SHARDEY (Hansard, Oct. 6th, 2010)

(Caulfield) — The issue I raise on my second-last day in the Parliament is for the attention of the Minister for Planning. The action I seek is that he ensure that the residents of Caulfield do not have forced on them the inappropriate overdevelopment planned and facilitated by the Brumby government known as Caulfield Village. The proposed C60 amendment, or Caulfield Village development, proposes a high-density commercial and residential development between Caulfield Racecourse and the railway line at Caulfield station. The proposal includes towering buildings of 15 and 23 storeys, which will loom over Caulfield homes. It also includes 1200 high-density small one and two-bedroom residential units, a major new shopping centre to include over 35 000 square metres of retail and office development and very little off-street parking.The Brumby government has done nothing to ensure that such a development in this part of Caulfield is in keeping with the residential environment and demographics of the area. All that Caulfield residents have to look forward to is lack of parking for this massive project, overcrowded and blocked streets, and the threat of alcohol-fuelled antisocial behaviour that racecourses can attract. Local residents are not antidevelopment, but they do want to be listened to and they do want the amenity of their neighbourhood preserved. They want developments that add to the community and are reflective of the lifestyle they enjoy, and they are happy to share with others.
It is time the Minister for Planning stopped plotting behind the backs of Victorians and doing secret deals without community support and realised Victorians are not his pawns to be overlooked and run roughshod over to effect his own political agenda. The Brumby government has already legislated a land swap to give the Melbourne Racing Club a large piece of Crown land to form part of the Caulfield Village development.

The problem is that the piece of land being made available to the community in return for the Crown land is judged by Glen Eira City Council as being of little value to the community. The council has said it will not develop this piece of land for community use because it fronts a busy intersection and is not seen to be of sufficient size or value.

The lack of consultation on this land swap has been judged to be appalling and yet another arrogant action of the Brumby government, which cares little for community views. The Minister for Planning should take action to right yet another wrong. We do not want to see another Windsor-style total debacle in relation to a residential area, and we do not want to see a minister who is not accepting his responsibility to listen to local communities.