Labor planning spokesman Brian Tee is on his way to Ventnor on Phillip Island to join a rally which was to be a protest but will now be a celebration. Cyrus told her more than 2.4 million Twitter followers this week that opening up the environmentally sensitive area to development would be a shame.
"Phillip Island is such a magical place, it would be a shame to see it change," she tweeted. Mr Tee said Planning Minister Matthew Guy had contacted Bass Coast Shire Council mayor Veronica Dowman today and told her he had changed his mind. "It's disappointing that it takes Miley Cyrus, an international superstar, to intervene before (Premier) Ted Baillieu will listen to the local community," he said.
Cyrus rose to fame playing Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel. Comment is being sought from Ms Dowman and Mr Guy. Mr Guy had argued a number of controls were in place to ensure future development in the area protected the coast and vegetation. The Bass Coast is the fastest growing regional shire in Victoria. Mr Guy said his credibility was well intact and stressed land supply was a major issue in the Bass Coast Shire.
He said he spoke with Cr Dowman this morning and told her he had changed his mind about rezoning the farm land on the outskirts of Ventnor after listening to the concerns of the community and the council.
"I think that is called a negotiated outcome and good government," he told ABC Radio. "What changed my mind was the council actually agreeing that we could ... bring forward land supply across the municipality.
"If it upsets developers or anyone else then so be it."It has been an awful week for the government, with controversy continuing to engulf the parliamentary secretary for police, Bill Tilley, and Treasurer Kim Wells failing to answer basic questions at a press conference about a report on the impact of a carbon tax on Victoria. "(Opposition Leader) Daniel Andrews is just an angry Mr Bean," Mr Guy said. "Government is not easy, we acknowledge that, but we also acknowledge that it needs to be done with people and that's what we're doing with the Bass Coast Shire."