Newsletter Victorian Planning & Environmental Law Association Established in 1989 – a Multi-Disciplinary Professional Association
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Newsletter Victorian Planning & Environmental Law Association Established in 1989 – a Multi-disciplinary Professional Association Number 88 April 2013 A Hadron Collider for Planning Culture Jane Monk Fostering the benefits of creative, Turok recalls the many instances when Vice President - Planning innovative and indeed intuitive thinking great, bold new ideas have spawned is not the sole domaine of quantum paradigm shifts in thinking and I have just finished listening to the physics. More and more, as our planet doing - from the philosophers and Canadian Broadcast Corporation’s 2012 moves beyond 7 billion people, and with mathematicians of Ancient Greece to the Massey Lecture series presented by Neil an expectation of 9 billion by 2050, we greats of the Italian Renaissance, the 17th Turok, Director of the Perimeter Institute need to foster and apply new ways of and 18th Century Enlightenment leading for Theoretical Physics in Ontario, to the giants from Newton to Einstein and thinking and acting. In planning and land Canada. He titled the lecture series, The beyond. Invariably these new ideas have development, the sphere inhabited by Universe Within - from Quantum to germinated from the crashing together of Cosmos and his book on the subject is being released in Australia in March. So order your copy now. It’s mind blowing stuff but Turok, an eminent physicist and mathematician, is one of that new breed of scientists who can present complex theory with a clarity that engages the listener, almost persuading that the subject might actually be within your grasp. He engenders a sense of optimism that science - in particular his own extraordinarily intuitive discipline of quantum physics - has the capacity to bring humanity into a new relationship with the world and our universe. As with so many past scientific and other discoveries, the extent and possible future implications and applications of quantum physics is unfathomable to us today. It has already underpinned transistors, micro chips, mobile phones, laser and Inside a Hadron Collider MRI scanners and in prospect are the quantum computer - exponentially faster VPELA’s members, the current ‘business individuals and cultures, disconnected or than classical computers - and quantum as usual’ model is but one in a potentially teleportation, enabling quantum otherwise liberated from ‘business as usual’ vast array of options at our disposal. We information to be sent across arbitrary thinking. One of VPELA’s strengths is that can, must and will embrace new ways for distances. And what about dark matter, it too brings together a broad spectrum the energy field powering the expansion doing things, new business models and of ideas. Its members cover a veritable of the universe since the Big Bang - could changed industry practice. But how do we kaleidoscope of disciplines relevant to this energy source be somehow harnessed? identify, refine and apply more resilient how we use, develop and conserve land It’s all so amazing. What can it mean for and sustainable approaches to suit our to support and strengthen communities our world and society? changing world? and the world we share. We comprise Page 1 VPELA Newsletter – April 2013 Continued Page 2 VPELA Board Members Contents Executive Phone Fax Board New Board Members 4 President Tamara Brezzi 8686 6226 8686 6505 Minister A Ministerial Agenda 6 Vice President (Planning) Shadow Minister Jane Monk 9098 8914 Wind Farms – 35,000 jobs blow away 9 Vice President (Legal) Adrian Finanzio 9225 8745 9225 8740 Population Our Changing Metropolis 10 Secretary Local Government Rubbish, Rates & Restrictions 13 Geoff Underwood 9822 3155 9822 5450 Five key decisions that led to GESAC 15 Treasurer Bernard McNamara 9699 7025 9038 1768 Society Health, arts & social inclusion 18 Executive Director Every child deserves a childhood 24 Michael Deidun 9628 9708 9628 9789 Executive Director Planning Creative suburbs 26 Jane Sharp 9225 7627 9225 7728 Seminars P & E Act, review & land acquisition 27 Members A Ministerial Agenda 29 Frank Butera 9668 5564 9663 1546 John Carey 8608 2687 8608 1336 Giving evidence at VCAT & Panels 32 Jessica Cutting 9637 8643 9637 9700 Rory’s Ramble Bring some adventure back 34 Jennifer Jones 9869 0862 YPG Master class series 35 Matthew Lee 8825 5895 Stuart McGurn 9696 8011 9696 8022 Case Notes News form the legal world 36 Peter O’Farrell 9225 6761 9225 8480 The Fast Lane Time for an airport rail link? 39 Julie Reid 9262 6306 9262 6379 Natasha Swan 98409283 engineers, social and political scientists, historians, ecologists, teleworking, prefabricated construction methods allowing designers, earth scientists to name a few and wrapped into quicker and safer build times, the development of clean and this are our lawyers with the capacity to conceive and apply integrated manufacturing or ‘maker’ precincts, based on 3D associated law and regulation, to