I AM writing in regard to the decision of the Planning Minister to adopt the recommendation of the Residential Zones Advisory Committee that Buninyong be a General Residential Zone.
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We have lived in Buninyong for the past 17 years, enjoying its village charm and ambience. As I understand it, the Minister for Planning announced a review of the City of Ballarat planning zones in 2013, with the view of creating three new planning zones from the old Residential Zone One.
The planning panel appointed by the Minister met in May this year in Ballarat, where it was argued by developers that the more appropriate zoning should not be in line with the former Shire of Buninyong Outline Development Plan, which restricted subdivision to 800 square meters.
As a result the Minister announced that Buninyong and parts of Sebastopol will be zoned as General Residential. This is very concerning as there was no consultation with the Buninyong community.
It would appear that the review was rushed through taking only one year, where such a zoning process normally takes three years. The outcome being every large lot of land may be split into lots down to 300 square metres.
Potentially these changes give developers carte blanche to subdivide existing and future residential lots down to 300 square meters. Three-hundred-square-meter subdivisions will have a devastating impact on the Buninyong community.
Such subdivisions are not in the interests of the residents of Buninyong as it will destroy the village feel of the community. From his comments so far, the Liberal candidate would appear to have his head in the sand if he thinks the government's planning changes won't impact on Buninyong's village atmosphere and character.