Robert Roy Cameron Maclellan AM (born 8 March 1934) is a formerAustralian politician. He was aLiberal member of theVictorian Legislative Assembly, representing the seats ofGippsland West (1970–76),Berwick (1976–92) andPakenham (1992–2002). He was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party from 1982 to 1985.[1]
Maclellan was born inMelbourne to businessman Roy James Maclellan and Amy Catherine McMicking. He attendedMelbourne Grammar School and received aBachelor of Law fromMelbourne University in 1966. He has also studied history atLa Trobe University. He worked in the Victorian Attorney-General's department before teaching atSunshine andNorthcote High Schools, finally becoming a farmer inSouth Gippsland atSan Remo jointly with his brother.
Maclellan married Beverley Merrill Bonwick on 22 June 1963; they have three children. He still lives in San Remo.
In 1970, Maclellan was elected as the Liberal member forGippsland West in theVictorian Legislative Assembly. He moved to theBerwick electorate in 1976 when Gippsland West was abolished, and in that year became Minister of Labour and Industry andMinister of Consumer Affairs. He was madeMinister of Transport in 1982.
Following theLabor victory inthat year's election, Maclellan became Deputy Leader of the Opposition, a position he held until 1985. He was Shadow Minister for Conservation, Forests and Lands during that time, but stepped down from the front bench in 1985. He returned in 1989 as Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Police and Emergency Services. He then held the Small Business (1990–91) and Planning (1991–92) shadow portfolios. In 1992, he moved to the new electorate ofPakenham.
Maclellan becameMinister for Planning when the Liberals won office at the1992 election, led byJeff Kennett. Local Government was added to his portfolio in 1996. Maclellan was an integral part of Kennett's sweeping programme to boost Victoria's economy. He was opposed to local control of planning matters deemed to be of strategic importance of the economic growth of the State. He argued: "Devolution of State planning powers to a large number of municipal councils ... resulted in an overemphasis on local aspects of planning and development at a cost to the wider community".[2] He instituted the Victoria Planning Provisions (VPPs), which were integrated intoall Victorian planning schemes.[3] InCrikey, Stephen Rowley wrote of his role as Planning Minister: "Maclellan was notoriously and unapologetically interventionist, and despite the ultimate fate of the Kennett government, his "can-do" attitude mostly benefited him politically".[4]
After Labor won the1999 state election, he resigned from the Liberal front bench. He retired from parliament in 2002, after his electorate of Pakenham was abolished and he failed to win Liberal preselection for new seat ofGembrook.[1]
Maclellan was made a Member of theOrder of Australia (AM), 2005, "For service to the Victorian Parliament, particularly in the areas of planning and transport, and to the community."[5]
In late 2011, Maclellan was identified as having made several personal requests to the sitting Victorian Planning MinisterMatthew Guy to support rezoning of farmland atVentnor onPhillip Island, that a family friend needed to make a possible housing development viable. The media regarded the interventions as inappropriate. Guy authorised the rezoning but it was later retracted after pressure from other Liberal Party members and the public.[6]
| Parliament of Victoria | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forGippsland West 1970–1976 | Succeeded by Seat abolished |
| Preceded by New seat | Member forBerwick 1976–1992 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by New seat | Member forPakenham 1992–2002 | Succeeded by Seat abolished |