- Minister for Planning
Victorians have overwhelmingly backed the Andrews Labor Government’s election commitment to protect agricultural land on the edge of Melbourne from overdevelopment.
At the 2018 election, the Labor Government promised to permanently tighten planning controls to better protect Melbourne’s green wedges and peri-urban agricultural land.
Since then the Labor Government has been consulting with local communities and farmers, to gain their views on how to best preserve the vital farm land and green open space that separates Melbourne from regional Victoria.
Extensive feedback has been received through multiple workshops, more than 400 online and written submissions and engagement with more than 800 people. The Government has also consulted with local government, water authorities, government agencies and industry bodies.
The feedback received emphasises the need for Victoria’s planning system to:
- recognise the importance of access to water to support agriculture
- minimise land use conflict and protect the right to farm
- factor in long-term changes to the productive capability of land
- ensure all of Melbourne’s agricultural land is protected and supported.
This work delivers on Plan Melbourne 2017-2050 and ensures that green wedge and peri-urban areas are carefully planned and managed to avoid irreversible land-use change and support their ongoing productivity.
The Government will continue to engage closely with farmers and the local community as this project progresses with an invitation for further input before planning system changes are implemented next year.
The full consultation findings report is available at engage.vic.gov.au/protecting-melbournes-ag-land.
As noted by Minister for Planning Richard Wynne
“Once this farmland is gone, it’s gone forever – that’s why we’re re-writing planning controls to protect it.”
“I thank locals, farmers and everyone who has contributed feedback during the consultation – your input will be vital in identifying strategic agricultural land and delivering on this vital election commitment.”
