Archive: Dave Davis, Shadow Minister For Planning
Last Updated 26/11/06
YES A Liberal Government Will Protect Macedon Ranges & McHarg Ranges: Announcement By Ted Baillieu Yesterday in Macedon, Will Provide State Strategy, State Policy, State Legislation, No Wind Turbines In This Area. (18/11/06 - SP)
The Liberal Party yesterday pledged that, if elected on November 25, it will give Macedon Ranges and the McHarg Ranges (near Pyalong and Baynton) State level planning protection. In part the Policy released yesterday said "The Macedon and McHarg Ranges need proper planning safeguards and to be recognised for the areas' State significance... the two areas... demand protection but are now under threat from insensitive and inappropriate development." Ted Baillieu said a Liberal government would "move quickly" to protect the Ranges from inappropriate development and is committed providing similar protections to Macedon Ranges as are provided to Yarra Ranges - protection by legislation and State level policy. Statement of Planning Policy No. 8 - Macedon Ranges and Surrounds which, under the Bracks government, has languished and been mainly ignored as a Local Policy, will at last be restored to State policy under a Liberal government. Click here to see Ted Baillieu's press release. Click here to see the policy "A Liberal Government Plan to protect the Macedon and McHarg Ranges"
MRRA Says:
To pilfer Martin Luther King's words, will it be a case of "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"?
The Liberals' package would mean we in Macedon Ranges could again protect our towns from suburban influences and over-development, and protecting water catchments, landscapes, conservation, recreation and tourism values would again become the primary focus of planning decisions. At a minimum, this announcement at least means there is at least hope. Hope of some sanity instead of the development madness the Bracks government is forcing into a fragile area that is already beginning to disintegrate under the pressure, and onto communities that don't want it. Now, there really is an alternative to the absolute blackness of Macedon Ranges' future under the Bracks government's mindless suburban agenda.
There was a strong sense of deja-vu at the Liberal launch yesterday. 30 years ago the Hamer Liberal government gave Macedon Ranges its own State planning policy: Statement of Planning Policy No. 8. The Policy's objectives were to resist metropolitan development pressures, keep towns rural, preserve farmland, strictly limit development in elevated, significant landscape and water catchment areas, and protect the area's importance as a major recreation and tourism destination and as a natural contrast to Melbourne's urban environments. Macedon Ranges lost that State policy and its protective planning scheme (which put the policy into practice) under Labor. Yesterday Ted Baillieu and David Davis, and Liberal candidate for Macedon Robyne Head, vowed a Liberal government would give it back.
After almost 3 years of trying to convince the Bracks Labor government to act on its promises to protect, MRRA was stunned and delighted by the breadth of the Liberal commitment yesterday. It is what MRRA has asked both the Labor party and Liberal party to provide. Of the two, only the Liberal party has recognised our desperate need for protection. And yet, MRRA has found there is wide-spread, cross-party support for action to preserve Macedon Ranges. Most other candidates at next Saturday's election have confirmed they too support either State level protection or work being done to protect the area's significant natural attributes, landscapes and amenity.
MRRA reps Neil Manning (President) and Christine Pruneau (Secretary), along with local resident and former State MP for Gisborne, Seeker Athol Guy, were at the launch to witness the historic announcement. Athol, as the then local member , strongly advocated in the 1970s for the introduction of Statement of Planning Policy No. 8. Another who was also involved in the 1970s told MRRA they never thought "we" would ever have to fight for the Policy again. Neither did we. Thank you, Ted and Dave.
MRRA Puts Case For State Protection To Shadow Minister for Planning and Environment, David Davis
(3/9/06 - SP) Shadow Minister requests more information before response
MRRA reps met this week with David Davis, Shadow Minister for Planning and Environment, and Robyne Head, Liberal candidate for the seat of Macedon, who arranged the meeting. MRRA presented Mr. Davis with an overview of why Macedon Ranges needs State protection, and some suggestions about how that might be achieved. MRRA has been asked to forward further documentation. Mr. Davis gave a commitment to provide a formal response shortly.
MRRA Says:
Our sincere thanks to Robyne Head for organising the hour-long meeting, and to both for attending.
An aspect of the meeting which is deeply satisfying to MRRA is that the overview the Association has prepared of the problems besetting Macedon Ranges once again worked well in getting that message across, and has each time we've used it.