AT A meeting of Noble Park Community Action Forum, council officer Warren Wood did a presentation on planning.
Warren described how planning began back in the early 20th century, as a traditional English garden city and then over time MMBW and the Town and Planning Board had the responsibility of designing how future Melbourne and surrounding suburbs would look.
With very sound planning expertise, certain strategies were put in place – one to decentralise manufacturing to places like Dandenong and put in place green wedge areas to be the lungs of urban development and protecting flood prone areas for future generations (Bangholme precinct).
The planning documents that the council abides by are quite detailed and over time have been influenced by Melbourne 2030, Planning Melbourne and Planning Melbourne Refresh which clearly outlines how to treat and manage green wedge and protect agricultural land.
These documents clearly outline what is prohibited so, in all honesty, I have no idea why the council is trying to push a barrow up hill and rezone what is clearly meant to be green wedge land that is flood-prone in the Bangholme precinct and rezone Keysborough Golf Club which has scar trees on its land.
The council is also concerned about affordable housing, as only a small percentage of our population is on an average wage and yet you are prepared to sacrifice your own political careers by rezoning the land around Willow Lodge.
The law of common sense tells me that we need to protect this area for the retirees who have already invested their life savings in this village.
1. Protecting Willow Lodge from being surrounded by industrial development is just as important as protecting the site itself from industrial development.
It is also important to note that they are already experiencing odours and noise from industry so a buffer area won’t do that either.
2. That protecting Willow Lodge from being zoned industrial is not enough – the land around it should remain green wedge to act as a buffer to protect Willow Lodge from increased odours and noises.
Also, while some may think that the land south of green wedge is degraded, it is flood-prone and serves as a buffer from the fertile farms further south.
Finally, Melbourne Water has twice rejected this proposal as it needs a buffer of green wedge between the Eastern Treatment Plant and Industrial Land.
It is in the council’s best interest to uphold the recommendations of the former MMBW and town planning board and support the residents of Willow Lodge in protecting their assets and their homes.
A person’s home is their castle and their only sanctuary.
It is imperative that we protect fertile agricultural land for future generations as Australia clambers to feed its ever-growing population.
The fact that Keysborough Golf Club’s board of management has already accepted money from Intrapac before a decision is made is selling the soul of this community.
That practice needs to be outlawed and stopped immediately because there is no such thing as a free lunch.
Their committee now have a gun to their head because they have accepted the money to sell at any cost, regardless of the impact on our environment and that of future generations.
There are many residents watching the performance of our elected representatives, with council elections looming. Never before have we been so disappointed in what we are hearing.
We have been working with old infrastructure in some areas, no infrastructure in newer areas and a lack of educational facilities and community hubs.
The dramatic explosion of new housing is putting a strain on the ageing and inadequate resources that we already have.
Traffic and transport issues are escalating to epic proportions.
The council needs to put a cap on what is happening now, slow things down, wait for reports from all the current consultations to be tabled before making any more detrimental decisions.
It will be scandalous and a waste of ratepayer money to be paying consultants to prepare reports and then silo them like many decisions that are made in CGD.
All these consultations need to be overlayed to make sure we have it right for our community and that CGD can move progressively forward protecting our heritage.
Gaye Guest,
Noble Park.
