Joint Statement - Boroondara calls our Allan Government's planning takeover

Joint Statement – Boroondara calls our Allan Government’s planning takeover

John Pesutto, Leader of the Opposition, Member for Hawthron

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Planning

15 November 2023.

The City of Boroondara is the first council to stand against the Allan Government’s planning takeover, which will rip away the rights of communities to have a say on developments built in their streets.

Labor intends to build 60,000 additional homes into 10 identified activity centres across Melbourne. One of those centres will be Camberwell Junction.

The Government has confirmed it will take away the rights of Boroondara and its community to stop inappropriate development at that junction. As a result, Boroondara City Council has taken the unprecedented step of describing the decision as “completely unacceptable”.

Boroondara Councillors have rightly called out the State Government, with Councillor Thompson saying that centralised planning control is “a wolf in sheep’s clothes”.

Leader of the Opposition, John Pesutto, said: “Boroondara Council should be commended for being the first Victorian council for speaking out strongly on behalf of our community.

“Labor’s mismanagement of housing policy over a decade is no excuse for overriding the ability of local communities to have a say in planning decisions.”

Shadow Minister for Planning, James Newbury, said: “The Allan Government has confirmed its intention to attack the ability of local communities to have a say on planning decisions, like Boroondara through a government-led planning takeover.

“With Victorians now seeing that Labor intends to threaten the amenity of our suburbs, other councils across the state will follow Boroondara’s lead.”

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Planning

John Pesutto, Leader of the Opposition, Member for Hawthorn