A rural hamlet of about 300 people on the edge of the Macedon Ranges could become home to more than 6,000 residents under a controversial $700 million housing proposal now before the Victorian government.
ABC News reports that developer APD Projects has submitted plans to Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny for up to 2,500 dwellings at Clarkefield, a mix the company describes as “apartments, lofts, sohos, townhouses and terraces”. Some proposed lots are as small as 84 square metres, a size more common to inner Melbourne than a bush hamlet with a closed pub and a fire shed.
The proposal is being assessed under Victoria’s Development Facilitation Program, which hands decision-making to the minister and bypasses local councils and their usual appeals process. Macedon Ranges Shire Council has asked for its planning powers back, calling for an independent panel and advisory committee to examine what it describes as numerous “deficiencies” in the application. A council submission lodged in July also argues the development cuts across planning protections placed over the Macedon Ranges in 2020.
Residents say they were shown a different vision when the project was introduced that same year. Angela Tiede, who was initially supportive, said the plans sent to the minister bear no resemblance to what was presented to the community. “I think the developers have really tried to play a shifty here,” she told the ABC. “To cram people into multi-storey buildings, three- and four-storey buildings, and still saying they’re maintaining the atmosphere of the village, well that’s just preposterous, really.” APD Projects has not publicly responded to those claims.
Macedon Ranges Residents Association secretary Christine Pruneau is equally blunt about the lot sizes. “You’d have to say they’re hardly big enough for a dunny,” she said. Pruneau has flagged concerns about water tables, flood plains, road capacity, and a process she says sidelines public scrutiny in favour of the developer’s own documentation.
For tradies in the region, a project of this scale would mean years of construction work across carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and civil trades. But it’s far from approved. Kilkenny is expected to announce her decision in September, and the community opposition, backed by the council, suggests the fight over Clarkefield’s future is only getting started.
Frequently asked questions
What is Victoria’s Development Facilitation Program?
It’s a Victorian government assessment pathway that gives the planning minister direct decision-making power over certain proposals, bypassing local councils and their usual appeals process.
When will the planning minister decide on the Clarkefield development?
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny is expected to announce her decision in September.
Why is Macedon Ranges Shire Council opposed to the proposal?
The council says the application has numerous deficiencies and argues the development conflicts with planning protections placed over the Macedon Ranges in 2020. It has called for an independent panel and advisory committee to assess the project.
Sourced from ABC News. Original article.
