Archive: State Rural Zones
Last Updated 6/10/08
MAV Starts Work On Decimating Rural Zones?
(13/6/08 - P) With its fingerprints all over the new residential zones - yes, the ones that take away residents' rights - the Municipal Association of Victoria seems to now be turning its attention to the Rural zones. If it is, and this foray into zones goes as 'well' as the residential zones did (NOT), a disaster is in store for rural Victoria. You can kiss rural land goodbye...
The MAV today issued a notice advising of sessions to be held on "Rural Zones - Planning for Rural Land Use and Development in a Changing Climate". Invitees will include senior state government officers, rural planning experts, councils and consultants.
The 'sessions' seem to be pre-empting (and making a mockery of?) outcomes from the current Land and Biodiversity in a time of Climate Change project, where the (Pale) Green Paper is presently out for consultation, with submissions closing on June 30th. A White Paper is then to be produced. However, with the MAV beavering away on changing the rural zones, it seems the final outcomes may be a foregone conclusion.
A key reason for concern is how the government sees its role in the (Pale) Green Paper, a description which gives a strong impression that it was written by an economist. It foreshadows major changes to how rural land will be utilized, with a blatant focus on 'innovation' and 'facilitation' (and we all know what that means). There's not much about leadership or saving the environment, just economics.
From the MAV notice, it sounds as if the MAV is coming at its 'review' of rural zones very much towing the government's line.
Click here to see the MAV notice. Click here to see what the government thinks its role is in Land and Biodiversity in a time of Climate Change. Click here to see MRRA's history of the Land and Biodiversity in a time of Climate Change project to date.
MRRA Says:
If the disastrous residential zones are anything to go by, there might not be any rural zones by the time the MAV finishes with them - well, at least not any that are about planning or environment. If anyone has any information on what the MAV is doing, we are all ears. Send us an email on mrra.sec999@gmail.com
Hallelujah! "Applying The Rural Zones" Practice Note Now Available
(9/4/07 - P) MRRA liked the draft but this is better. 'Well done' to the State government - in something of a first, this Note actually describes and discusses the importance of protecting drinking (potable) water catchments
This Practice Note is totally jammed with novel ideas. Most Macedon Ranges' Councillors won't like (won't even understand?) it. For instance, it says Rural Living shouldn't just go where-ever someone wants it. Rural zones should be applied to deliver strategic (what's that) outcomes, not individual aspirations. Water catchments and sensitive areas should have the Rural Conservation zone applied to them. And the mother of all concepts: the existing pattern of rural lots shouldn't be the sole basis for applying a particular zone (or, MRRA would say, for approving permit applications, particularly for houses on rural lots).
MRRA Says:
Now we've got the words via the Practice Note, who is going to put them 'on the ground'? Won't happen in Macedon Ranges unless a number of our Councillors substantially widen their horizons and change their attitudes. MRRA would like to suggest that the State government think about sending someone to Macedon Ranges who knows how rural zones are supposed to work to explain it to our Councillors in simple, three-letter words, so there is no chance of not understanding that the way things are being done now just isn't on. The next thing that needs to happen is Council's appalling internal (read: untested) policy on houses in rural zones should be torn up.
New Draft Rural Zones Practice Note Out For Comment Until 8 December
(14/11/06 - P) Learn how the rural zones should be applied, what they mean and what they are supposed to deliver.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment has released a new draft Planning Practice Note - Applying the Rural Zones, for public comment. Comments should be emailed to planning systems@dse.vic.gov.au by Friday, 8 December 2006. Check the DSE website (www.dse.vic.gov.au) for more information: go to planning from the home page.
MRRA Says:
We can think of a lot of people who would benefit greatly from reading this publication, not least those who think rural landholders have rights that don't actually exist. It's a pretty good publication, full of explanations and information, including the changing nature of farming, principles for strategic planning in rural areas, implementing rural strategic objectives, the rural zones in detail, main features of each rural zone, and where each zone should be applied. An interesting read for planning buffs, it's probably a 'must read' for anyone with a quest for knowledge about the relationship between rural zones and rural land.
Planning Minister Hulls Tells Victorian Councils New State Rural Zones Are On The Way
(29/9/05 – P) Don’t panic - Macedon Ranges asked for the new zones to be put in our planning scheme 6 months ago, and we’re still waiting!
MRRA hears the Minister for Planning Rob Hulls wrote to Victorian Councils about 3 weeks ago advising he would translate the new State rural zones into all planning schemes in 6 weeks’ time. We also hear there are some very unhappy (albeit perhaps misguided and misinformed) Councils out there who think they can make big changes as part of the translation without benefit of proper strategic, consultation and amendment processes. The Minister made, and Macedon Ranges Council accepted, an offer to translate the new State rural zones into our planning scheme in March. Our Council made a muddle of it by insisting Amendment C21 be tied into the translation. MRRA has heard that the translation and C21 are at DSE’s Bendigo office, then at the Minister’s office, then at the Bendigo office, then at the Minister’s office.
MRRA Says:
We’d be happy if the Minister actually, finally, puts the new State rural zones in our scheme in 3 weeks’ time. If these zones had been in place earlier, developments like Macedon Lodge and Macedon House would have been prohibited. And that would have saved people in our community all the angst they’ve been through recently. We’d like to know why we keep hearing conflicting advice about where these amendments are – surely somebody knows?