Tuesday, 5 May 2026

 Kim WELLS (Rowville) (12:46): (1626) My question is to the Minister for Planning. Minister, when will my deeply concerned Rowville electorate constituents have their voices and third-party review rights restored regarding local Knox City Council planning decisions on townhouses and multi-unit developments? Many are outraged by what they see as a draconian erosion of local planning oversight and a total denial of third-party appeal rights on planning decisions within the Rowville and Knox community. Since the introduction of planning amendment VC267 by the state government in March 2025, Knox City Council have been stripped of their ability to apply local neighbourhood character policies to residential multi-unit developments. This deemed-to-comply pathway has effectively silenced my constituents, removing their third-party review rights and preventing them from challenging inappropriate developments at VCAT.