THE issue that would become known simply as MOIA has dogged the Mildura region for many years.
On paper, the policy held merit. The Victorian Government had invested more than $100 million to modernise the district’s irrigation infrastructure and it wanted a return on its investment.
When it came to the bigger blocks, the policy generally worked, with bigger blocks being brought back into production and family farmers who were looking to expand benefiting from lower property prices.
But for others, the policy was disastrous.
Blockies with long-held plans to subdivide and sell a parcel of their block to fund their retirement, or build a second home as part of their family’s succession planning, were suddenly and unceremoniously denied that opportunity.
The Department of Planning maintained fair warning was given, but the reality was many families were simply unaware of the rules until it was too late.
Asset values plummeted overnight. And in the 10 years since the MOIA rules were introduced, the smaller blocks of land have not been brought back into production. They are simply not suitable.
The result: despair, frustration and heartache for more than 150 local families.
But last week, we had a breakthrough. Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne announced the rules would be changed. It’s a decision that will have huge benefits for our region as it looks to recover economically from the COVID-19 crisis.
It will give more than 150 landholders in the MOIA (Mildura Older Irrigation Area) the opportunity to build their dream home on blocks between 0.2 and 1.2 hectares. This will open up potentially $100 million worth of private investment – a huge boost to the construction industry and creating jobs.
The MOIA decision shows what can be achieved with a bold and ambitious approach to advocacy. Many times we were told the MOIA rules would never be changed but, as with the hospital issue, we’ve proved the doubters wrong.
Since the 2018 state election, daring to dream has been the essence of our success. In just 18 months, we’re more than $150 million better off. And with three budgets left to go in this term, we’re just getting started.
Ali Cupper is the Member for Mildura
