Ed Riley M海角社区
Department Of Transport And Planning, Victoria
With statutory and strategic planning experience across rural and regional places in the UK, the Isle of Man, and Victoria, Ed brings passion and expertise to issues of economic development, housing policy, climate change in the context of rural and regional planning. The current co-Vice President of the 海角社区 (Victoria), Ed believes in the power of planning to change the world, as long as there is coffee to help.
Dr Amie Sexton
Independant Research and Presenter
Amie is a musician and social researcher who specialises in the cultural side of wine, food, and pleasure, with a focus on the Victorian wine industry. She is an interdisciplinarian who has studied music, languages, history and socio-cultural anthropology and is particularly interested in the way they all interact. She loves sharing her research in interesting and entertaining ways.
Victorian wineries: living and working in areas without (much) water, (good) internet, or (any) bus services: how failing to align infrastructure delivery with our strategic vision risks derailing growth
Planning controls are intended to set unambiguous direction for the use and development of land. However, in many rural and regional areas there is a mismatch between the projected growth and change that specific planning Zones facilitate and the capacity of infrastructure and services to accommodate that growth and change.
This mismatch has been brought into sharp relief through the recent “flight to the regions” as city residents move to – or purchase second homes in – areas with poor transport connections, inconsistent internet access, and no reticulated water, sewerage, or electricity. However, for long-term business owners in these areas, the inability to grow and develop in line with local Planning Schemes is no revelation. This is particularly evident in the Pyrenees-Grampians wine region, where wineries wishing to diversify their operations into boutique accommodation are often frustrated by the inability to connect that accommodation to reticulated services. And – who wants to go to a winery and stay sober enough to drive? A lack of public transport options makes this unappetising situation a reality, stymieing business growth and contributing to the continued isolation of rural communities.
It is clear that, in many cases, planning controls set undesirable or unachievable outcomes. How can we better integrate our land use planning system and the delivery of infrastructure on which existing and future development and land uses rely, especially in the context of climate change? How can we provide a diversity of living options without harmfully impacting the natural environment? And how can we, as planners, help facilitate a society in which people expect to be able to live and work from wherever they choose?
