Archive: Ted Baillieu, Victorian Leader of the Opposition

 Last Updated 21/3/07

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 Meets With Shadow Planning Minister, Ted Baillieu

(27/6/05 – SP) Association is not expecting Shadow Minister to write Letter To Editor criticizing MRRA as Minister Hulls did.

MRRA reps met last week in a two hour meeting with Ted Baillieu to discuss State protection and other planning issues relevant to Macedon Ranges Shire.  A key issue discussed was the application of Melbourne 2030 to areas outside the Melbourne metropolitan boundary, without a statutory basis for doing so.  Mr. Baillieu advised there is a current Supreme Court case which is considering a challenge to the legal status of Clause 12 of Melbourne 2030 (the part that says urban development is good that so many developers rely on, and which is doing so much damage in Macedon Ranges).  Clause 12 has not been gazetted, nor is it included in any planning schemes.  Does it legally exist?  We’ll keep you informed.   We’ll also be following up with Mr. Baillieu.

State Government Finally Acknowledges Macedon Ranges Is NOT Protected by State Planning Policy Framework?

(18/5/05 - SP) Minister For Planning’s Response To Question In Parliament Conflicts With Advice From Former Minister

Shadow Minister for Planning, Mr. Ted Baillieu recently asked a question in State Parliament about the effectiveness of existing State policy (i.e. Clause 14.02-2) in protecting Macedon Ranges.  MRRA had asked that the question be raised, as local MP’s and their supporters persistently claim Macedon Ranges is already protected at State level through Clause 14.02-2 of the State Planning Policy Framework.  Minister for Planning Rob Hulls responded by letter, a copy of which has been forwarded to MRRA.  In his response, the Minister advised that “the State Planning Policy Framework is not a mechanism for controlling development” whereas former Minister for Planning, Mary Delahunty (in a letter dated 28 October 2004) told MRRA that “State level planning protection is provided to the Macedon Ranges through the State Planning Policy Framework”.    The conflicting nature of these responses again raises concerns about the quality of advice provided to Ministers for Planning.

MRRA Asks For Meeting With Ted Baillieu

(18/5/05 - SP) Shadow Planning Minister Calls On Bracks Government To Provide Protection For Macedon Ranges.

MRRA has asked to meet with Victorian Shadow Minister for Planning, Ted Baillieu, to discuss State planning protection issues.   Last October, Mr. Baillieu toured Macedon Ranges Shire with MRRA reps and addressed MRRA’s Say NO To Suburbia meeting in Gisborne, where he advocated for the preparation of a regional strategy for Macedon Ranges.   He recently called on the Minister for Planning in parliament to act to provide protection for the Macedon Ranges and to acknowledge their State significance.