Protest Tuesday 22 June: Amendment VC67: Urgent Appeal to all Victorian activist groups

Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc. MEDIA RELEASE 21 JUNE 2010 COMMUNITY PROTEST OVER MINISTER’S PLANS TO TRASH MELBOURNE In order to action his planning blueprint for “Melbourne @5 million” Premier Brumby has to find land for another 284, 000 new homes in the next 20 years to cope with the Government generated population boom. [Candobetter.org Ed. Strange choice of words. This is not a'boom'; it is a disaster.] The State Government is determined to extend the Urban Growth Boundary to facilitate rezoning vast areas of rural land as residential and with this end in mind proposes to amend the Melbourne Planning Scheme. Planning Minister Madden has refused to look at vacant land or brown field sites within the existing UGB. Additionally he has refused to adopt any measures to deter developers from “land banking.” He has broken the promises made by former Premier Bracks that the UGB would never be changed nor would Green Wedges be alienated or touched. . Three major community organisations – Protectors of Public Lands Victoria Inc, Green Wedges Coalition Inc and Planning Backlash are holding a protest at 1 pm on Tuesday 22 June 2010 on the steps of Parliament to declare opposition to Planning Amendment VC 67, which Planning Minister Madden proposes to put to the Upper House tomorrow Tuesday for ratification. There is a major community revolt over extension of the Urban Growth Boundary which will signify growth of urban sprawl, destruction of Green Wedges and decimation of arable food producing land. Plus there is community fury over the well hidden, previously unpublicised provisions of Clause 12 of the Planning Amendment. These spell high rise residential development along tram, bus and light rail transport corridors plus around train stations and the go-ahead for the E6 freeway reservation. These will change the face of Melbourne forever and destroy our rural surrounds. The rally will ask the Greens, Coalition and DLP member to vote “no” to VC 67. Brian Walters SC, President of PPL VIC, comments: “We vigorously oppose the move by the Brumby Government to ratify VC67 which will create growth areas on the fringe of Melbourne outside the existing boundaries, thus extending and creating urban sprawl. It will alienate established Green Wedges; destroy the environment and wildlife; result in loss of biodiversity; and loss of arable land for food production. This will inevitably increase car dependency; worsen Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to climate change with land clearance, unsustainable housing and reliance on road transport. We remain firm in our opposition to VC 67 Planning Amendment.” Julianne Bell PPL VIC Secretary comments on VC 67: “Concealed in a clause in this planning amendment is provision to allow high rise residential development along tram, bus and light rail routes. This is a lunatic planning solution by the Brumby Government to accommodate Melbourne’s population boom. The ‘rack ‘em and stack ‘em’ strategy is a way of squeezing in another 1.5 million people by 2036. This will see the evolution of concrete corridors with heat islands, wind tunnel effects and put neighbourhoods at risk of flash flooding with impermeable street surfaces. Where are the open spaces and parks for rest and recreation as advocated in the Government’s much publicised “Healthy Parks Healthy People” doctrine? The Sunday Age has revealed serious health risks to people living 500 m within major roads, including asthma in children. Hence the Government will be putting at risk the health of a large section of the community.” PPL VIC calls on Members in the Upper House to vote: “NO” to VC67 tomorrow. Copyright notice: Reproduction of this material is encouraged as long as the source is acknowledged.