Victorian State Government Planning: Welcome to the Dictatorship as cross-benchers lose nerve in Legislative Council

A few weeks ago, cross-benchers got together with the Liberals to conduct an inquiry into the legitimacy of State Labor Government Victoria's new planning laws that underpin the authoritarian creation of massive new 'activity centres,' infilling, hyper-densification, and removal of residents' rights to affect and discuss and dispute what happens where they live.  The Inquiry found that the new laws (ammendments VC257, VC267 and VC274) failed the democratic requirements of consultation, of conserving culture and heritage, and failed in their primary expressed intention - to create more affordable housing. It also found that they would cause drastic reduction of tree canopy and lead to greater urban heat.  It also found that the government had tried to influence developer-group input into the inquiry. All in all, it exposed a corrupt dictatorship hellbent on concreting this city and growing it to the size of London by about 2050. (And why would it stop there?)   

Furthermore, discussion during the Inquiry revealed that many people in Melbourne and

Victoria have no idea what these 'Metropolitain Activity Centres' are, thinking perhaps that they are playgrounds or sports-centres.  Indeed, I spoke to a friend the other day who told me she thought we were talking about one building in the Frankston Metropolitan Activity Centre.  No, I explained, we are talking about the entire CBD - concrete towers run by private entities, beyond the control of councils or residents, covering the entire CBD, and run by external authorities. 

But, when it came to voting for or against revoking these planning amendments, Greens, Libertarians, and Legalise Cannabis Party members let the people of Victoria down by backing the government's authoritarian planning. The amendments that will irrevocably remove our ability to control our own city, will go ahead. The excuse given by Greens Sarah Mansfield and Legalise Cannabis's David Ettershank was that revoking these rotten laws would be the biggest step in recent history; they preferred to be less drastic and hoped that the Government (the same authoritarian one that drafted the laws in company of Big Development) would heed their recommendations. Mrs MacArthur (Liberal) kindly described both Mansfield and Ettershank as 'very naive.' Hard to believe anyone could remain naive after sitting through that inquiry.  The word 'cowardly' crossed my mind. MacArthur gave a terrific speech, calling these planning laws for what they are. Ditto Dave Davis. 

 Rikki-Lee Tyrrell of One Nation and Jeff Bourman of Shooters and Fishers voted with the Coalition.[1]

Members of the Government, of course, tried to defend the amendments from all this valid criticism, but all they seemed to be able to do was to repeat the assertions disproven by the inquiry - that they were providing affordable housing for Victorians - and people who want to live in Victoria (a nod to the insane plan to invite the entire planet.)

No-one ever questioned why Melbourne must become the size of London and how this obviously contradicts the lies about providing affordable housing for Victorians.

We are in a dictatorship, as Beverly MacArthur noted.  

NOTES

Apologies from the Editor. The article initially mistakenly said that Mrs Rikki-Lee Tyrrell had not voted.