Agenda for Glen Eira Council Meeting, 15th March 2011.
10. Urgent Business
Seek leave to raise an item of urgent business.
Involves a request by the Minister for Planning to negotiate with the Melbourne Racing Club to ensure a public benefit from the Crown Land known as the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve. There is no other motion from Council to permit these negotiations to proceed. We are dealing with 56 hectares of land worth over $2 billion.
Motion: (Moved by Cr. Penhalluriack; seconded by Cr. Pilling.)
That Council invites authorized representatives of the Melbourne Racing Club to a meeting with Councillors to discuss future arrangements, including timetables, for the sharing of the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Crown Land. The Mayor shall open the meeting, and introduce Councillors Forge and Magee who shall explain, using overheads, Council’s position. The meeting shall then be open for all to contribute. The meeting shall be sound-recorded and minutes shall be prepared.
Glen Eira Debates 
March 13, 2011 at 1:21 PM
Does this allow members of the public to voice concern against Councils belligerant attitude to the MRC and to voice support as to the benefits the MRC provides our community.
March 13, 2011 at 1:45 PM
Whoopeeeeeeee! How the mighty are falling. On ya Frank! Reckon what this does is to sideline Newton and Esakoff and ensure that ‘negotiations’ are in front of all councillors and are recorded for posterity. The cracks are really starting to get bigger and not a moment too soon.
March 13, 2011 at 2:20 PM
Why not? The positives the MRC provide the community should take 2 minutes (in a stretch). That leaves the rest of the night to discuss some of the negatives of the MRC.
March 13, 2011 at 5:20 PM
Anonymous voice as much concern as you like. You’re going to be in an echo chamber all alone. The only sympathetic ears you’ll have are Newton, Burke, Lipshutz, Tang and Hyams with possibly Esakoff to make up the unofficial gang of five or six or whatever.
Penhalluriack has indeed got the ball rolling. We can only pray that it’s not too late and that the ground hasn’t literally been sold from under us.
March 13, 2011 at 3:11 PM
Penhalluriack’s motion is fine as far as it goes. But it’s still too general and vague. Does the use of the word “timetables” include discussion or negotiation about getting rid of training, and what about removing fences? The other possibility of course is that the MRC will simply refuse to show up, but then this leaves then in an extremely bad light. Now whether the motion is using the language of the Minister or this is entirely Penhalluriack’s baby is worth considering. If the Minister’s then it’s relevant coming from his speech in parliament. If from Penhalluriack then it should have been stronger and more exacting. The real bonus, and can’t agree more with Smart Aleck is the removal of power from Newton and returning it to where it should be – in the hands of councillors who must listen to their ratepayers.
What will be tantalising is to see Lipshutz Tang and Hyams do a bit of squirming on this after their efforts at the last council meeting. They can’t backtrack now since Penhalluriack’s previous motion was passed and they can’t appear too critical cos that will place them in an extremely poor light and show up the hypocrisy. Tang will probably squirm his way out with the nonsense of ‘conflict of interest’. But I think that’s okay. The community is better off without him.
It finally looks as if someone with balls is taking control. Well done Penhalluriack!
March 13, 2011 at 3:13 PM
Where did that item come from?
It’s not in the agenda on the council website.
March 13, 2011 at 3:15 PM
MODERATORS’ COMMENTS: From one of our sources!
March 13, 2011 at 6:07 PM
has anybody visited the mrc caravan show? did you try to park? did you try to get your normal seniors meal? no way. during the caravan show seniors do not exist.
March 13, 2011 at 6:16 PM
Why are you ALL so negative? After all if you were running a business like taking care of the Racecourse and the wonderful Racing Carnivals for 150 years, wouldn’t you try to make sure it makes money? I am really, really curious, what is it that the ‘gang of 2’ want? Spell it out. Do you want MRC to fail? That will certainly NOT give you any money for the Council or the community. Besides, show me one Glen Eira Council enterprise that makes money! Governments at all levels simply cannot run a business properly. So get off MRC back!
March 13, 2011 at 7:09 PM
Can’t say that I completely follow your argument Curious. In the first place, I don’t think anyone would be upset if the MRC made some money. The rub lies with the fact that very little of this money is made from MRC land alone, but from the combination of Crown Land and freehold. What’s returned to the community is piffling. Would anyone know the figures from events such as the caravan show, or Monash carparking, or general student carparking. How much is turned over on the use of land that is not exclusively the MRC’s and how much does Council get. There are rates to Council for sure, but so there should be, like every other property owner in the municipality. But these rates are probably calculated on their freehold not on what is actually used to benefit their own pockets. This is where the community misses out and its been going on for, as you say,150 years.
