26 March 2013 - Nillumbik Shire Council

OCM.029/13 Submission to Metropolitan Planning Strategy 2012 Discussion PaperAttachment 1 Council sees clever and integrated transport connections, particularly rail, tram/light railand bus, as crucial in Melbourne’s bid to become a globally competitive city and if it is tocope with peak oil prices.Successful metropolitan planning requires a long term commitment to an agreed strategyand implementation framework, with continual review and minor adjustment to ensurethe achievement of objectives. Continual change to the metropolitan strategy andreversal of direction undermines confidence in the longevity and authority of associatedpolicies, and results in the mis-allocation of significant financial resources by publicauthorities and the private sector.Overall, the Discussion Paper is promoting a distributed and networked approach tohuman settlement, which Council supports. However, it appears at the same time to bepromoting Melbourne CBD as the knowledge centre, jobs centre, creative and artisticcentre, and with the ideal urban form. Yet wider Melbourne has more than oneknowledge centre (e.g. the Monash Precinct), more than one jobs centre (e.g. MelbourneAirport), more than one artistic centre (e.g. Heide/Montsalvat) and more than one urbanform that is highly valued and statutorily recognised. Council would like to see theStrategy recognise and celebrate Melbourne’s diversity and abandon the perceivedsuperiority of the CBD.Background information The Shire of Nillumbik is a semi-rural council, formed in 1994 with the conservation of theGreen Wedge as its strategic focus. The Nillumbik Green Wedge is distinguished fromothers by the quality of its environment and natural bushland. It covers approximately91% of the total Shire area. The remaining 9% of the Shire is urban or township landwithin the Urban Growth Boundary. Almost half of the Green Wedge is a mixture of ruralresidential and hobby farms. Twenty per cent is used for agriculture, another 20% isconservation areas. Seventy-nine per cent of the Green Wedge is in private ownershipand approximately 43% of privately owned land is of environmental significance.The current estimated population of Nillumbik (2011) is 62,596 people, or around 1.6% ofGreater Melbourne’s population. It is growing at a much slower rate than the totalMetropolitan area. It is also an ageing population, consistent with the national trend. Thebulk of population is located in the south and south-western areas, generally comprisingDiamond Creek, Eltham, Eltham North, Greensborough, Hurstbridge and Wattle Glen.27