Below is a chronological account of the Planning Meeting for the centre of the Caulfield Racetrack.

  • No signage at town hall alerting residents where to go. Doors were locked. Eventually informed by Crs. Forge and Penhalluriack (once they themselves found out) that the meeting was to occur upstairs in one of the rooms
  • Present 11 residents; Crs. Penhalluriack and Forge (as observers); Magee chaired the meeting and Town Planner was to take notes and ‘explain’ the application. An projector displayed the plans on a wall.
  • Not everyone received a copy of the plans since not enough were made available
  • NO REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MRC WAS PRESENT
  • Magee’s role as chair was questioned since he is a member of the MRC trustees and therefore whether this constituted a ‘conflict of interest’. Magee claimed it didn’t since this meeting was not a ‘decision making’ meeting.
  • Several residents began by criticising council and its failure to adequately inform the community of this meeting, as well as failing to provide sufficient copies of plans. Town Planner responded that 432 letters had been sent out; notices placed around the racecourse and advertising in Local Papers. She emphasised that council was adhering to the law since their obligation was only to notify ‘abutting’ residents. Several present complained that they ‘abutted’ the racecourse and had not received notification via council. The point was made that council always acted upon the LETTER of the law rather than the SPIRIT of the law and that this was not good enough. Town Planner retorted that she had received only one objection earlier and one handed in today. A resident present stated that he had submitted an objection and asked Magee whether he had read it. The response was ‘no’.
  • Complaints were also made about the indecipherability of the plans; that the meeting should have tabled the application in its entirety. Several residents claimed to have inspected the file, but that in each instance the documents differed.
  • Magee explained that the purpose was to act upon the application – not its purpose and use. Town planner affirmed that even though a car park was drawn in the plans, council’s role was only to grant permission for the ‘shovel’ to go into the ground – not how this land was to be used. Argument degenerated into confusion, and semantics.
  • One resident walked out half way through meeting
  • Major criticisms of the plan included: building a car park on open space and the community’s land; the fact that council officers had ‘negotiated’ with the MRC and hence ‘conflict of interest’ questions arose again
  • Magee insisted that the land belonged to the Commonwealth when numerous residents informed him that it belonged to the State as per Queen Victoria’s caveat.
  • Magee also informed the meeting that the Town Planning officers would go away and write up their report and it would be available in the agenda items and council would then consider the recommendations. When asked if the public could address council, Magee’s response was ‘No’. One resident pointed out that residents do have the right to address councillors at council meetings upon the discretion of the Mayor! Cr. Forge said that she would be bringing this up with her fellow councillors.
  • Other concerns were the ‘legality’ of the application – Magee and Town Planner did not know. Safety issues – ie the pedestrian tunnel to access the centre where people had to walk through dust and dung, as well as car traffic. 

The predominant mood of the meeting was anger, and dismay at the failure of council to be proactive in its advocacy for residents. Most present felt that the entire meeting was farcical and a fait accompli!!!!

If you were present and would like to add your comments on anything left out in the above, please do so.