Shire move slammed

By Dion Teasdale
YARRA Glen’s Chamber of Commerce has questioned the Shire of Yarra Ranges’ ability to provide stewardship for the long-term development of the Yarra Valley.
The chamber’s president, Chris Lamacraft, last week raised concerns about the shire’s ability to see the ‘big picture’ after discovering the shire had made redundant one of its key planning roles.
Mr Lamacraft said he was very concerned to learn that the shire’s executive officer of major projects, Ian Stewart, had departed the shire and that the role would not be continued.
“The shire has lost their big picture man and has dissolved his role, and are now without the ability to look at major projects and draw them all together, and this is a very negative step,” he said.
Mr Lamacraft said Mr Stewart, in this three and a half years with the shire, had been responsible for overseeing a range of important long-term projects and developments.
Some of these include the Lilydale to Healesville Rail Corridor Study, the redevelopment of the Yarra Glen Race Course and a number of large-scale accommodation projects across the Yarra Valley.
“I am concerned that there is now nobody at the shire who has the task of charting the ship through the reef and looking for fairer lands to visit,” Mr Lamacraft said.
“Without this major projects role, the shire is lacking stewardship. To lose the role is to lose their grand vision.”
Mr Lamacraft said without the role the shire would find it difficult to manage negotiations with developers and ran the risk of letting inappropriate developments proceed.
“This is a real blow to Yarra Valley communities and could be an absolute disaster for the region. If the shire isn’t facilitating a broader view of the area, who is?” he said.
Mr Lamacraft said he feared it would now be difficult for townships such as Yarra Glen to develop cohesive urban plans with the shire, and that he would be seeking support from chambers of commerce in other towns.
The shire’s chief executive officer, Rob Hauser, confirmed last week that the shire would not be replacing Mr Stewart or continuing the major projects role.
“This in no way reflects a reduction in focus in securing major projects for this region,” he said.
“The major projects role was a support role to the chief executive officer and I will still play a major role in supporting major projects.”
Mr Hauser said the work of the role previously held by Mr Stewart would also be picked up by the shire’s director of planning, building and health, James Larmour-Reid.