Anonymous’ arguments are also suspect. He can support them all he likes, and if he’s the author of past posts, then it is crazy to argue about employment when the vast majority of trainers aren’t from this area, and I’d hazard a guess that their staff also aren’t from this area but from their stable location. All in all, residents get nothing and are locked out of land that should be as much theirs as the MRC likes to pretend it belongs only for their exclusive use.
March 14, 2011 at 9:14 AM
Colin, MRC and VATC as its owner have obtained tenancy rights to manage the Racecourse area under conditions as set out originally and modified from time to time by mutual agreement with the State Government at that time (Liberal, Labor, whatever). Within those conditions VATC can do as they please, everything legitimate, above board and proper. VATC for the last 150 years has managed this Crown Land under various State Governments. In that time there were many challenges to VATC tenancy. All of them have failed. I dare say that the latest attempt by the ‘gang of 2 and friends’ will fail as well, even if it goes to the High Court. Of course, they can always appeal to the higher authority. PRAY
March 14, 2011 at 10:03 AM
The tin fence surrounding the course was built by the army during ww2. Why do we need to keep it as the army left the facility in 1945. Is it heritage protected? The use of the racecourse for events such as the camping show is recent as is use of parking by monash uni. Slowly but surely residents have been pushed away, especially in the 10 years – and they have nothing to do with horse racing. I think that it us only fair for an even balance because there comes a point where people are pushed so far that they crack and that will help no-one.
March 13, 2011 at 8:21 PM
What a great motion … congratulations to those involved in making it – it did not happen without considerable effort.
When the event actually occurs we have to send a loud and clear message – this message has to be sent by us standing up, under our real names, and being counted. Writing on this website, while a great forum for passing ideas or venting, under various psuedonyms is not sufficient. Get out there in person and encourage your friends and neighbours as well – the more numbers the more they have to listen.
March 13, 2011 at 10:29 PM
I am finding this process a little confusing.
The pre-amble to the motion refers to “a request by the Minister for Planning to negotiate with the Melbourne Racing Club to ensure a public benefit from the Crown Land known as the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve.”
Is this true? Have we seen this request?
Why would the State Government ask for these negotiations when it is the State Government itself that owns the land? Doesn’t the State Government have the authority here, rather than council?
Furthermore, the motion is very poorly worded. I mean, who seriously cares whether they use overheads?
More importantly, will the meeting be open to the public? Will the community even see the minutes – the motion states that “the meeting shall be sound-recorded and minutes shall be prepared.” but doesn’t say that the minutes will be published.
And despite the intentions of Crs Penhalluriack and Forge, it seems like they are happy for the community to remain an observer in this process rather than a participant.
March 13, 2011 at 11:42 PM
An earlier post on the site had Pakula’s response to a question where he said that he was hoping council and MRC could work together. Seems like he’s actually put something down on paper. I don’t know if this is public. But it doesn’t matter. The entire thing is politics. From the Libs point of view it’s let them battle it out and we stay in the clear away from the flack. He’ll only intervene if nothing eventuates. Residents shouldn’t accept this passing the buck. You’re right Glen Huntly – decisions have to be made that favour people and not horses and big money.Pakula and his mates need to be hammered about this.
March 14, 2011 at 5:01 PM
I haven’t seen former Cr. Staikos mentioned. He was appointed a lifetime trustee of the by the Brumby Gov. He supported the MRC’s efforts when he was the Council appointed trustee. I saw him at the races not long ago enjoying himself. It is pretty obvious that the ALP are rooting for the MRC. Frank certainly has his work cut out.
March 24, 2011 at 12:25 AM
Cr Staikos was in a corner as he was employed by Ann Barker, ALP member for Oakleigh, and as such he was ineligable to serve on our council as well. She said she had never heard of any trouble with the Caulfield Racecourse from him,and now she has proven silent in the parliament. We did well the two women representatives for Caulfield and Oakleigh were mentioned in the Sun as among the ten quietest members in the parliament.
Yes Mr Staikos was probably dining in the committee room just as Cr James Hyams and Mayor Esakoff on Australia Day 2011. I hope their views are still considerate of residents too!