Maroondah City Council will write to the Planning Minister and the Local Government Minister to express its serious concern with proposed changes to the Planning and Environment Act (the Act).

Mayor of Maroondah, Cr Alex Makin, said while the changes contained a number of minor administrative improvements, it was worrying that they also proposed a significant reduction in the role and power of councils in local planning issues.

Cr Makin said proposed changes to the Act would further centralise planning powers with the Planning Minister.

“The change that would allow the Planning Minister to appoint a private individual or developers to amend local planning schemes will disenfranchise local communities and signifies a move towards the partial privatisation of the planning system,” Cr Makin said.

“The centralisation of planning powers with the Planning Minister, coupled with several changes to fees, further reduces the position of local government in the planning process,” Cr Makin said.

“The significant increase of the involvement of the State Government in local planning matters facilitated by these changes will undermine community and broader industry confidence in the planning system as the decision-making system becomes potentially more political and uncertain,” Cr Makin said.

Council will outline its serious concerns in its submission to the Planning Minister and Local Government Minister – including the timing of the consultation process for the Planning and Environment Act Reform Bill (held over the Christmas and New Year period).

Council will also express its serious concern that the role of local government as the primary decision maker in local planning matters in Victoria is being continually reduced, and will contact local members of parliament to express Council’s concerns with the changes proposed in the review.

The Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) has taken a similar stance, with its President Cr Bill McArthur stating that “the erosion of council roles in the planning system means less community input to the decision making process.”

“People are passionate about protecting the character of their neighbourhoods. It’s disappointing that the reforms seek to undermine the important role of councils and existing local planning policies that have taken significant time, cost and care to develop with input from the local community and the State Government,” Cr McArthur said.

The MAV has made a submission on the proposed changes to the Planning and Environment Act, outlining its concerns including the significant proposed changes to councils’ role as planning authority, loss of provisions useful to applicants (such as secondary consents), and the Planning Minister potentially authorising any person to prepare a planning scheme amendment.

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