25 November 2009
Mr MORRIS (Mornington) — The matter I raise this evening is for the Minister for Planning in the other place and it concerns the fate of amendment C87 to the MorningtonPeninsula planning scheme.
The action I seek is for the minister to approve amendment C87 forthwith. This amendment relates to the Woodland area of MountEliza, the area bounded by the Nepean Highway, Canadian Bay Road, Humphries Road and Moorooduc Highway. It is a matter that I have raised again and again in this place and I am sure many members will be well on top of the subject.
As long ago as 9 October 2007, in this very adjournment debate, I sought action from the minister to approve the planning scheme amendment in the form submitted by the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. On 4 December 2008 I referred to a petition I had tabled the previous day with 1763 signatures supporting the immediate approval of amendment C87.
That petition has simply been met with deafening silence.
I have been approached by the residents who signed that petition and asked to resubmit it. Clearly, that would not be appropriate, but I want to read into the record a part of the covering letter I received. It contained a series of questions directed at the Premier. They read as follows:
1. Why, as Premier of Victoria has he done nothing over 12 months in response to this petition?
2. Why has this amendment still not been ratified by the planning minister?
3. Is the Premier happy about all the adverse publicity this matter is causing to his government on the MorningPeninsula?
4. Will he as Premier guarantee that this amendment will now be ratified within 30 days of this petition copy being tabled …
which, of course, it is not going to be.
5. Having regard to the fact that absolutely every detail regarding this amendment has been supplied to the minister by the Mornington shire council, if the Premier will not give this guarantee then why not?
6. If this amendment is not ratified within 30 days, will the Premier then resign?
The letter concludes:
This matter has gone on for far too long and it is a disgrace that the Premier and his Minister for Planning have been doing nothing in support of the Mornington shire council’s planning decisions with this amendment for so long.
The Minister for Planning frequently indicates that local government is the blockage in the planning system. I suggest that the real blockage in Victorian planning is the minister himself. He should either get on and approve this amendment, sign it and get it out there, or do what he, apparently, normally does and let the department make his decisions for him.
Legislative Assembly 25th November 2009
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