This email and an attachment arrived this morning:
Dear Gleneira Debates,
I just read your entry on the middle of the Racecourse and I am appalled at the way such a Public issue is being handled. But then I am not surprised at that.
I am attaching Council’s letter of 22 November about changes of the road arrangements on Glenhuntly Rd cnr Manchester Gve. The letter invites comments by 7 December. I am a trader nearby and really do not have time for writing and commenting on such a complex in my view issue. The corner has Safeway with 20,000 visitors per week and a 4 storey building being built on the corner. Again there will be a huge influx of cars and people using Public Transport.
This is a Public Realm issue and should have a meeting of residents and users of the area. The traders should be invited to a presentation and verbal detailed explanation not just a drawing, which may or may not be understood. The issue of Parking is also briefly mentioned, but my impression is that it is a fait accompli.
This may be a disaster intersection, since future traffic flows are not being accounted for.
It’s clear that the Engagement process and communication to the Public is unsatisfactory. I just wonder if the changes were simply done on behest of the 2 stakeholders: Safeway and the Developer without any reference to the Public. I also wonder if Councillors themselves know anything about these changes.
Could you please alert your readers and the Public of this project.
Unhappy Trader
Glen Eira Debates 
November 30, 2010 at 7:57 PM
I know this intersection, just before the railway crossing. Safeway is to enlarge its store by 50%, which means lots more cars and the banked up qeue will grow well beyond Booran Rd. The overflow will undoubtedly affect Oakleigh Rd, Neerim Rd, Kambrook Rd, Narmanby Rd, Sir John Monash Dve etc. But then this part of Glen Eira was deliberately ignored just like othere smaller centres. Traffic and parking will be the biiggest headache. Who cares? Obviously no one on the Council.
December 1, 2010 at 7:15 AM
Just want to share with readers the way Glen Eira City Council does its consultation. Here is what they say
“Council sees community consultation as a vital part of its decision-making process. Consultation involves the community in Council’s planning and activities and helps Council to understand the community’s priorities and issues.
Council has adopted six steps to guide community consultation. The six steps are set out below in the attached document.”
Has anybody experienced their 6 step process in action? What does it mean for the ordinary ‘punter’ in the street that just wants to use Glen Eira facilities to live,work, and play?
December 4, 2010 at 3:51 PM
At least Council has written to neighbouring traders, provided a concise summary of the reasons for the change, and included a diagram. That is much more than is ever provided by Council for a Planning Application.
If the people affected believe a meeting is necessary, then that should be requested as a key part of their comments in response. Such meetings are routine for normal Planning applications.
It is a reasonable comment to say that future traffic flows are not being considered. They rarely, if ever, are. Senior Council officers have been left in no doubt by the Director of City Development that traffic is not an issue in and around our activity centres, under the belief that the problem will go away in 20 years.
My opinion is that Council should routinely be modeling traffic flows in and around activity centres. There is a variety of software in existence to do just that. There is so much more a competent Council could and should do by way of modelling. That includes pedestrian flows, usage of public transport, places of employment. As an example, consider what UrbanSim (open source) covers.
The stated purpose of the changes is to improve safety, both for pedestrians and vehicles. That sounds like a good reason. Whether the proposed changes actually will achieve the stated purpose is another matter. I’ll point to what Council/VCAT did with Arawatta St in Carnegie as an example of how it can ballsed up.
As for not having time for writing or commenting on a complex issue, I’m not very supportive of that attitude to public policy. People need to be prepared to get involved and not simply let Council make decisions in isolation. It shouldn’t take very long to write an email covering concerns around increased traffic in a side-street, or loss of car-parking, if indeed they are the concerns of the traders and residents in the area.