The State Government Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy will visit the Benalla Electorate on Wednesday 18 May to discuss local planning issues and in particular the impact of planning restrictions on developments around Lake Eildon.
Dr Sykes said the Minister’s itinerary will include site inspections at Taylor Bay and Bonnie Doon followed by a meeting in Goughs Bay.
“The Minister will meet with landholders and developers and key personnel from the Mansfield and Murrindindi Shires,” Dr Sykes said.
“Representatives from Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority, Goulburn Murray Water and the Environment Protection Authority will also be in attendance.”
Dr Sykes said, “The focus of the meeting will be the set back distances for proposed dwellings around Lake Eildon and the maximum allowable density of dwellings (one per 40 hectares) in potable water catchments.”

The Minister for Planning has responded to planning concerns raised by landholders in the Lake Eildon water catchment which were brought up in Parliament on 28 July 2010 by Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes.
Dr Sykes said he raised the matter in an Adjournment Debate with the Minister for Planning after a number of local people had contacted his office concerned about the apparent toughening up on rules regarding building setbacks and housing density within the Lake Eildon water catchment.
“The Minister has now provided a written response to my questions, which whilst helpful acknowledges that further clarification is required.
“In his letter the Minister said that he had investigated the guidelines for planning permit applications in open, potable water supply catchments and said he will consider how to communicate a consistent application of the guidelines to councils and stakeholders.
“The Minister writes, ‘The guidelines were introduced in an interim form in August 2000 and finalised in May 2009 so that the department responsible for managing water catchments, currently the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) would provide guidance to councils. Although DSE is responsible for the content of these guidelines, I have adopted them to assist councils when assessing a relevant planning permit application.
‘State planning policy also recognises the importance of protecting water catchments used for drinking water from contamination.
‘The policy issues related to the management of water catchments will need to be determined by the DSE.
‘The revised guidelines clarified and updated various detail matters but did not generally change the intent of the interim guidelines. The setback distance for effluent disposal systems from domestic water supply reservoirs have been in place since August 2000 under the interim guidelines. The applicable setback in such situations remains 300 metres. A 50 metre setback does not apply in any situation under the guidelines. The 50 metre setback has been applied by Goulburn-Murray Water and the Department will work with them to ensure that the guidelines are applied in a transparent and consistent manner.’”
Dr Sykes said that according Minister Madden the recommended density of one dwelling per 40 hectares within catchments has not changed since the introduction of the interim guidelines and that this density applies only to new subdivision or where a planning permit is required.
“Although the Minister’s response appears to clarify some of the questions raised there is still some works in progress with the Department of Planning and Community Development and the DSE finalising their investigation.
“I understand that this will then be communicated to councils and water authorities in relation to the application of the guidelines.
“I will keep on the case to ensure that commonsense prevails.”

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes has acted on local concerns regarding tougher planning restrictions as a consequence of Lake Eildon being included as a water source for Melbourne.
Dr Sykes said, “I have taken these concerns directly to the Minister for Planning in Parliament this week.
“A number of local people have contacted me about apparent toughening up on the setback for buildings up from 50 metres back from the high-water mark to 100 metres, and even as far out as 300 metres.
“There have also been concerns raised about over zealous interpretation of the maximum housing density in designated water catchments.
“Recent VCAT rulings which have resulted in ‘guidelines’ of a maximum density of 1 dwelling per 40 hectares are being interpreted as mandatory.
“A Gough’s Bay resident has advised me that he had written to the Minister and met with a number of key staff from various government agencies.
“They have agreed that the issues raised by this resident are genuine and need to be addressed.
“It is critical that these issues be addressed immediately because they are causing unnecessary stress and cost to people attempting to get building permits to construct dwellings, particularly around Lake Eildon.”
Dr Sykes continued, “I have sought clarification from Goulburn-Murray Water on these matters who confirmed that two setback distances applied around Eildon; 50 metres for buildings (including homes, decks and sheds) from the full supply level of Eildon and 100 metres for onsite wastewater management systems.
“New planning guidelines released by the Department of Planning and Community Development place additional controls on residential developments because of risks to water quality with housing density less than 1 per 40 hectares.
“As it stands at the moment there are many blocks around Lake Eildon which can no longer be developed due to the new planning restrictions.
“Commonsense would dictate that this should apply only to farm zone land.”
Dr Sykes said that new planning guidelines affected the economic development of the financially stressed small rural councils of Mansfield and Murrindindi.
Dr Sykes told Parliament, “My request to the Minister is for him to take on board these concerns, support his staff and staff in other government agencies and boards that have recognised the problem and ensure that this problem is fixed immediately.”

Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes said today that after trawling through the Brumby Labor Government’s ‘Ready for Tomorrow – a blueprint for regional and rural Victoria’ there was not enough detail in the document to make any real informed judgement as to its significance.

“This blueprint short changes regional Victoria by cobbling together a mishmash of existing departmental programs without any significant detail or long-term vision,” Dr Sykes said.

“For example the Brumby Government’s commitment to infrastructure development is both confusing and inadequate. At the bottom line $260 million over five years is woefully inadequate to make any real difference.”

Dr Sykes said the blueprint was an ill-thought document and did not hold a candle to the Victorian Liberal-Nationals Coalition’s $1 billion Regional Growth Fund.

“The blueprint purports to a commitment of $3.9 million to help four towns, including Benalla, to tackle economic and social disadvantage but fails to explain exactly how this will be implemented.

“On the issue of improving higher education opportunities for young people in rural areas, the blue print sets a new target to achieve at least a five percentage point increase in ten years in the proportion of higher education undergraduate enrolments for disadvantaged youth in regional Victoria.

“It would seem to me that this is a completely inadequate target.”

Dr Sykes said the $103.6 million training package to support young people to study and work in regional Victoria through more university and TAFE courses will do little because the Brumby Government’s recent TAFE reforms have priced students out of higher education with a 60 per cent drop in regional enrolments this year.

“After ten years in government Labor have finally provided some funding to help small rural towns such as Bright and the Alpine villages showcase their unique character, and has recognised an urgent need for more funding to improve liveability for older people in cash-strapped shires such as Strathbogie.

“The blueprint has announced $71.4 million for roads (and buses) to keep communities connected yet failed to commit funding to keep Kirwans Bridge open.

“I welcome the announcement of funding of $878,000 for the Benalla Gasification project and $1 million to widen an access road to Lindsay Park in Euroa to improve traffic safety."

Dr Sykes said that Brumby may hope to appease angry voters in Melbourne electorates by promoting the Regional Blueprint as a means of easing Melbourne’s growing pains, however he has compromised the quality of life of regional Victorians in order to do so.

“This blueprint is 11 years too late and after years of neglect by this government it fails to step up to the mark and to commit the long-term funding that regional Victoria needs to build capacity.

“It is not a question of ‘Ready for Tomorrow’, rather ‘Not here today, and not coming tomorrow’.”