Victorian Political News		www.robertclark.net

Thwaites denies democratic vote on Bayside heritage

News Release 25 February 2000

Planning Minister John Thwaites has ignored local opposition and pressed ahead with changes to the City of Bayside Planning Scheme to impose ongoing heritage controls on 290 properties in the municipality.

Shadow Planning Minister Robert Clark said the move comes despite opposition from Bayside Council and amid Council elections - at which heritage controls are one of the key issues.

He said the heritage controls were imposed on properties under provisions of a new Bayside Planning Scheme, which were gazetted by the Minister on Thursday (24th Feb) and replaced interim controls set to expire on 31st March.

"Bayside Council notified Minister Thwaites in November last year that it only wished to proceed with voluntary heritage listing on properties where the owners supported a heritage listing," Mr Clark said.

"To date only 45 property owners have supported such listing, and yet 290 are now covered.

"This means that in the City of Bayside there are now 245 more properties under a heritage control than the Council proposed, which will limit the capacity for those owners to make alterations without a planning permit," he said

Mr Clark has described the Minister's actions as cavalier and undemocratic.

"The Labor Party made many fine promises about local autonomy and democracy when they were in Opposition.

"However now they are in Government, the Minister is prepared to rush through changes ahead of council elections and prevent Bayside residents having a say in the matter.

"The Bayside Council elections have been shaping as a mini-referendum on heritage issues.

"Now the Minister has decided that he's not prepared to let local residents have a say, by gazetting these controls in the middle of the election process.

"This is not an issue for or against heritage controls. It is an issue about letting the council elections take place and seeking the views of the elected Councillors.

"You only have to look at Labor's policies during the State Election to see how hypocritical this decision by Mr Thwaites is." Mr Clark said.