Macedon Ranges Shire Council calling for the Victorian Government to hit pause on sweeping planning reforms they fear will shake the Ranges.
Under the Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025, Victoria’s new homes, duplexes, townhouses and low-rise apartments will not require notice and there will be no third party appeals. It also seeks to fast-track many housing decisions down to 30 days or less.
Last week, councillors added their voices to the fight, flagging significant concern over removals of many planning notifications, regulatory and financial burden on councils, and lack of consultation.
Changes aim to speed up the approval timeframes for dwellings and if passed the Bill would begin operation in October 2027.
Councillor Daniel Young called the Bill a “blanket solution” for a state-wide problem but felt it didn’t fit the Ranges.
“The reality is that here in the Macedon Ranges we’re a different landscape,” he said.
“Those kinds of developments don’t fit here. We don’t want them here. We like the Macedon Ranges as it is. We want to preserve what we’ve got otherwise we will just become another sprawling suburb of Melbourne and we will lose our character and our charm.”
Cr Cassy Borthwick said the Bill failed to address many issues around the development sector including where the delays in the system were.
“Approvals don’t always mean buildings… quite often it’s the turn-around into construction that doesn’t always take place,” she said.
“These are huge changes to state planning and it’s a huge concern because it blocks out community consultation.”
Concerned about the level of detail that could be missed with speedy planning approvals, Cr Jennifer Anderson said “faster is not always more efficient”.
“There are so many issues that need to be worked through. You can’t have a one size fits all,” she said.
In a report to council, planning officers stated the proposed increased speed of approvals to 10 days in some cases had raised red flags.
“This will lead to poorer long-term outcomes for neighbourhood character, heritage protection, environmental protection and sustainable development,” the report said.
They said environmental protections could get overlooked because the role for referral authorities was limited.
The Bill also changes the role of parliament in amendment processes, and makes changes to distinctive areas and landscapes that weaken protections.
Another challenge highlighted was the Bill creating pathways and timeframes that “local government cannot manage given the known and acknowledged lack of skilled workforce in planning which is expected to continue”.
The report to council also pointed out “the statutory planning process is responsible for the lack of land supply and housing in the Macedon Ranges”.
It pointed to structure plans for Gisborne and Romsey that provided a framework for growth and ensured the outstanding and valuable landscapes were conserved.
“The state government has had both plans for over 12 months without approving settlement boundaries,” it said.
“State government decisions on the settlement boundaries would allow the re-zoning of land that would accommodate approximately 2200 houses in Romsey and 4500 houses in Gisborne.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
The council will request the state government pause progress of the Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025 in its current form and work with local government to design a new process.
They are seeking a process that: continues to include the concept of fairness in the objectives of planning for Victoria, continues to involve local communities in decisions about their neighbourhoods, and maintains parliamentary oversight of planning scheme amendments.
Council is also seeking safeguards for the provision of affordable and social housing through planning mechanisms, contributions to the costs of administering a new system, timely delivery of state infrastructure that keeps pace with housing growth; and strengthening Section 69 provisions to prevent ongoing extensions of time to permits, where a holder is warehousing or not reasonably acting on it.
