Posted 22/4/08
Shadow Minister for Planning Matthew Guy has again questioned
the Planning Minister on the New Residential Zones proposal and the possibility
that New South Wales style corruption could infiltrate the planning system if the
right of appeal was lost.
Under the current proposals, the rights to notification, appeal and objection would
all be lost from the residential planning system, all without the oversight of a
broad-based independent anti-corruption commission.
Questions asked of the Planning Minister, Justin Madden, in state parliament were:
Tuesday 15 April
Question 1:
Noting that the government refuses to establish an independent commission against corruption and further that the new residential zones proposal removes the check and balance of VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) between council planners and developers, I ask: what guarantees can the Minister give that this new and unhindered developer-to-council planner relationship will not breed corruption in the planning system similar to what we are witnessing in New South Wales?
Question 2:
I note that this is while the Minister is proposing the removal of Victoria's transparent independent arbiter, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, from the residential planning system. Can he now inform the house what new safeguards will be put in place to compensate for the loss of the planning system's sole legal shield against corruption?
Wednesday 16 April
Question 1:
Noting the New Residential Zones discussion paper - a paper containing a written endorsement from the Minister – flags the removal of third party objection rights, a proposal that the Labor Member for Essendon (Judy Maddigan) has declared that she does not support, can the Minister inform the House what justification the government takes for proposing the removal of a community’s right to object to a development?
Question 2:
Noting the removal of appeal and objection rights features
explicitly in the New Residential Zones document, can the Minister inform the house
how a community will be able to express its concern at a planned development if
third party rights are removed?
The Liberal Party remains deeply concerned that Labor’s New Residential Zones proposal
may lead to New South Wales style corruption in the Victorian planning system.
Plans to remove the right of appeal from the planning system will remove community
safeguards that have become the accepted practice in the Victorian planning system
and must not be lost.
If you would like to see the answers given by the Minister for Planning, go to Hansard:
(15/4/08) http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/downloadhansard/pdf/Council/Feb-Jun%202008/Council%20Feb-Jun%202008%20Daily%2015%20April%202008.pdf (Page 7, Questions without Notice).
(16/4/08) http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/downloadhansard/pdf/Council/Feb-Jun%202008/Council%20Feb-Jun%202008%20Daily%2016%20April%202008.pdf Page 27, Questions without Notice)