MAJOR changes to Kingston City Council’s green wedge policy were made at last week’s council meeting, with councillors deciding vast tracts of green wedge land should be opened up to development to give the area “a unique semi-rural feel”.
Councillors voted five-four to proceed with a planning scheme amendment that would lower the minimum lot size on land between Heatherton Rd and Lower Dandenong Rd from 4 hectares to 2000 square metres. This could pave the way for residential development in the area.
The amendment will be sent to state planning minister Matthew Guy for approval after consultation with council officers, consultants Planisphere and land owners.
Five councillors also supported a proposal to rezone 53 hectares of green wedge land within the boundary of Braeside Park, Southern Golf Club, Springvale and Governor Rds to “an appropriate residential zone”. The planning minister will be asked for advice on whether the Urban Growth Boundary would need to be moved, if state planning department approval for the rezoning is granted.
Council spent about $300,000 of ratepayers’ money on a Kingston Green Wedge Plan drawn up by consultancy firm Planisphere in 2012. The plan’s recommendations were adopted by council in September that year as “a framework for action to guide the future management of the green wedge”.
The green wedge has subsequently become a contentious issue among councillors, amid accusations of a lack of transparency when making decisions on the future use of green wedge land.
Several notices of motions introduced by councillors in recent months have sought to take land out of Kingston’s green wedge, where development of any kind is extremely restricted. Councillors have been divided on the future use of Kingston green wedge land.
Crs Tamsin Bearsley, Ron Brownlees, Geoff Gledhill, John Ronke and mayor Paul Peulich support moves to relax restrictions on development in the green wedge to give more options to residents and businesses who own land in the area, including those who now find agricultural operations to be commercially unviable.
Crs Tamara Barth, David Eden, Steve Staikos and Rosemary West oppose green wedge development in the enviornmentally sensitive zone.
The latest move to rezone land out of the green wedge and into the Urban Growth Boundary was contained within a one-page notice of motion introduced by Cr Tamsin Bearsley at the latest council meeting.
The meeting was suspended for five minutes when several councillors complained they had not seen a copy of the proposal. Photocopies were then given to the councillors who had not seen Cr Bearsley’s proposal before a vote on the issue, split five-four along pro and anti-green wedge development lines.
A five-page media release issued last Friday evening tried to present a united council front on the green wedge, stating: “Kingston City Council has set a direction on the future of the Green Wedge that will help facilitate the transformation of largely privately owned areas towards environmental improvements and a more sustainable economic future for the area.”
The statement also read: “Council will also explore the creation of rural-style housing as a catalyst to working with land owners to improve the appearance of the Green Wedge.”
Council’s media release did not mention that Mentone Grammar’s playing fields in Keysborough are included within the 53 hectares of green wedge land off Springvale Rd that could be rezoned for possible residential development.
The News previously revealed the elite private school made a submission to Planisphere before the planning consultants finalised the Kingston Green Wedge Plan in 2012 (‘Land plan puzzle’, The News, 19/2/14).
Council decided to keep Mentone Grammar’s submission confidential. Both council and the school have refused to answer several questions about the submission.
It is believed that Mentone Grammar requested its Keysborough playing fields be removed from the green wedge. Planisphere recommended the land should remain in the green wedge zone.
Mentone Grammar was not mentioned in council’s latest five-page media release about the green wedge.
