Macedon Ranges Shire Council has called out the state government’s haste in its four-week consultation on a development planned to change the face of Clarkefield.
At council’s meeting last week, Cr Jennifer Anderson revealed the council had been informally refused a time extension on its submission to the process.
With submissions closing yesterday, MRSC has scrambled to make an ‘officer-level response’ to meet the state government’s deadline, however, it is not the council’s formal position.
Draft Macedon Ranges Planning Scheme Amendment – C164macr will facilitate a 2300-lot development to transform Clarkefield from a hamlet to a new district town.
The town’s fate rests with the Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny as the project was referred to the state government’s Development Facilitation Program.
The program removes council’s decision-making power and limits its ability to shape the proposal.
“This is a really big-scale document with a lot of supporting documents,” Cr Anderson said.
“Four weeks for us as a council to get everything together, to talk to various stakeholders, to get feedback from our community – it’s an unrealistic timeframe,” Cr Anderson said.
“We didn’t even get a heads up or a warning that this was coming.”
She said the time extension was “not a big ask” and fellow councillors agreed, taking the opportunity to express their discontentment with the process and the plans so far.
Cr Andrew Scanlon said the development proposal had “left the community and council reeling as to how it will impact the region”.
“The concept of a township in Clarkefield goes back 30 to 40 years, and here we are racing to the end. We’re all wondering why this race is on,” he said.
Cr Daniel Young said the level of development proposed was “incredibly ridiculous”.
“Every corner of this shire is now talking about things that are wrong with this development,” he said.
“It’s not that we don’t don’t want any development. We want good, fitting development, but you cannot turn us into Melbourne.”
Both he and Cr Alison Joseph commented on the existing train service they felt could not support the level of growth proposed.
“Anyone who catches the train on the Bendigo line should be concerned that they’ll never get a seat again if this goes ahead because there isn’t the ability to increase the capacity,” Cr Joseph said.
It is not the first time MRSC has been denied decision-making powers on large scale development. Strong council and community opposition did little to alter the controversial plans to double the size of Riddells Creek that were approved last year through the same Development Facilitation Program.
The council intends to make a formal submission following its July council meeting.
