For over a decade, landowners between Peck Road and Brown Road in Pakenham have been trapped in a cycle of frustration over zoning and planning issues.
In 2013, 72 landowners sought to subdivide their land into one-acre and five-acre lots. Although the land is zoned as green wedge, poor soil quality makes it unsuitable for agriculture. Yet, residents say they have been unable to get clear answers from authorities.
East Victoria MP Renee Heath raised the issue in Parliament on 26 August, amplifying the voices of local landowners.
“For 12 years now, landowners have felt extreme frustration because when they have gone and spoken to Cardinia Shire Council, the council says that it is a State Government decision,” Heath told Parliament.
“And when they have followed up with the State Government, they have sent them back to Cardinia Shire Council.
“They said that it has been frustrating because there has been a decade of being batted between the two authorities.”
Heath called on the Minister for Planning to meet with Cardinia Shire Council to clarify responsibility for the zoning issue and provide residents with certainty over what they can do with their land.
When asked about what this means for the affected landowners moving forward, Heath said: “They’ve given Labor every opportunity to care and listen for over a decade. After retirement and life plans being held back for so long, Labor’s forcing them to vote for local care and competence at the next election”.
For Carol Moores, the sticking point is that part of her property was left outside the urban growth zone — a decision she’s never been able to make sense of.
The exclusion has left her without basic infrastructure, with unmade roads and detours turning even short trips into Pakenham into a hassle.
Moores and her neighbour Marcus recently visited council to ask why, after all these years, there is still no strategic plan.
Later, after finding out the planner’s name, she felt a little hope which was quickly crushed.
“I was given the name of the fellow in charge of planning, so I rang council to ask for an appointment,” Moore said.
“Council told me, ‘you can’t talk to him, we don’t give appointments’. So where do we get answers then?”
It is the latest chapter in what she describes as years of unanswered efforts.
“We’re not rural, residential, or anything — we’re just completely ignored,“ Moores said.
“I’ve spent years writing letters. We even had a company draw up a plan, but they’ve ignored it all.”
Although Moores says she doesn’t want to give up, her health has suffered.
“My health has given up. The stress, the stroke. I’m just too old for this fight. I can’t keep up with this anymore.
“The government destroyed our efforts to provide for ourselves. I’ve got nothing now; they’re just whittling me away.”
Responding to landowner concerns, Debbie Tyson, General Manager of Community and Planning Services, clarified council’s position on Green Wedge zoning and the urban growth boundary.
”As part of our submission to Plan Victoria in August 2024, Council was seeking clarification on the role of Plan Victoria in affirming the urban growth boundary and whether the Minister for Planning would consider requests from landowners to realign the urban growth boundary,” Tyson said.
“Plan Victoria, which was approved in early 2025, affirmed the State Government’s position that there will be no change to the urban growth boundary. As a result, Council cannot support any rezoning or applications to increase the subdivision potential of Green Wedge land or move the location of the UGB.”
According to council, the area referred to is outside of the State Government urban growth boundary (UGB) for Metropolitan Melbourne and within a Green Wedge Zone.
Amending the urban growth boundary (UGB) and zoning of green wedge land to allow increased subdivision potential can only be enabled by the Minister for Planning and must be ratified by both Houses of Parliament.
