On 22/12 Phillip Mannerheim Holdings Pty Ltd and the Nillumbik Council agreed to VCAT making an order that the Council’s decision to issue a permit for the proposed development at 2 Pigeon Bank Road be set aside and instead that no permit be issued. The CFA has also now consented to this proposed order, and we expect that VCAT will make the consent order in due course. This means that we have won this battle before the VCAT hearing.
While much of our focus in preparing to stop this inappropriate development was on the proposal itself and the developer, Phillip Mannerheim Holdings Pty Ltd, in the bigger picture the issue is with the current Nillumbik Shire Council. It was the Council which approved the application, at its ‘Future Nillumbik Committee’ meeting on March 14, overriding the recommendation of their own Senior Statutory Planner, thus leading the developer down an expensive and indefensible path. Quite remarkably not one ground for granting the permit was given at the meeting. Councillors who voted in favour of the failed development were Peter Perkins, Bruce Ranken, Jane Ashton, Karen Egan and Peter Clarke. Only John Dumaresq and Grant Brooker voted against.
It is apparent that many in our community thought the development should have been allowed. Some characterized the anti side as self-interested, as in ‘you people have cut down trees to build your houses, and now you don’t want others to do what you have already done’. While it is true that the first objector was a neighbour whose outlook would have been affected, the strength of the protest against the development was based on the commitment of many to the protection of the Nillumbik Green Wedge and to Melbourne’s green wedges in general – as is obvious from the involvement of the Warrandyte Community Association, the GreenWedge Protection Group and the Friends of Nillumbik.
It is in the nature of ‘the market’ that our green wedges will be continually under threat from developments of various kinds. Sometimes these threats involve political influence at State Government level in relation to zoning issues, and sometimes they will be evident as single lot proposals like 2 Pigeon Bank Road. Because the administrative machinery for maintaining our green wedges is complex, depending upon both State and local governments and containing multiple elements, including legislation, Melbourne 2030, Green Wedge Management Plans, Local Policy Frameworks and so on, the long term protection of them is complex.
As has been reported in this newsletter and our website, the current Nillumbik Council is conducting a ‘Nillumbik Planning Scheme Review’. The substantive reason for having this review is not clear from what has been published, and given the Council’s clear willingness to ignore the current green wedge protection regime we must closely watch the progress of this project.
Often under-represented in argument about the current development is the case for the green wedges, possibly because it seems so obvious. Unfortunately it is not obvious to everyone, so the case must be continually made. We should be articulating it unabashedly at every worthwhile opportunity, including to our councillors, and especially in the lead-up to the next Council elections.
So, a good news story, and a credit to the many who contributed in various ways. But the big issue is not settled. Please pass this email on to friends and supporters of Melbourne’s green wedges. We’ll continue to keep you in the loop.