Zoe Moffatt
Macedon Ranges council has voted to keep the vegetation on Mount Macedon, following a lengthy and passionate discussion.
At a meeting on Wednesday, July 12, council voted to refuse to grant a permit for the removal of vegetation at the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross Reserve.
This decision went against a council officer’s recommendation and follows 62 letters of objection and 36 letters of support for the permit.
Deputy mayor Jennifer Anderson said the vegetation removal is not justified to provide a view.
“Macedon Ranges has declared a climate emergency,” Cr Anderson said.
“We have a net zero emissions policy, which includes looking at local carbon offsets where required, we have a biodiversity strategy and a council plan where we prioritise the protection of the natural environment.
“The application before us is not supported by any of these documents as well as the planning scheme and the loss of significant vegetation is not justified to potentially provide a view to Melbourne.
“It is the landscape of the mountain itself that is important, not the view of the landscape of Melbourne.”
Cr Geoff Neil said the permit has created a dilemma for him.
“We’re not talking about bulldozers … we’re talking about hand cutting and hand trimming,” Cr Neil said
“It’s created a dilemma for me between remembering our history, our very important history and our commemoration of that as opposed to removing native vegetation.
“I might get overly emotional about it, but the fact remains, my makeup says people are more important.
“I’m not suggesting that the grounds that Cr Anderson mentioned are not equally as important.”
Councillors who voted to refuse the permit for vegetation removal were Crs Rob Guthrie, Anne Moore, Janet Pearce, Bill West, Cr Anderson, and mayor Annette Death.
Councillors who voted to grant the permit for vegetation removal were Crs Neil, Dominic Bonanno, and Mark Ridgeway.
