Guy on climate planning rules: State to make sense on coast

By Cherie Donnellan
THE REGION’S councils will soon have a “common sense” coastal planning direction for climate change, according to State Government.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy said a new climate change policy report was “near completion”.
The Government’s report would propose “incremental levels of change” for sea levels rather than rely on predictions of an 80cm rise by 2100, Mr Guy said.
A recent Australian National University (ANU) study found that an existing planning framework implemented under the previous state government was “unclear” and “deterministic”.
The “confusing” state policies on climate change were leading to councils and other bodies, such as Victoria’s planning tribunal, making “inconsistent decisions”, the study said.
The existing state policies direct planning authorities to assess coastal developments on the fixed 80cm sea level rise by the end of the century.
The Independent has previously reported on concerns over the policies’ impact at Queenscliff, Point Lonsdale and Anglesea where development of private properties has been restricted due to forecast flooding from rising seas.
ANU study author Andrew Macintosh, who heads the university’s centre for climate law and policy, said the standard ruling “misconstrues the nature of coastal climate hazards”.
Mr Macintosh’s report cited a Victorian Civil and Administra-tive Tribunal decision to stop Anglesea’s Brendan Findlay developing his caravan park.
“Council told (Findlay) he had to raise the buildings to get a planning permit but then VCAT said raising the floors would mean he was in breach of height restrictions,” Mr Macintosh said.
“It’s ridiculous to allow a significant area of land in suburban Anglesea to lie vacant for the next 50 to 100 years.”