Macedon Ranges council has backed away from plans to review a local law which regulates the use of motorised recreational vehicles, withdrawing $15,000 set aside for the review from its 2018-19 budget.
The $15,000 was included in the draft budget in April and was the subject of 33 submissions objecting to money being used to review local law 10, which bans using motorised recreational vehicles within 500 metres of a house.
The council was divided in its decision to allocate funds to review the law when it was discussed at its February and March meetings.
Councillor Roger Jukes led the push for the review, saying the decision to ban the vehicles within 500 metres of a house was not put to the community when the law was made in 2013.
But Cr Mandi Mees, who moved to withdraw the funding at last Wednesday’s council meeting to adopt the budget, said it was clear the community did not support the review.
“I can’t ignore that this is $15,000 of public money and given the number of submissions that have come in to this budget item … the sentiment of the community that they did not wish for this review has been heard,” she said.
“I believe that the commitment of that money would not have been appropriate.”
However, Cr Mees said she did still support the local law being changed, adding that the issue should have been rectified back in 2013.
The $15,000 will instead be allocated to the council’s Places for People program which funds community projects.
The council added eight projects to its budget after receiving $465,000 extra in federal government grants.
Corporate services director John Hausler said the extra money would be spent on projects raised during the consultation process and projects that did not make the draft budget.
Projects added to the budget include $200,000 for the Kyneton Museum, $10,550 for New Gisborne Tennis Court and $20,000 for community engagement and advocacy for the Macedon Ranges Sports Precinct.
