Victorian Planning Authority Bill 2016

Mr J. BULL (Sunbury) — I am very pleased to be able to contribute to debate on the Victorian Planning Authority Bill 2016. I listened very intently to the member for Kew’s comments — the population Pythagoras over there. You can see him wandering around with his spreadsheet, his Gantt chart and an abacus, trying to calculate all these various population projections, and all they end up being are political points.

How short is his memory? The member for Kew talked about a growing population but not once did he address a critical fact: why, with this considerable population growth and these projections that we have all heard about this afternoon, did those opposite do absolutely nothing — not a single thing — for four years? And why, at a time of this exceptional growth, did they vanish?

This government has done more in two years than those opposite did in four, and you do not have to look far to find out what went so horribly wrong. In conversations with constituents, with business, with the private sector, with the education sector and with the construction sector you hear the same thing. That is, they simply vanished: you could not meet with them, you could not see them. Two years in, this government is getting on with putting people first.

This is a very important bill and one that comes at a time of considerable population growth in the state. Victoria is experiencing a period of unprecedented growth and to meet this growth we need integrated land-use planning. Melbourne is predicted to grow from 4.6 million people today to 8 million by 2051. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows that Australia’s population grew by 1.4 per cent during the year ended 30 June 2016. All states and territories recorded positive population growth until 30 June 2016 but it was Victoria that recorded the highest growth rate of all states and territories, which was 2.1 per cent. What these figures and many figures like them show is that, more than ever, people are choosing Victoria as their place to live. We must be able to meet this challenge and preserve the inclusive and prosperous way of life that we in this great state value so much.

Victoria needs a government that will invest in jobs and a government that will invest in infrastructure, and that is exactly what the Andrews Labor government is getting on with doing. It is a government that will invest in people and a government that will build projects to ensure our future population can enjoy the way of life we all value so much. These are projects like the removal of the 50 most dangerous and congested level crossings; the Tullamarine freeway widening project; the Melbourne Metro of course, the most important public transport project in the nation; the western distributor; the Monash upgrade; the Western Ring Road upgrade and so many more like these. Compare this to those four wasted long, lonely, dark years under those opposite.

This is a very important bill, as I have mentioned. The bill provides certainty in planning with the creation of the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA). The provisions within the act encompass the establishment, function and powers of the Victorian Planning Authority; the composition and operating arrangements of the board; the appointment of a chief executive officer and employment of staff; the managing of conflicts of interest; general and transitional directions including enabling delegation powers; and the necessary consequential amendments to the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

Members have mentioned and know of the Growth Areas Authority and the Metropolitan Planning Authority, which previously operated under legislation that only allowed these bodies to operate in growth areas. We certainly know that planning is a whole lot more important than that. It is important in our urban renewal areas and it is important in our regional communities and I certainly will reflect on the importance of local planning matters in my contribution.

This bill formalises the VPA’s role in coordinating land use and infrastructure planning in designated areas across Victoria. The legislation will see the VPA continue to operate as an independent statutory body reporting of course to the minister.

We know that the VPA has now released its forward plan, which covers an additional 19 new suburbs to be planned by December 2018. This will deliver zoned land for another 100 000 lots and ensure that our pipeline of available land remains strong, and it is very much a supply-and-demand model. The VPA’s precinct structure plan has successfully delivered a zoned land supply sufficient for over 262 000 new lots in growth areas. That equates to about 15 years supply.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at the VPA, formally the MPA, that I have worked with since coming into government. In particular I would like to thank Peter Seamer, who has been a driving force behind the Growth Areas Authority, the Metropolitan Planning Authority and now the VPA. Peter has certainly been instrumental in planning 60 new well-designed and livable suburbs and employment areas in Melbourne’s growth areas. Peter recently announced he will be leaving the VPA in April and I wish him and his family all the very best.

My interactions with the VPA have predominantly surrounded growth plans for Sunbury. As a result of urban growth boundary extensions in 2009 and then in 2012 Sunbury is projected to grow considerably. It was first identified as a growth area way back in 1969 and the vision was for it to be a contained, sustainable satellite city with strong internal connections, high-level services and local employment opportunities. It is certainly true to say that through a sustainable increase in population the town centre will be able to have a greater range of services, a greater range of jobs, a greater level of services and a greater range of access to such services.

The VPA is putting together precinct structure plans 1074 and 1075 for future growth after two very comprehensive community consultations. They were consultations I attended and they were certainly of great value both to me and to my community.

Mr Richardson interjected.

Mr J. BULL — I certainly know the member for Mordialloc is very keen on community consultation, which is terrific to see.

Key features of these plans are the provision of an additional 20 000 new homes over 30 years, 6000 new jobs, the completion of the Sunbury ring road — the extension of Elizabeth Drive — two new road crossings, new community shops and entertainment facilities, two new train stations with additional parking, a network of recreational trails and of course new primary schools and secondary schools to cater for the growing population. These are very important in terms of local movements and catering for those additional residents that are going to call Sunbury home.

As I have expressed to the VPA on many occasions, Sunbury is a blessed place with a unique natural landscape, great heritage and history, and certainly some striking corridors along Jacksons and Emu creeks as well as views to the Macedon Ranges in the north. It is critical at this point in time to get these plans right, and it is critical to get the infrastructure delivered to a growing community. I am extremely pleased with what the Andrews Labor government has been able to do over the past two years. I am certainly very optimistic about what is to come. In my dealings with the VPA I have certainly been thoroughly impressed by their level of knowledge, their professionalism and their work ethic, and I would certainly like Hansard to reflect that.

On top of future growth plans that I have already mentioned, last year I asked the minister to direct the VPA to carry out another wholly important task for the Sunbury community, and that is the master plan for the Jacksons Hill site. This is a matter of great importance to me. It is certainly one that I have spoken about at great length in the house. I am very excited that on Tuesday night at Sunbury Bowling Club I will be joining the VPA and many local residents for further community consultation at a community ideas forum for the future of the site. It is something that I think can only be delivered by an Andrews Labor government. This site is of great importance to the community, as I have mentioned, and I am optimistic about its future.

I want to take the time that I have remaining to congratulate the minister on his vision for good planning in this state. Can I also take the opportunity to thank his hardworking staff, who have been terrific in supporting me, in particular Evan and Glen from the minister’s office. They have done an outstanding job in assisting me locally.

Through a thoughtful approach to planning, and through an approach that recognises the environmental, the social and the historic elements of good, detailed, structured planning, I am certainly of the view that the VPA will have the resources, the expertise and the vision to deliver high-quality planning in this state. I am very much looking forward to working with the VPA over the next two years and hopefully beyond to ensure that our planning is good for the community, good for the environment and delivers on all those things that this government stands so proudly for.

I commend the bill to the house.