Yarra Ranges Shire wants to be rezoned peri-regional
Another region has joined a Mornington Peninsula bid to cut ties with Melbourne and form a new zone as part of a plan to unlock more cash.
South East
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A second council has joined a Mornington Peninsula bid to break away from Melbourne.
Yarra Ranges Shire wants to be rezoned as peri-regional – a new category proposed by the two councils to allow them to access regional funding while keeping green wedge protections.
The councils have been discussing the change behind closed doors for months but little information about the change or what it means has been made public.
Yarra Ranges mayor Jim Child said it was still “early days” but he would like to see the local government area become peri-regional.
“We’ll be working with Mornington Peninsula Shire Council this year, advocating to the state government to better recognise our mixed metropolitan and regional makeup,” Cr Child said.
“I think we’ve got to negotiate through it, have discussions with the government, and come to a balanced decision.
“We want to be able to take advantage of particular grants that may be available to the peri-urban areas and at present, with Yarra Ranges classed as a metropolitan municipality, we are denied that.”
Cr Child said for years, both councils have had access to urban funding programs only, to deliver regional objectives and projects.
A Mornington Peninsula Shire report tabled on Tuesday revealed both councils were advocating for the switch from metropolitan to peri-regional in the lead up to the State election.
However, some councillors revealed they did not have a “definitive explanation” of the new classification, nor how it would impact planning.
“We have sort of been told that it is sort of like regional and sort of like metro but it’s a combination of both where we take the best from both pieces,” Cr Susan Bissinger said.
“Unfortunately that’s the most information I’ve got. I haven’t got anything definitive so I can understand exactly what it is.
“We haven’t been told how it affects planning or anything really.”
Cr Antonella Celi said the council had “failed the community” because it had not told ratepayers why a peri-regional classification was chosen.
She asked for a “full and transparent” report about the decision at the next council meeting on April 5.
Cr Celi said: “There has been a fundamental step that has been missed by the executive and this council.”
“We need to remember that just because we are elected leaders for our community it doesn’t mean we are above them when it comes to serious matters such as reclassifying our region.”
The classification of both local government areas became a hot topic during Covid lockdowns as residents and businesses were tied to the same restrictions as metropolitan Melbourne while regional Victorians enjoyed greater freedoms.
Mornington Peninsula councillor Kerri McCafferty said planning decisions should not be made as the result of a health crisis.
“This is being kicked around like a political football at the moment,” she said.
Despite the concerns Mornington Peninsula council voted to adopt its advocacy program which included peri-regional classification and continue working with Yarra Ranges on rezoning.
The council committed to posting its peri-regional research paper and background information to its website.
