Green plan backed

By Tania Martin
SHIRE of Yarra Ranges applauds the State Government’s move to strengthen planning controls for green wedge zones.
The State Government has announced a $350,000 boost for councils to strengthen green wedge planning requirements.
The council welcomes this move because it has struggled with several green wedge applications this year, which led to their decisions being overturned by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Mayor Monika Keane said for far too long people have been left confused over state and local planning policies when the minister has overruled or ignored an appeal.
“Issues such as several medium density housing decisions in Mt Evelyn and the recent VCAT decision to allow logging to occur in a highly sensitive area in Hoddles Creek highlight the need to give greater weight to local planning policies,” she said.
“The council is committed to working with the Minister for Planning to help put an end to the confusion.”
Monbulk MP James Merlino said the combined use clause of the green wedge zone has caused Yarra Ranges a big headache.
The combine use clause for the zone requires an applicant to provide an innovative way to use land for commercial purposes while retaining the use of agricultural land.
Green wedges are open landscapes that were set aside more than 30 years ago to conserve rural activities and significant natural features and resources between the growth areas of metropolitan Melbourne and outer suburban areas.
Several months ago the Shire of Yarra Ranges decision to refuse a golf course application in Coldstream was overturned by VCAT because the governing body felt it met the combine uses guidelines.
The application was for a 27-hole golf course with a shared use for a walnut grove, but council felt that it would impinge on the agricultural land of the area.
The council believed that creating a walnut grove on the site was a fine line between commercial and agricultural land use.
Walling Ward councillor Len Cox said better controls for green wedges is a great step forward for planning.
“We need all the help we can get with green wedges,” he said.
“We need to think of future generations by protecting the green wedge zones.”