fixing housing.
Last week, the State Government released its Statement of Planning Policy for Bass Coast Shire Council: https://lnkd.in/gBcF5R8a.
Despite an independent Planning Panel recommending inclusion of additional land to cater for growth, Sonya Kilkenny backed the NIMBY campaign, deciding town boundaries should be shrink around existing areas, citing most of 1000 submissions were against expansion. And despite some being identified for urban growth under prior processes.
Guess what, it's easy to rile up existing residents to prevent new ones. That's not #planning.
This repeats the mischief in Surf Coast a few years ago when Spring Creek, identified for growth for ~30 years was pulled out.
(I have no horse in either of those races)
Worse, under the Distinctive Area Landscapes, any changes require approval of both Houses of Parliament; something both sides are afraid of ever proposing.
According to The Age, the Minister for Planning ignored her own views and formal advice:
Kilkenny’s decision was made public at the same time as a conflicting report from the 2023 independent panel.
That report, which had previously not been released, assessed one large area proposed to be subdivided north of Seaward Drive and found the boundary could remain. This was also the view of the planning minister at the time of the review.
“The committee supports the position of the proponent [planning minister] that the area defined for residential growth in Cape Paterson be upheld,” the report said.
The report found further work to refine the boundary was “unnecessary”, that the boundaries were not a “green light for urban development at any cost”, and rules still required landscape character and environment to be considered in any development seeking approval.
Given 80,000 dwellings per year need to be built, a lot is being done to ensure there's no land to build them on. Especially where people really want to live, not where bureaucrats decide they should.
It's a concerning precedent, given the justifications used can be used virtually anywhere, despite evidence to the contrary.
🤔Don't worry kids, if you want to live regionally the government may grant you an apartment in select spots. Or all the #apartments around train stations you can('t) afford.
The idea we can cater for future population growth within existing footprints is nonsense. But that's where things are at.
Clare O'Neil this rubbish ensures you'll not get close to your targets.