustainable Development at PO Box 151, Kyneton, 3444.
MRRA Says:
Only two days (last Friday and this coming Wednesday) have been set aside for residents to meet Council staff/consultants to get more information and explanation, and then only by appointment. This is a disappointing level of consultation, particularly given the extreme importance of the ODPs. A plan isn't worth much if it isn't supported by most of the people. The way forward has to be a collective decision, not just potentially a reflection of the views of individuals who are able to make appointments with Council. No-one should feel they weren't informed or that they were left out of the consultation process.
MRRA hopes Council will make an attempt to hold public meetings that will allow a lot more people to participate and learn about these plans before the time for submissions closes, and will also consider extending the time to make submissions.
Kyneton and Romsey Outline Development Plan Consultation Continues On Saturday 17th December
(15/12/05 – P) Residents are urged to get involved
Residents of Kyneton and Romsey are urged to take up the opportunity to have more input into how their towns will be in future by attending street stalls in each town this Saturday. In ROMSEY, get along to a stall in Main Street (Melbourne – Lancefield Road) between 9 am and 11 am, and in KYNETON go to the Lion’s Shelter, near the Mechanics’ Institute, between 12 and 2 pm. For more information, please contact Laura Thompson at Macedon Ranges Council on 5421 1436 or go to Council’s website: http://www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/ NOTE: MRRA couldn’t find any information on Council’s website so try phoning instead.
Romsey Outline Development Plan (ODP) Consultation Begins Thursday August 11th
(10/8/05 – P) Urgent alert to Romsey residents
Council will be running a workshop looking for community input into preparation of a Romsey Outline Development Plan (ODP). The workshop will be held on Thursday August 11th (THAT’S TOMORROW NIGHT) at the Romsey Mechanics’ Institute between 6 and 8 pm. The ODP will be dealing with a 30 year timeframe. Please take time to attend workshops and meetings, to read the documentation, and to make submissions (they don’t need to be big ones!). Have your say about Romsey’s future. IF YOU CARE ABOUT ROMSEY, YOU NEED TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS. If you would like to attend the workshop or have your name added to Council’s mailing list to be kept updated on progress on the plan, Council is asking you to please contact Lorna on 5422 0306 or email her at lorna@macedon-ranges.vic.gov.au