The Andrews Labor Government will arrogantly exempt itself from planning approvals, exclude community consultation, appeals to VCAT, and community objections for any of its new public and social housing works.
Labor has scrapped all due public planning processes for these developments.
The community will have no say of what gets built over their back fence.
How is this fair?
The proposed change by Labor will mean local communities will have no opportunity to object to any part of public housing buildings including design or location. It would also mean Victorians would not be able to challenge Labor’s proposals at VCAT.
In a buried notice yesterday, VC190 amended the Victorian Planning Provisions and all planning schemes in Victoria by introducing Clause 52.20.
Clause 52.20 removes the need for a planning permit for housing projects funded specifically for Victoria’s Big Housing Build program and supported by the Director of Housing – a bureaucrat.
Clause 72.01, which was also secretly amended, appoints the Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change to be the responsible authority.
With respect, this Minister, has little to no knowledge of her own portfolio, let alone Dick Wynne’s.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Planning, Tim Smith:
“This is just more arrogance by Daniel Andrews who will stop at nothing to make sure he gets what he wants, even if it means silencing Victorians.
“It is outrageous that an unelected bureaucrat has more say than the local community on planning matters.
“Andrews is of the opinion that there is one rule for him and another rule for every other Victorian, who has to go through appropriate planning approvals.
“Victorians must have a right to have their say in any proposals that will impact their local communities, but Andrews is stripping that away from them.”
