STATE Planning Minister Matthew Guy has left the door ajar for councils to extend boundaries into protected green wedge-zoned land.
Mr Guy told Leader he would write to councils, including Greater Dandenong, giving them the chance to expand to meet increasing demand for housing.
“Councils (outside of growth areas) will soon be invited to make submissions ... should they choose to make any changes,” he said.
The Bracks Labor Government introduced the Green Wedge Protection Act in 2003.
>> Do you think parts of Greater Dandenong’s green wedge land should be rezoned? Have your say by leaving a comment below.
“I am not directing any boundary change and no council is being forced to have any movement should they not want it,” Mr Guy said.
“This process will only take place if a council wants it to.”
Defenders of the South East Green Wedge secretary Barry Ross has slammed the decision.
“The danger of this is that it gives speculators and landbankers unreasonable expectations on windfall gains from rezoning,” Mr Ross said.
The southeast green wedge was vital to prevent the region from turning into one big suburb, he said.
But Urban Development Institute of Australia (Victoria) executive director Tony De Domenico played down any threat of environmental destruction.
Mr Guy told Leader he would write to councils, including Greater Dandenong, giving them the chance to expand to meet increasing demand for housing.
“Councils (outside of growth areas) will soon be invited to make submissions ... should they choose to make any changes,” he said.
The Bracks Labor Government introduced the Green Wedge Protection Act in 2003.
>> Do you think parts of Greater Dandenong’s green wedge land should be rezoned? Have your say by leaving a comment below.
“I am not directing any boundary change and no council is being forced to have any movement should they not want it,” Mr Guy said.
“This process will only take place if a council wants it to.”
Defenders of the South East Green Wedge secretary Barry Ross has slammed the decision.
“The danger of this is that it gives speculators and landbankers unreasonable expectations on windfall gains from rezoning,” Mr Ross said.
The southeast green wedge was vital to prevent the region from turning into one big suburb, he said.
But Urban Development Institute of Australia (Victoria) executive director Tony De Domenico played down any threat of environmental destruction.
“I think there are parcels of land that are logical inclusions for sustainable development,” Mr De Domenico said.
“When you emotively call a parcel of land green wedge, people assume you’re going to bulldoze the Gardens of Babylon.”
To rezone the land, councils would need to pass a motion. An independent panel would then examine the merit of any proposed boundary changes.
Greater Dandenong Council said it would comment on the matter, but only after receiving Mr Guy’s letter.Comment: Mr De Domenico makes a great point. The proposed area new UGB by Coldstream 2020 is not the "Garden of Babylon" but with careful planning by new residents the area would or could become closer to that vision.
Arial photographs of the Coldsteam estate NOW compared with that BEFORE the estate was built up is far greener!
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