REJECT the State Government's proposed extension of the urban growth boundaries. This was the call made to MPs at Tuesday's rally outside Parliament House, attended by about 300 people.
Land owners group Taxed Out organised the rally against the UGB and growth areas infrastructure contribution proposals announced earlier this month by Planning Minister Justin Madden.
Members of Green Wedges Coalition, Protectors of Public Lands and the Planning Backlash attended the rally.
The GWC has made it clear it does not support an extension to Melbourne's UGB.
The UGB extension will result in significant changes to the existing boundaries in Hume, including Sunbury and a small part within Diggers Rest.
The GWC accused Mr Madden of going back on his assurances.
"We had been promised Calder Highway would not be turned into a growth corridor and the Sunbury UGB would stay where it was," GWC joint coordinator Rosemary West said.
Calling for a united front at the rally, Ms West labelled the UGB a "land grab" and reminded demonstrators of the 2002 Green Wedge Protection legislation.
"We can stop this land grab if enough MPs will vote against it in the upper house," Ms West said. Taxed Out has demanded amendments to the GAIC, saying the tax should be levied at the point of development approval and not at the point of sale. The GWC is pushing for no changes to the UGB.
Arnie Azaris, Sunbury resident and GWC joint co-ordinator, said: "We want the UGB to stay, we don't want the boundaries to move. There is sufficient land within the existing boundary to be developed over the 20-30 years."
The Planning Scheme Amendment VC55 and the Planning and Environment (GAIC) Amendment Bill were presented to Parliament on November 24 and November 25, respectively.
Under the PSA VC55 amendment, 24,500 hectares of developable land across Melbourne will be brought in the UGB for development over the next 20-30 years.
For an area like Sunbury, residential development could potentially lead to its population growing to 80,000-90,000 people in 20-30 years.
Hume Mayor Jack Ogilvie said: "Landholders whose land is brought into the UGB can expect the value of their land to increase substantially and the planning for infrastructure will only make this land more attractive to those wishing to develop."
However, not everyone is convinced. "That's what they [the Government] say but we haven't had that [infrastructural development] in the last five years," Ms Azaris said. "Public transport is a joke, water supply is a joke and sewage capacity is a joke."
Questions have also been raised about the benefits of the amendments to the GAIC. According to the amendments, the GAIC tax liability - $ 95,000 per hectare for rezoned land - is on the land developer instead of the vendor. While the council hopes that some of the GAIC will go towards the potential infrastructural development, those opposed to it call the GAIC "unfair".
Taxed Out chairman Michael Hockings said: "After studying land values in the UGB and their long-term developmental potential, we have found that land prices do not increase.
"People whose land has already been in the UGB have seen no increase at all."
The GAIC Bill was passed in the lower house on November 26.
It is expected to come up for debate in the upper house about two weeks.
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