Years of planning frustration in Lancefield has forced Macedon Ranges Shire councillors to admit the town’s controversial development plan overlay is not working as intended.
DPO24 aimed to provide a vision and coordinated development for three areas of the town but has introduced planning complexities and costly consequences for residents.
Last week, councillors made an unexpected unanimous decision to remove DPO24 through a ministerial amendment.
Moving the motion, Cr Geoff Neil said it was difficult to summarise six years of anxiety for residents, but it was “time to draw a line in the sand”.
“I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not necessarily the correct tool,” he said.
“I think we are very aware of the issues that have arisen in attempting to get DPO24 off the ground and properly and appropriately implemented. It just failed to happen.”
The DPO requires the preparation of a development plan by landowners before development can occur.
Councillors heard pleas from residents to drop the DPO but it was voted into the planning scheme by a narrow margin in 2020.
Of the three remaining sitting councillors of that time, Crs Bill West and Jennifer Anderson did not support DPO24 while Cr Janet Pearce did.
Cr West told councillors, “over a lengthy period of time it seemed absolutely clear the DPO has not worked”.
A report to councillors advised removal of DPO24 through a ministerial amendment was the most feasible and cost effective ($4128.30 application fee) solution.
Two other options were considered in the form of planning scheme amendments with varying timeframes.
Council planning staff have advised councillors that removing DPO24 could prove challenging and would require a “clear strategic justification for the change in direction given the relatively recent approval”.
They advised that despite evidence of concern with the imposition of DPO24 “it is unlikely to be sufficient to meet the test for ministerial intervention”.
Crs Rob Guthrie, Mark Ridgeway and Dominic Bonanno all spoke to “testing that theory”.
Mayor Annette Death said the complexities of the development plan process had come to light since council put the DPO into the planning scheme.
“The challenges with collaboration across landowners in different areas and then engaging qualified consultants is costly and time consuming and can be an overwhelming process,” she said.
The only councillor to speak against removing DPO24, Cr Janet Pearce argued that advice from planning staff had been that DPO24 was the correct planning tool for the area.
While Cr Pearce initially told councillors she would not support the motion she was persuaded otherwise at the final vote.
Council staff will now prepare an explanatory report with maps, ordinances and justification for intervention.
It is possible that a decision from the Minister for Planning could be made within three to six months.
