Wedge ‘not working’

By Jim Mynard
BALLA Balla Ward councillor Colin Butler believes the State Government’s green wedge plan is not working.
Cr Butler told the Tuesday, 17 October City of Casey Council meeting that the new legislation seriously disadvantaged 3000 Casey people.
He said the Government had not properly researched the impact of its legislation and the impact it would have, or whether Casey had an uptodate rating system that would cope with the legislation.
“We need to understand what will happen in the future,” Cr Butler said.
“We need to control the green wedge because the Government has penalised people in that region.
“People in that area are supplying the life blood to people in Casey and the council needs to change the way it treats people caught in the green wedge.”
Cr Butler took his stand after Four Oaks Ward councillor Paul Richardson called for an investigation on the effect of Melbourne 2030 and the green wedge legislation on residents an the environment in Casey.
Cr Butler is expected to have much more to say about the green wedge and rural land ownership in Casey when the council meets on Monday to discuss the Casey Community Rates Review committee report.
Cr Richardson said the council needed to know what impact the urban growth boundary (UGB) had on residents and planning in Casey and the impact it had on values and rates and the economy.
He said many residents in the area were assetrich and cashpoor.
Cr Richardson said he would also like to see the eighthectare minimum lot size reduced to four hectares.
“I support Melbourne 2030, but it has upset many residents on rural properties,” he said.
“The council needs to give thought to which way it would go and needs to provide some justice to people caught up in the situation.
“There may be a need to assist rural landowners because we have families about to sell up because of the restrictions,” he said.
Edrington Ward councillor Brian Hetherton said Cr Butler had made relevant points, but questioned the time and cost of such a report.
Casey chief executive Mike Tyler said the work would be significant and could involve the need for a consultancy.
“It would need to be scoped to get some idea of the cost,” he said.
Cr Hetherton said the Government had indicated that the UGB was fixed and would not approve anything in any council reports.
“What’s the point of doing this until we have some idea of whether or not the government will listen?
“The legislation says there will not be any changes to the UGB,” he said.
River Gum Ward councillor Wayne Smith said also it was a waste of time.
“It is not even worth scoping the idea,” he said.
In answer to a question by Springfield Ward councillor Lorraine Wreford as to whether there would be benefit, Mr Tyler said it was not unreasonable to be aware of the impact of the UGB and green wedge zone.
“However, this would be a substantial report,” he said.
“Scoping provides a checkpoint.”
Casey mayor Kevin Bradford said he would support scoping the idea, but would not support the report if came at a high cost.
The council agreed to have officers bring forward a report on the cost involved in a full report.