By Kath Gannaway
Yarra Ranges Council will request the Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, MP, to appoint an independent planning panel to review submissions on two proposed amendments to the shire’s planning scheme.
The Council resolved at its meeting on 22 May to seek a panel review of submissions made to Amendment C148 in regard to the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme and will ask the same panel to review submissions to Amendment 122 to the Upper Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges Regional Strategy Plan.
The councillors heard that more than 100 submissions on a range of topics were received in relation to Amendment C148 which was exhibited in 2016, and that, as exhibited would require subsequent changes to the Upper Yarra and Dandenong Ranges Regional Strategy Plan (RSP) to achieve consistency between the two documents.
Amendment 122 was exhibited at the same time by the State Government and received 10 submissions.
Amendment C148 covers a wide range of land use and development issues including new local planning policies for dwellings in Green Wedge areas, major retail developments and environmentally sustainable development.
It covers revised vegetation and building controls for rural areas, new environmental controls to identify important biodiversity habitats and provide targeted controls, a new requirement for a five per cent public open space contribution.
More than half the 100 submissions on C148 were around the proposed changes to vegetation controls with common themes addressing the criteria for mapping and how it affects individual properties, continued protection of the rural areas for agriculture and consistency with the Regional Strategy Plan, the new local planning policy for dwellings in Green Wedge areas and changes to the tenement provisions.
Ryrie Ward Cr Fiona McAllister moved that the Minister for Planning appoint a panel and that Council endorses the changes proposed to the Amendment as were outlined in the report provided to them based on the responses and recommendations made in the report.
She also moved that the Council revisit individual submissions on the ESO (Environmental Significance Overlay) to verify mapping, prior to any panel hearing.
To view amendment documents visit Home/Current amendments/Summary of Amendment C148 – Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, or phone Claudette Fahy at Yarra Ranges Council on 9294 6422 for further information.
