Victoria

Victorian Government has had thousands of koalas shot from helicopters in the wake of bushfires in Budj Bim National Park, the excuse being to end the suffering of injured animals. But koalas  stand in the way of  the government programs all over Australia of forced human population growth and expansion. The usual excuse of 'culling to prevent suffering' does not stand the test of truth or morality.

We publish the joint statement here. Unfortunately these two bodies, in our opinion, whilst obviously well-meaning, have entirely neglected the demand side of the equation. They are comforting the property developers' agenda of densification when they should be pointing out that this is an abuse of power that depends on a false narrative confining all discussion to the 'supply' side.

Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, has blasted the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) over an “absurd and unjustifiable” fine issued to a farmer in South-West Victoria who was simply trying to help his neighbour during the drought.

In a sequel to the Victorian Inquiry into planning Amendments VC257, VC267 and VC274, today 18 June 2025, Dave Davis (Liberal) put a motion requiring the Victorian State Government provide within three weeks very important documents required of it by the Inquiry Committee.[1] These documents would reveal the basis, actors, and rationale behind drastic cha

Some wealthy homemakers are being allowed to do the opposite of what the rest of us are being told to do. They have been given permission to turn an area where there were six households into one - theirs.  Such significant destruction and prioritization of certain interests  in the face of so much homelessness and the loss of democracy for all Victorians through authoritarian planning is shocking. 

A predictably appalling article from Nicholas Reece, City of Melbourne Lord Mayor, and a seasoned career growth enthusiast, has found a cozy spot in Australia's legacy press.

A few weeks ago, cross-benchers got together with the Liberals to conduct an inquiry into the legitimacy of State Labor Government Victoria's new planning laws that underpin the authoritarian creation of massive new 'activity centres,' infilling, hyper-densification, and removal of residents' rights to affect and discuss and dispute what happens where they live.  The Inquiry found

I was not the only one sitting up late last night, writing to various members of the Victorian Legislative Council.  There are about 55 neighborhood groups, many councils and other bodies, all trying to stop what is going ahead. They have been involved in this battle for a long time.  In the absence of any reasonable information and consultation, neighborhood groups have been writing and distributing their own information about what Planning is about to do.

This report came out today in the Legislative Council, Victoria.  Non-Labor members of the Committee criticised the amendments for failing to consult the community as they are required to by law, and found that they contain little or nothing that would provide the much-claimed affordable housing, and failed on environmental counts.  The full report is here: https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/49a10f/globalassets/tabled-paper-documents/tabled-paper-9164/

Click on the image to read Report No. 46. 

Victoria, Australia: This is a committee to examine the VC257, VC274 and VC267 Victorian planning amendments.Anything that questions Victoria's planning dictatorship is good, but we need to remember that this inquiry occurs just before a federal election, and  fails to challenge the mass immigration that is forcing high housing prices and arbitrary suburban densification.  No MP here points out that the population is set to double every 28 years or less, and

Click on the image to read Report No. 46. 

As I understand it, fundamentally, all coups and all revolutions - left and right - are based on changes to land-tenure systems.  It seems to me, based on my observation and experience in Victoria, not on what anyone says, that the State here is trying to make massive changes to the land-tenure system.  It is engineering those changes by removing power at local level and refusing to represent people at any level.

Click on the image to read Report No. 46. 

Victoria, Australia: The DESIST FROM HIGH-RISE HIGH-DENSITY ZONE PLANNING petition is to be debated for 30 minutes in the Legislative Council on Wednesday 5 March.

Paul Edbrook, State Labor MP for Frankston, has repeatedly failed to respond usefully to complaints from constituents regarding the forced accommodation of a Metropolitan Activity Centre under the increasingly authoritarian regime of Premier Jacinta Allan's Victorian Government. Inside this article, we have published two complaint letters, along with the negligent and empty responses from Mr. Edbrook or his staff, despite the great importance of the matter.

Venue: Camberwell Historical Society Meeting 25 February 2025 7.30pm. Speaker Michael Buxton, "Camberwell: Urban Planning and Heritage Protection." 25 Inglesby Road, Camberwell 3124. RSVP by Monday 24 February 2025.  [email protected] or George Fernando 0448296258. Camberwell is one of the State Government’s proposed Activity Centres. The suburb of Camberwell developed in the 1880s.

Click on the image to read Report No. 46. 

What moral right does CHIA, a large, well-auspiced professional organisation, have in fueling animosity against local government candidates who defend their communities' planning powers and their right to veto subdivisions - key pillars of self-determination?

"It's really a disturbing that a government like the Victorian government, [...] repeat parrot-like the Property Council Mantra that there hasn't been enough dwelling approvals in Melbourne and in the state, [...] yet their own reports showed with graphs that was a false narrative. Their ultimate aim really, is to remove citizen interaction and involvement and local government involvement in decisions over the future of a city. And this is completely incompatible with the democratic ideal. It's a very authoritarian model.

"The Victorian Government has failed to fund 500 housing places for young people living with mental illness almost three years after making the commitment – a key royal commission recommendation." (Council to Homeless Persons, Melbourne City Mission and Orygen)  The homelessness press-release says nothing about how massive overseas immigration and investment has driven the excessive demand that has resulted in high prices and housing shortage, but this is the elephant in the room, and t

Saturday morning September 30th 2023 started out innocently and happily for Lorine of Assange Vigil Melbourne Australia, but within the hour she was injured, bruised and traumatised by Melbourne police. 

Planning Democracy, and the Green Wedges Coalition Inc., are pleased to invite you to the launch of the Liveable Victoria Manifesto.

The Manifesto is intended to protect Victoria from overdevelopment at the hands of increasingly aggressive and greedy property developer interests. It seeks to safeguard our
residential and enviromental amenity, heritage, tree canopy cover, Green Wedges, and open space.

We predicted this would happen when the Vic government put developers in charge of what happens to the many golfcourses in Melbourne and regional Victoria.  The seizure of these green public and private lands is now being normalised on public media.

The Catholic Church owns many billions of dollars of land in Australia but does not pay any land-tax. Today, in Victoria, Australia, if you own a second property worth more than 300,000, you pay land-tax. Soon, however, property worth 50,000 and upwards will be taxed, if a new bill goes ahead.

Melbourne State Library 1 pm Saturday 18 March against AUKUS US $170b nuclear sub purchase and alliance No AUKUS Coalition, Solidarity Melbourne and Melbourne 4 Assange.

Contents: Page 1 – Heritage Amendment Bill 2023; Victorian Departmental Restructure; Australian Architecture President Bells the Cat; Legislative Council Planning and Heritage Inquiry; Page 2 – Submissions Closing on World Heritage Management Plan for Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens; Speech to CROWAG, and April Forum; Level Crossing Removal FOI; War on Plastic – Clean Up Australia Day; Page 3 – South Australia’s Planning Minister Flags Change