Melbourne City Council wants to claw back power from the planning minister to approve and reject CBD skyscraper applications.
In a bold statement detailed in draft questions to be sent to state election candidates, the council called for the minister to be stripped of the position of responsible authority for all high-rise permits of more than 25,000 square metres.
Councillors want the role to be returned to the city.
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The call comes amid growing criticism from some councillors around the standard of tall towers planned for Melbourne and the rate they are being approved by Planning Minister Matthew Guy.
"He has issued dozens of permits double or triple the planning scheme height guidelines," Cr Stephen Mayne said.
Cr Mayne said Victoria's current rules left "far too much power" in the hands of one person. "If Eddie Obeid was planning minister … he'd have a field day."
Lord mayor Robert Doyle said that when the planning minister was first given the responsible authority status for buildings of more than 25,000 square metres, there may have been only three or so such projects a year. This year, he said, there had already been 35.
Cr Doyle said he could not understand why the minister would not want to hand over extra work to the council, when he would always have power to "call in" projects that concerned him.
"When the minister should be stepping in is where these are projects of state significance. And the vast majority aren't of state significance; they're just big buildings."
But on Monday, both the Coalition government and Labor opposition stood by the policy, while Mr Guy was also unambiguous in his response. "Ministerial authority above 25,000 square metres is a bipartisan policy which the Coalition has no intention of altering," he said.
Shadow planning spokesman Brian Tee said Labor did not have any plans to remove the 25,000 square metre rule, although the party was concerned too many planning decisions were being made behind closed doors. "It just creates a terrible perception," Mr Tee said.
He said Labor would seek a "more open and transparent" model, to be announced before the November election.
In 2002, Labor planning minister Mary Delahunty also refused a council request to review the rule. At the time, council had warned developers were increasing the size of their projects because of a perception the minister gave less weight to concerns of local residents.
Cr Mayne said still today developers wanted the minister to rule on their applications. "This minister loves height, therefore go as high as you can," he said.
The council makes decisions on about 1000 building applications of less than 25,000 square metres every year.
