By JESSE GRAHAM
CHANGES to the controversial Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) restrictions may not be seen in the first half of the year, rendering thousands of local properties worthless even as a review is underway.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy told the Mail on Friday 21 February that a government review of the BMO is taking place, which is expected to be complete before mid-year.
“The review is currently being undertaken alongside discussions with community representatives and relevant government authorities, and will be completed in the first half of 2014,” he said.
However, Yarra Ranges mayor Fiona McAllister said she had been unable to state the local case on the overlay, which had left thousands of land owners unable to build.
Cr McAllister said three meetings with the minister had been cancelled, with her most recent one, set for Wednesday 12 February, cancelled while she was enroute.
“He got called in to see the Premier, so we can’t argue with that,” she said.
“(But) I wasn’t very impressed – there were three of us heading in to see him.
“We’ve been waiting for that meeting for months.”
Cr McAllister said she was hoping to talk to Mr Guy and argue that the BMO should be in alignment with expert opinion, and should allow people to build where they currently can’t.
“Our position remains unchanged,” she said.
“We’re very keen to put our case forward and to find out what his plans are.”
The BMO applies to land that may be significantly affected in the event of a bushfire – it requires new developments to have appropriate bushfire protection measures.
However, as a result, the firm overlay has meant that many blocks of land cannot be built on, as developments cannot possibly meet the strict requirements.
Mr Guy wrote to Seymour MP Cindy McLeish on 10 December last year, saying that the BMO is “complex and needs to be simplified”, while maintaining that community safety was still paramount.
At the time, Mr Guy said he hoped to have the relevant advice by the beginning of 2014, with changes to Victoria’s Planning Provisions to result from that.
The overlay was developed with recommendations from the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and was introduced in November 2011.
Mr Guy’s office was contacted about the meeting cancellations with Cr McAllister, but no response was given on the matter.
Cr McAllister said she believed a new meeting was being organised.
