Community planning services in Glenelg Shire Council : 1998-2005 ...

10 Executive summary
RESPONSE provided by Secretary, Department of Sustainability
and Environment - continued
The department supports the suggested performance improvement plan
outlined in Appendix A of the report, as this can form the basis of an action
plan to assist council with addressing the key issues with its planning
services in an organised and timely manner. Indeed, the department along
with the Municipal Association of Victoria are working closely with the
council to facilitate the fixing of mistakes; the introduction of proper internal
management review and quality control systems, and the building of an
appropriate statutory and strategic planning capability.
The department will closely monitor the council’s performance and looks
forward to demonstrable improvement in the delivery of council’s land use
planning and development services.
RESPONSE provided by Secretary, Department for Victorian
Communities
The department generally supports the thrust of the audit recommendations
which are seeking to ensure compliance by Glenelg Shire Council with both
the spirit and the letter of the planning legislation in Victoria.
The department supports the aims of (for example) recommendations 5 and 6
which seek to increase the involvement of local government in the
management and protection of Aboriginal heritage values through planning
and other processes. Council should negotiate with the relevant Aboriginal
communities about identification, protection and management of heritage
values and to identify appropriate and practical strategic and statutory
planning tools to help achieve this purpose. Council should also work with
Aboriginal communities to increase awareness and understanding of
Glenelg’s unique heritage values.
The department’s concern is primarily to ensure compliance with the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, which
provides a series of controls in addition to those provided through the
planning scheme. However, council’s planning processes can play a major role
in managing and protecting Aboriginal heritage values. In addition, the
department considers that if a council is aware of heritage values, it is
expected that this information would be passed on to permit applicants in the
interests of safeguarding Aboriginal heritage values.
The department will encourage all local governments in their application of
planning legislation in Victoria.