turn ideas into practice and printing; and I don’t know about you, but where I live in process. ‘inner country’ Victoria, and it hasn’t rained since November, High on our agenda should be the exploration and the push by the new Office of Living Victoria to integrated demonstration of interdisciplinary and multi disciplinary water cycle management and urban storm water capture approaches for identifying the possible different options to and reuse is looking very attractive. It too will require very current ‘business as usual’ land use and development practices different business models and regulatory frameworks. As and processes. How might we develop a Large Hadron a membership we have the capacity to add intellectually to Collider of our own, within which to identify and crash these new opportunities and challenges. together great new ideas to forge better approaches to what Conferences and seminars can raise issues, bring different we do? On our horizon lies an extensive array of emerging perspectives together and identify new approaches - so conditions likely to impact significantly on ‘business as usual’; lets make VPELA’s Hadron Collider for wild new ideas an the way we shop, the way we travel, how we live, where we live, how we work, where we work, what we build, how we upcoming theme? What might be our Higgs Bosun, the build it, how we play and learn and what we learn. elusive particle that could make a huge difference to ‘business Some changes will actively push us to adopt different models. Newsletter Editor: Jane Nathan, 0419 542 492 Rising fuel, water, waste and energy costs are certain catalysts. Inner city cycling is growing rapidly in response to congested VPELA, PO Box 1291 Camberwell 3124 roads and public transport, communal or intergenerational Phone: 9813 2801 housing is appearing in response to escalating house and Email: [email protected] living costs. Other changes will pull or project us to new www.vpela.org.au ways, such as the NBN redefining retail and enabling Page 2 VPELA Newsletter – April 2013 as usual’ or as described in quantum physics, to the Standard that could demonstrate a net gain in ecological values plus Model? better integrated, more diverse neighbourhoods? Top of my list would be our planning culture. Changes to The model would work well as a small scale urban renewal culture could make a huge difference. Its no good when our mechanism in current middle ring suburbs, supporting planning processes and especially our conduct of them, come whole neighbourhoods or parts of neighbourhoods to remain to be seen as part of the problem rather than solution to embracing the inevitable change that lies ahead. Its damning ‘in place’ while providing them with a more sustainable with faint praise to say that Victoria runs Australia’s ‘least and contemporary home - and adding diversity to the worst’ planning system. For innovative ideas to germinate, neighbourhood - enabling both younger and older family be shown the light of day and flourish, our planning culture members and friends to live nearby. cannot be one mired by the search for impediments and maintenance of the status quo. The Grattan Institute’s 2011 report ‘Getting the Housing We Want’ explores similar suburban renewal options including Could reformed zones provide a catalyst for moving to different Neighbourhood Development Corporations, a growing development industry models? For so long the housing sector initiative in the USA. The Victorian Government Architect, has operated in the pink zones, retail in the purple zones and Geoffrey London is looking to pilot a co- housing project. industry the brown. As frequently raised with me during my Priority Development Panel days, business models and Local government could be instrumental in actively seeking investor portfolios can act against the development of mixed out and fostering such neighbour based initiatives, perhaps use outcomes. So business as usual, despite changed practice with support from Places Victoria. This is what could be and opportunity is holding back new approaches. meant by demonstrating a positive planning culture - looking for and supporting solutions with both community benefits In so many instances the reason for the zones divide has evaporated. Retail, cafes, light manufacturing, offices and and buy in. accommodation can invariably live near to each other, making Closer to home, a more positive culture and one looking to for short trips between, taking cars off the road and giving re imagine and to innovate, is that of my own sphere at the streets back to people. The Twenty Minute City. Indeed the worker cottages and adjacent warehouses - now converting Department of Planning and Community Development. As to mixed use in parts of Collingwood and Richmond for part a rearrangement of the Planning Building and Heritage example, are testament to this from a century ago. group under Deputy Secretary, Prue Digby, all of the Minister for Planning’s statutory functions have been put into the Instead of seeking to maintain the status quo as the reformed one division.