Say on housing plan By Kath Gannaway

YARRA Ranges residents will have a further chance next week to have a say on the Shire of Yarra Ranges Housing Strategy and Action Plan.
The last of a series of public meetings to gauge community response to the plan, which has provoked a range of responses from sceptical to angry in other areas of the shire, will be held at Yarra Junction Primary School at 7pm on Wednesday 12 December.
Under the draft strategy, townships including Yarra Junction, Wandin North, Woori Yallock, Warburton and Seville will have designated Residential Consolidation Areas (RCA) where consolidation objectives will have priority over the retention of existing character.
The proposed development densities range from one to 500 square metres in Woori Yallock to one to 1210 square metres in Wandin North.
James Lamour-Reid, the shire’s director planning, building and health, said setting designated RCAs would limit the opportunities for medium density development to those specific areas.
“One of the concerns raised across the shire is about the randomness of medium density and that it can go anywhere in a residential 1 zone.
“This says what about providing an option of limiting where medium density can go to areas which are better serviced with shops and in come cases public transport.
Mr Lamour-Reid said setting designated areas which had the capacity to absorb some change in their neighbourhood character could provide protection for other areas of townships which currently can be threatened by the potential for medium density development.
Cr Jeanette McRae the Draft Housing Strategy gave people an opportunity to have a say on how they would like to see their township develop.
“People have to realise this is a draft so this is the time for people to speak out so we can take all the issues on board and review it.
“Every place has an existing character and if residents want to put in a submission saying we like it as it is, don’t want any more houses put in here, in fact want more trees, then that’s what we would see as the established neighbourhood area.”
Cr McRae said the basic aim of the draft strategy was to provide a degree of certainty about where people can develop.
“There are a number of reasons for developing a housing strategy and they include the need to work out what the shire’s housing needs are and whether they are being met and also looking at what sort of community and neighbourhood character people want.”
She said the draft strategy was not the end of the process.
“There would be opportunities for further input with any subsequent draft planning scheme amendment which is an independent process.”
Copies of the Housing Strategy and information on making a submission are available from Shire of Yarra Ranges Community Links or at www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au.