Planning for future

In what was a massive month for state politics in Victoria, there was a concerted push by Southbank locals to have a bigger say in planning matters and, in particular, the discussion surrounding the Metropolitan Planning Strategy.

The first opportunity for interested parties was at the State Government-run community consultation forum.

The forum, held in Docklands last month, featured a large number of Melburnians, all with the common goal of having an input into the future direction of planning in and around the city.

The Metropolitan Planning Strategy free community forum run by community groups, including the Southbank Residents Group was held as Southbank Local News went to print, but promised to provide a pivotal opportunity for locals to voice their concerns and opinions.

The State Government is welcoming public submissions on the Metropolitan Planning Strategy, and submissions close on March 28.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy said Melburnians had embraced their opportunity to have a say on these important issues.

“More than 8000 individuals have downloaded the discussion paper and there have been more than 30,000 visits to the Plan Melbourne website,” Mr Guy pointed out.

“The Government is committed to driving the largest community consultation in Victoria’s history to develop the Metropolitan Planning Strategy, and the scale and scope of today’s event (forum in Docklands) is unprecedented,” he added.

“The Metropolitan Planning Strategy is a particularly important document being worked on by the Coalition Government and the outcomes will shape the way Melburnians work and live for decades to come.”