Great Letter Sent to Minister From Charlie Grech

Hon Justin Madden Mlc
Minister for planning
Level 17, 18 Nicholson St,
Melbourne Vic 3000


Dear Mr Madden,

I am in receipt of your response to my letter of 8/6/07 regarding issues concerning my property at Golden Beach. Your response is disheartening, and I put to you the following matters for your further consideration

Wellington shire council have adopted their nodal approach for the 90 mile beach on a one strategy suits all approach without any consideration to blocks past the nodal point which are not subject to any inundation, flooding or sinking problems.

They have adopted their Golden beach Nodal boundary to coincide with the end of the power lines purely for their convenience. They say this is because there is no infrastructure past this point.
And of course there is no infrastructure because of Wellington Council’s indecision, and their discouragement to landowners wanting to build and invest in the area. Wellington Shire say they want tourism, yet they are mismanaging this prime tourism asset.

With the State Government’s encouragement and Sustainable policies, a dwelling can easily be self sustainable with Solar Power, Rain water tanks, and On site Sewerage treatment. Therefore infrastructure is not an impediment to residential development.

My restructured block on Shoreline drive has never flooded or shown any signs of sinking as the doomsday people would have us believe, over the 40 years I have owned it. Indeed even during the recent heavy rains there was no water anywhere near the restructured blocks.
Yet Many areas of Gippsland were Flooded.

Whilst there were issues emanating from the original subdivision, these have been eliminated with the restructuring of blocks, and the elimination of land subject to inundation and flooding from the low density residential Zoning.
The request for interim controls by Wellington shire are therefore unnecessary, and raise high suspicion about the motivations of those promoting this wholesale denial of our rights to build on our land.

Wellington shire council which is supposed to represent all their ratepayers fairly and equitably have treated 90 mile beach land owners as outcasts as it seeks to have you, the minister, apply controls over our properties, without any concern for us the landowners.
An honourable council representing all ratepayers is bound to make sure that landowners are not disadvantaged, and if so that they are compensated at to-days prices.
Wellington Shire are quite happy to demand and collect rates from us, without providing us any tangible services, and then go about using these rates to work against our interests.
Their blanket nodal approach is flawed and discriminatory, and needs to be revisited by a committee represented by your office, council, and Landowners.

It is a sad fact of government these days that decisions are driven by bureaucrats who have no concern for people, and are driven purely by ideology. I am aware that there are inter departmental, and council committees making recommendations to you on the ninety mile beach issues, and these do not have any landowner representatives on them to give you a balanced recommendations.

I urge you to apply your governments policy of fairness to all Victorians by not acceding to Wellington Shire’s request, and to ensure that landowners are represented and consulted at all times.

In summary

1 The problems of flooding, inundation, sustainability and sinking are NOT widespread to the Whole of the Ninety Mile beach area.

2 The nodal approach assumes that it is. It is hard fisted and discriminatory as there are hundreds of blocks outside this nodal area which are sustainable and not beset by any problems.

3 Sustainable, Independent and envoiremently friendly infrastructure can be provided on all blocks of land.

4 Camping is permitted and encouraged by Parks Vic. Along the foreshore of Ninety mile Beach, indicating that even government departments don’t believe the sustainability rhetoric that is being advanced by Wellington Shire and others.

5 Landowners must be represented on all committees making recommendations on the Ninety Mile Beach area (Our Land). Council and Government must desist from their divide and conquer attitude.

6 If the State Government and Council are to persist with their current policy on the Ninety Mile Beach area, COMPENSATION levels should be set Now, and NOT when our land is made valueless by State Government and Wellington council policies




Hoping the above gets serious and fair consideration


Yours
…………………………. Charlie Grech