Roping MPs to net minister

By Kath Gannaway
YARRA RANGES Council is urging local MPs to re-inforce council’s attempts to get Minister for Planning Matthew Guy to work with it on problems plaguing farmers in the shire’s Green Wedge zones.
Hail netting is just one issue impacting on horticulture in the shire that the Yarra Ranges Council says could easily be addressed if the Minister for Planning responds to issues, it says, he is well aware of.
Cr Samantha Dunn, at the council meeting on 28 February, called for a letter to be written to all local MPs and agricultural associations in the shire, asking for letters of support to be sent to the minister requesting his government to urgently respond to issues previously flagged by council.
The letters would also urge the minister to fast-track an amendment to the planning scheme to facilitate horticultural structures, value adding of farm produce, accommodation in the green wedge zone and festivals and events.
Cr Dunn referred to the Green Wedge management Plan, which, council says identified shortcomings in the planning system that inhibit tourism, reduce innovation in agriculture and reduce the viability of many sectors of the industry.
“Since adopting this in 2009, council has made submissions to the government and met with ministers and local members of parliament to have several of these areas addressed, with no success to date,” the background report stated.
Cr Dunn said the council made a submission to the Victorian Planning System Review Ministerial Advisory Committee and discussed the relevant issues with the (current) Minister for Planning and Evelyn MP Christine Fyffe last year, but had had no response to date.
In regard to hail netting, a major issue for farmers, council says it identified the need to update the planning scheme in relation to hail netting and horticulture structures in separate report.
Council says the two recommendations, which address the issue and were supported in principle by the state government in September 2010, have not been acted upon.
“Ultimately, we have a planning scheme that doesn’t respond to contemporary farming practices,” Cr Dunn said.
“We are seeking letters of support to make a case for changes to the planning scheme without going through the lengthy amendment process,” she said.
“We don’t think in the end we need to spend the time or the money. We know the answers and the minister has the power to make the changes.”