PROTEST THE LOOMING DESTRUCTION OF GREEN WEDGES - 1PM TUESDAY 22 JUNE, PARLIAMENT HOUSE STEPS.
This is the earliest date for debate of the motion to adopt Planning Scheme Amendment VC67. It is also the day when Greg Barber will move for the formation of an Upper House Committee to inquire into it.
The protest is jointly organised by Green Wedges Coalition, Protectors of Publlic Lands and Planning Backlash.
To see the detail of PSA VC67, which provides for the disgraceful new urban sprawl land grab that will take 43,600 ha from the green wedges and henceforth for the UGB to be a flexible "management tool" to be altered whenever the Government wants to hand a bit more green wedge land to their developer mates, please follow this link:
Please have a hard look at the maps on this site and see whether/how they may have changed and let me know.
There may be little we can do now to stop this destruction, but please, if you care about the environment, landscape, sustainable agriculture, native flora and fauna or the green wedges which once protected these priceless natural assets; let's not let them go quietly.
Besides, there is still a glimmer of hope that something can be done to mitigate the damage:
* Greg Barber's Upper House Committee of Inquiry, if it is supported by the Liberals, would allow time for MPs & community groups to study the finer details and perhaps negotiate some improvements.
* Matthew Guy told Parliament he would not oppose the UGB expansion, but that he would oppose
- Clause 12 (the Metropolitan Strategy) - at least the bit about high rise along the tramlines - and
- The E6 freeway.
Clause 12 is the whole metropolitan strategy (ie Melbourne 2030, now updated and renamed melbourne @ 5 million) & as well as the high rise along the tram lines and principal bus routes. This includes relegating the UGB to a management tool to be moved whenever they need more land, instead of a hard and fast boundary to protect green wedges. Also the Beveridge rail terminal as well as the one at Somerton, & the OMR & E6 freeways.
The Liberals' stand on the E6 marks a huge achievement for Wendy Campbell, Pam Clune and the Wollert Protect Our Heritage group that ran such a fantastic united campaign to save their red gums and their homes. the only change to the VC67 UGB (from the earlier VC55) is that an area of eucalypt grassy woodland has been left in the green wedge. Hearty congrats Wendy, Pam, Malcolm, Colin & all at Wollert.
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2. Please see attached another pic of the Peninsula Link destruction (taken late May on the Willow Road access that used to go through to the wetlands after the Peninsula Link bulldozers have been thru.) If VC67 is adopted, this destruction will be multiplied a thousandfold.