LCC Melbourne Study Area (1971-1977)

Progress

Overview

Notices showing the boundary of the study area and advising that an investigation was to be carried out were published in the Victoria Government Gazette, and in local and Victorian newspapers in June and July 1971.  A descriptive report was published in April 1974.  The Council received 408 submissions on the future use of public land from individuals, associations, companies, and local and State government bodies.  After considering these submissions, and having visited the area, the Council formulated its proposed recommendations, which were published in February 1975.  The Council received 1,014 submissions commenting on the proposed recommendations. The Council published its final recommendations in January 1977.

The future of Melbourne’s closed water catchments managed by the powerful Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works was a major issue for the investigation. The recommendation for a Yarra Valley Multi-purpose Park was not accepted by the government. The inclusion of high quality timber resources in parks across the study area was also highly controversial. In designing the recommended national and state parks the Council ultimately avoided the most valuable mountain ash and alpine ash forests.

This original Melbourne study saw public land classification fully developed with extensive descriptions of the different categories.

The descriptive report, proposed recommendations and final recommendations are available from this page.

The part of the Melbourne Study Area west of the Hume Freeway was reviewed in the Melbourne Area District 1 Review (1984-1987) and the area east of the Hume Freeway in the Melbourne Area District 2 Review (1987-1994).