Kelvin Thomson’s VEAC submission
As mentioned in a recent update, Kelvin Thomson encouraged residents to make submissions to the VEAC review of Crown land, and advised of his own intent to do so. Kelvin’s submission to the Metropolitan Land Inquiry titled; The Edgars Creek Parkland. The lungs of the Coburg Community, makes two recommendations along the lines of retaining the parkland as public open space on the proviso that Council is willing to maintain it as parkland into the future.
The submission is quite extensive, and goes through the ecological, environmental and social benefits of retaining the parkland as public open space.
Included in the submission is the ability for the parkland to play a role locally in combating climate change by retaining stores of carbon. For a long time governments at various levels have underestimated the importance of urban parkland’s such as the Edgars Creek in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The submission also illustrates the parkland ability to play a role in keeping the locally community fit and tackling obesity by providing open space for sport and recreational activity. It also addresses the population demand in the area. In the past population growth and development have come at the expense of open space. Kelvin outlines the need for future population and development policy to consider the provision of public open space.