By Ann Marie Angebrandt
THE State Opposition has attacked the role of the new Growth Areas Authority (GAA), saying the Planning Minister Justin Madden controls what should be an independent body.
The authority has a $20 million budget to make independent decisions on Melbourne’s planning future in growth areas, including Wyndham.
Opposition planning spokesman Matthew Guy questioned Mr Madden in Parliament last month about a letter the minister had received from former GAA head Mike Scrafton.
“Mike Scrafton said he is seeking advice from the minister on the urban growth boundary and further that the GAA cannot consider growth boundary alterations until it has first spoken to the government,” he said.
Mr Guy said the letter was at odds with the GAA’s charter, which says the authority is independent and operates in an independent manner in “consultation” with levels of government.
“If the GAA can’t make fundamental decisions in the area that it was set up to administer, then why should it exist?”
Last Friday, the government announced that former head of Federation Square Management, Peter Seamer, would become the new chief executive officer of the GAA.
