8th July 2022
Council is reviewing another major planning document – the Municipal Planning Strategy (MPS).
A high level document, the Municipal Planning Strategy provides the overarching strategies for the major land use and development matters that affect the whole shire into the future.
“The vision, strategic directions and strategic framework plans provide the ‘big picture’ response to the opportunities and challenges facing a municipality.”
Council wants our input by 17th July through a short survey on Participate Nillumbik or by personal submission.
The MPS (formerly Municipal Strategic Statement MSS) is incredibly important. It is the guide under which detailed policy must be developed and is used at VCAT by both applicants and Council to demonstrate ‘Intent’.
Which is why we need to make sure the wording in the MPS is perfectly clear and unambiguous. What it means to you may not be what Council, VCAT, the government or planners’ lawyers say it means.
For example, ‘facilitate’ is defined as ‘make (an action or process) easy or easier’ (Oxford) or ‘make it easier or more likely to happen’ (Collins)
Is the use of ‘facilitate’ regarding Housing appropriate? (Draft Strategic Directions MPS doc)
Is the intent to make medium density housing development ‘easy or easier’?
Does the community want medium density development to become ‘easy or easier’? Should the use of ‘facilitate’ be replaced with a more suitable verb?
It is important that the MPS states that Nillumbik is not a Growth Corridor.
Nillumbik’s population is not expected to increase substantially. The government’s expectations of our provision of extra housing are not high. We do not have to ‘facilitate’ a large amount of housing growth.
So please read the documents with an eagle eye and Have Your Say!
From the green wedge and landscape to signage, traffic and activity centres, there is much to comment on.
A heads up – the Participate Nillumbik MPS page looks confusing and off putting – but the process is not!
You can choose to answer 1,2,3,4or 5 of the surveys – the short, easy to read documents (three are only one page long) can be found by clicking on each section – or at the right of the page.
The survey sections cover:
- Context (draft)
- Vision (draft)
- Strategic Directions (draft)
- Strategic Framework Plans (showing for example the Urban Growth Boundary) (draft)
- Further Strategic Work (draft)
For ease of access you can click on each link above to be taken to the survey page for that particular section or click on the corresponding draft link to access the one page document for each section.
Some Nillumbik residents have prepared a document that may help you make a submission(s). Please email ECAG at [email protected] if you would like a copy.