Protecting Melbourne’s Green Wedges And Farmland
The Victorian Government is seeking community feedback on stronger planning controls that deliver on an election commitment to permanently protect Melbourne’s green wedges and agricultural land. These important green areas located within 100 kilometres of Melbourne support thousands of jobs in conservation, tourism and agriculture and are also crucial for food production.
The draft documents claim that as our population increases, the proposed planning changes will better protect green wedges from overdevelopment while keeping farms on our urban fringes working and feeding our city.
Melbourne’s twelve green wedges cover the areas just outside Melbourne’s Urban Growth Boundary and provide an essential break between the intensive urban development along the city’s growth corridors. These zones, which are protected by legislation, include significant conservation and cultural heritage sites, tourism and recreational opportunities such as our renowned food and wine regions, natural resources and critical infrastructure that supports the operation of the city.
The Government is also proposing to permanently protect peri-urban agricultural land that lies beyond Melbourne’s green wedge zones but still within 100 kilometres of the CBD. These are predominantly rural areas with small townships.
The importance of this land will only increase in the future as climate change impacts where crops are grown and the green wedge and peri-urban areas are relied upon more to grow food.
The pandemic has forced consultation to be conducted online only but the time period has been extended and will now run for 10 weeks.
For more information or to make a submission visit engage.vic.gov.au/gwal.
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