VCAT rulings under fire: Community is ignored: Makin
A Corangamite Shire councillor yesterday slammed the state’s planning appeals body, claiming it ignored local objections in approving several controversial developments.
Cr Matt Makin suggested the State Government review the entire planning process so community feedback rated more highly at Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) hearings.
“Our decisions are based on the best interests of everybody and we’re getting overturned by VCAT,” Cr Makin said. “This council is continually taken to VCAT time after time after time. It’s a situation that is not working well for the council and the community it represents.
“It’s failing the people of the Corangamite Shire.”
His comments came after VCAT recently overturned two major planning applications refused by the shire.
One was for a 15-turbine wind farm proposed by Acciona Energy at Newfield and the other for an extension to a permit for the 97-room Southern Ocean Beach House development in Port Campbell.
They were among five VCAT hearings held in July that involved the shire.
Cr Makin said planning decisions should continue to be made at a local government level and VCAT needed to consider more than just state policy guidelines when hearing appeals, as these were often several years behind current community thinking.
The shire’s director of sustainable development Andrew Mason said the council dealt with more than 200 planning applications each year, with only a small number going to VCAT.
Chief executive officer Paul Younis said the shire had been frustrated by the state planning tribunal.
“Clearly VCAT are not reflecting in their decisions the strength of our local policies,” he said.
“That has been a frustration of the local sector.”
By Mary Alexander
24 September 2008
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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