Presented by Robert Clark MP		www.robertclark.net

Planning: you can have a say

21 April, 1999

The Editor
Progress Press

Dear Editor,

Mrs Lorna Noble criticises the new planning brochure Your Street, Your Say because of what Mrs Noble says can happen without her having a say (12/4).

However, Mrs Noble’s references relate to new single houses, whereas the Your Street, Your Say brochure makes clear on its front page that it is about medium density housing.

There are extensive opportunities to have a say on medium density development proposals.

Just because a development proposal is put forward doesn’t mean it will go ahead. Councils have a wide range of powers under the Planning and Environment Act, which they can exercise in applying their planning scheme and the Good Design Guide.

As councils become more familiar with those powers they are increasingly employing them to good effect to achieve good planning outcomes.

Mrs Noble also mentioned vegetation clearance.

As far back as December 1997 I attended a large public meeting convened by Boroondara Council to discuss planning issues. Proposals to introduce restrictions on tree and vegetation clearance were announced by the Council, and received the strong support of the meeting.

Subsequently the Council did not proceed with the proposed restrictions, following arguments raised by other members of the community about their possible impact on people’s freedom to manage their gardens.

However, the power lies with the community, through Boroondara Council, to revisit the issue at any time if it considers it desirable to do so.

Regarding single houses, in Australia we have traditionally taken the view that a person’s home is their castle, and therefore we have imposed few restrictions on what sorts of single home people can build. The more we restrict others, the more we restrict our own freedom.

However, tastes in housing are now becoming more diverse, and one person’s dream home may be an overshadowing monstrosity for another.

To address this, there is currently a review of overshadowing, overlooking and building on or near side boundaries being undertaken by a special advisory Committee. Councils and special interest groups such as SOS have been asked to put forward examples of good and bad developments to the committee.

We have come a long way since the "dual occupancy as of right" days of the late 1980’s, but we can and should continue to look for further opportunities for improvement.

Yours sincerely,

Robert Clark, M.P.,
Member for Box Hill.