NEWS DESK
Greens in blue over planning Stephen Taylor steve@baysidenews.com.au OPPOSITION by the Greens to a parliamentary amendment that would have given the Mornington Peninsula its own planning statement has been described as “so lacking in common sense as to defy belief”. Peninsula Speaks co-founder Christine Haydon was furious after the Greens backed the Labor state government in opposing a Coalition planning and environment amendment which they believe would have given teeth to attempts to overturn an already implemented 11-metre, three-storey height limits. The contentious issue was the subject of several township meetings organised by Mornington Peninsula Shire over the past 12 months held to alert the community to the potential heights of “inappropriate development” in residential areas. Villages and townships said to be under threat include Capel Sound, Rosebud, Dromana, Mt Martha, Mornington, Baxter, Somerville, Tyabb, Hastings and Bittern. The shire wants the government to reinstate the local planning statement which it believes had protected the “unique” character of the peninsula from inappropriate development since the 1970s. Last week’s amendment defeat may have put paid to that. “It was voted down crushing any hope we had of a Localised Planning Statement,” Ms Haydon said. “As the community are aware we all have been working together to prevent three storeys and other changes to the planning laws that were announced in April last year and, to this end, we presented a petition to parliament with about 11,000 signatures. “Last week at a second reading in the Legislative Council, Liberal MP David Davis suggested an amendment to the Planning and Environment Amendment (Distinctive Areas and Landscapes) Bill 2017 that would allow the Mornington Peninsula – along with Macedon Ranges, Yarra Ranges and the Bellarine Peninsula – to have localised planning statements instead of being wrapped into the Victoria Planning Scheme. “Despite all the hard work and effort across the Mornington Peninsula to avoid this disastrous planning situation the Greens, a party for the environment, have chosen to allow the Macedon Ranges only to be included. “It would appear that the Greens have no concern for the Green Wedge and distinctive areas and landscapes on the peninsula.” Ms Haydon said: “They blindsided us. We only had one opportunity and now that’s lost.” Mornington Peninsula Greens candidate Paul Saunders admitted to being at first “shocked” by his party’s stand on the amendment. “It seemed strange to me [but] I spoke with the state office [afterwards] and they said they had sup-
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Frankston Times 4 June 2018
ported the amendment.” Mr Saunders said he was told Greens MPs were “confident that the amendment would not be needed for the localised planning statement to be successful”. In a statement next day, Mr Saunders said the Greens “voted to prevent regional towns and communities from high densification and inappropriate development, such as the height increase to 11-metres in GRZ [General Residential Zone], in some areas”. He said the Greens had asked the minister to prioritise areas “specifically including the Mornington Peninsula”. “The Greens voted down the Liberal amendment to ensure current protection offered by the Local Planning Statement for the Mornington Peninsula is maintained,” he said. “The Greens were assured in Parliament by [Labor MLC for Southern Metropolitan Region and Small Business Minister] Philip Dalidakis that “the localised planning statement will sit above, so it will then inform those processes beneath it, and, obviously it filters down from there”. Mr Saunders said the Greens had “specifically requested the minister [to] recognise the Mornington Peninsula as a distinctive area under the current bill which has bipartisan support”. Mornington Peninsula Greens candidate Paul Saunders admitted to being at first “shocked” by his party’s stand on the amendment. “I’m being straight with you,” he said. “It seemed strange to me [but] I spoke with the state office [afterwards] and they said they had supported the amendment.” Mr Saunders said he was told Greens MPs were “confident that the amendment would not be needed for the localised planning statement to be successful”. In a statement next day, Mr Saunders said the Greens “voted to prevent regional towns and communities from high densification and inappropriate development, such as the height increase to 11-metres in GRZ, in some areas”. He said the Greens had asked the minister to prioritise areas “specifically including the Mornington peninsula”. “The Greens voted down the Liberal amendment to ensure current protection offered by the Local Planning Statement for the Mornington Peninsula is maintained,” he said. “The Greens were assured in Parliament by [MLC for Southern Metropolitan Region and Small Business Minister] Philip Dalidakis that “the localised planning statement will sit above, so it will then inform those processes beneath it, and, obviously it filters down from there”. Mr Saunders said the Greens had “specifically requested the minister [to] recognise the Mornington Peninsula as a distinctive area under the current bill which has bipartisan support”.
Washed up: Rubbish on Frankston beach after recent rain. “We need to reduce the impacts our lives in the suburbs have on our bays,” says Dolphin Research Institute executive director Jeff Weir, who also took this image.
Protecting the bays THE Hastings-based Dolphin Research Institute has a grand plan to improve and maintain the health of Port Phillip and Western Port bays. This week the DRI launches its “i sea, i care communities” project which, according to the institute’s executive director Jeff Weir “invites the five million of us living around the bays to commit to simple actions that will help to protect our marine treasures”. “If we can get only a fraction of us always picking up after our dog, reducing what we allow to drip, drop or blow into streets which is then flushed into the bay, then we will make a difference,” Mr Weir said. “i sea, i care communities is also about sharing stories about our wonderful bays and great things that many groups in the community are doing. It’s also about supporting the institute’s
work through volunteering, citizen science and donating. “We understand that no-one is perfect and the challenges for families and businesses with limited time and budgets. “We will help with ideas and encouragement. By finding small steps that we can all take, together we will build a community that cares enough about bays to change how we live around them.” To get involved go to www.dolphinresearch. org.au and select the “i sea, i care communities” link. Bookings are also open for the cocktail function launch of “i sea, i care communities” and World Oceans Day 6pm Friday 8 June at the Portsea Village Resort on www.dolphinresearch. org.au or call 5979 7100.
Group effort: Rotary’s Charles Medwin, left, Don Ripper, Prue Ingram, Keith Mutimer and John Paterson. Pic: Supplied
Life-changing fundraiser
SEAFORD Carrum Downs Rotary Club has raised more than $30,000 at a dinner for Interplast Australasia, which provides life-changing surgery at no charge to people in the Asia Pacific region with cleft lip and palate or burn scar contractures. Among 90 people at the event were, from left, club president Charles Medwin, Rotary district governor Don Ripper, CEO of Interplast Australasia Prue Ingram, Interplast board president and plastic surgeon Keith Mutimer, both of whom spoke, and district Interplast chairman John Paterson. The club meets at Sands Hotel, Carrum Downs, every Tuesday night. Details: Jennie Leslie, 0418 179 269.