This article is about the success of the Planning Backlash and Boroondara Residents Action Group "Mad as Hell event" in Camberwell on Sunday 29th May, 2016. It is based on a report by Jack Roach of Boroondara Residents Action Group (BRAG). This meeting also produced a stunning draft Resident's Bill of Rights which candobetter.net encourages you to support.
The Parkview Room at the Camberwell Civic Centre was packed with people from all over Melbourne and the event started right on time. A short introduction reminded everyone that since Melbourne 2030 in 2002, there have been 16 additional plans. These plans have included a review of M2030 and a new plan – Melbourne @5 million - which was itself reviewed later. Those plans were themselves followed by Plan Melbourne which included the 'Reformed Zones'. And now we have Plan Melbourne Refresh plus a Panel review of the zones –'Managing Resident Development'.
It was pointed out that all these changes have required residents to make submissions to a committee or panel whose job it is to make recommendations to the Minister for Planning. It is clear that residents' submissions are ignored. This has just been a ticking the 'consulted with the community box' exercise. Residents are being shut out while developers gain advantage through political donations.
The Mad as Hell event Panel of David Davis, Prof. Michael Buxton and Prof. Bob Birrell made presentations reflecting everyone's concern at what the government is proposing with its intention to push medium and high density into the established suburbs. Dr Buxton suggested that Planning Minister Wynne wants to have 70% of new housing in our established suburbs, which Buxton thought was not possible. The presentations were videoed and should be available soon.
The people in the audience made it very clear that they were very concerned about what is happening right now in their neighbourhoods. They interacted with the three panel members for about an hour.
BRAG proposes a Residents' Bill of Rights
BRAG then introduced a new strategy to give residents a real voice in what happens in their local area as well as what the government is proposing for Melbourne’s future.
A draft Residents’ Bill of Rights (RBR) was proposed (a copy of which was circulated to all prior to the start of the Forum). They were asked to take the copy home, read and consider, and asked to support the Bill. We have published this draft as a separate article. Click here to see the Residents' Bill of Rights draft.
If you like it, email your support to PLANNING BACKLASH – [email protected]
The next step is to campaign to get residents’ rights and that won’t be easy. A lot of help will be needed from residents all over Melbourne.
Report on www.brag.asn.au
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