Today’s Caulfield Leader Advertisement (tiny) on Page 12 –
CAULFIELD RACECOURSE PRECINCT
SPECIAL COMMITTEE MEETING
4 April 2011
Notice is given pursuant to Section 89(4) of the Local Government Act 1989 that a meeting of the Glen Eira City council Caulfield Racecourse Precinct Special Committee will be held on:
- Monday 4 April 2011 in the Caulfield Pavilion, Caulfield Park, Balaclave road, Caulfield commencing at 7pm.
The business to be transacted at this meeting will be:
- Melbourne Racing club (MRC) Planning Scheme amendment C60 and a planning application for works in the centre of the reserve – to hear oral submissions from interested parties (a maximum of three minutes per submission)
Glen Eira Debates 
March 22, 2011 at 9:57 AM
What a surprise! Short notice, little advertising, and hidden away so that it is easily missed by people. One must ask what’s the purpose of this meeting except to continue the charade of consultation. There will not be written submissions (cos that’s already been done!!!!) so all people can do is speak for the amazing time of 3 minutes and then be cut off if they repeat what other people have said. Also instead of having written documentation of what people want, think, and believe, words will not be recorded or documented in any way. They will simply disappear so once again the wider community will not know what has happened. Nothing will be published in the minutes except a watered down version that would do credit to such authors as Orwell and his vision of Big Brother.
Lipshutz will pretend that he is listening intently, thank people for showing up, be echoed by the others, and then in a week or so, there will be another meeting and everything will be passed through. Stuff the people, stuff real consultation, and let’s grab the money and bend over to be totally screwed by the MRC. This is real prostitution and there can be no doubt who are the pimps!
March 22, 2011 at 10:05 AM
Why is Council linking the two issues together. They are totally separate:
1. C60 is the massive overdevelopment which is totally out of context with Caulfield and which will dwarf all that has come before. It will also surpass Docklands in dysfunctionality and create major traffic and congestion problems.
2. The Centre of the racecourse development is the belated trustees/MRC attempt to fulfill their legal obligations under the Trust Deed.
There is so much wrong with C60 it will be hard enough to speak for only 3 mins. on that issue alone!!!!
March 22, 2011 at 10:51 AM
This is totally outrageous. A resolution is on Council books that outlines the vision for the centre of the racecourse. Meetings were supposed to occur as a result of this resolution. I find it extremely hard to believe that discussions have now been finalised and that some agreement has already been reached between council and the MRC. If it has been reached then residents need to know exactly what the results are BEFORE they address the committee. Otherwise they are merely, excuse the language, pissing in the wind. On the other hand, if no progress has been made in these meetings, then the call for residents to speak is again premature.
I also agree entirely with Ben in the need to separate the C60 from the centre issue, especially since this seems to undermine the successful Penhalluriack motion of several weeks ago. From my standpoint, this is opportunism at its most venal.
The allocation of 3 minutes speaking time is also woeful. Does it mean 3 minutes on each issue, or are residents left to express their views on the C60 for 90 seconds and the centre of the racecourse for also 90 seconds? The process is a sham and this message needs to be delivered in spades.
March 22, 2011 at 12:30 PM
If 60 people turn up and all want to speak for 3 Minutes thats 180 minutes or 3 hours without introductions and questions.
March 22, 2011 at 12:55 PM
There were four parts to the motion raised by Frank Penhalluriack and passed by all Council that must be answered by the MRC before I would even bother attending. Otherwise it is a joke and is ticking a box rather than dealing with a real community issue, in fact what I believe is the greatest issue in the history of Glen Eira/Caulfield Council.
1. That the opaque fencing be replaced by palisade fencing as soon as possible. (MRC to provide the timeline)
2. That training be fenced off and public be given exclusive and unrestricted access via the tunnel from Glen Eira Road (again, timeline please)
3. The MRC landscape the area and include passive areas, sporting use, toilets and passive areas (thats why I don’t mind bundling the two issues because they are linked BUT WE JUST NEED ANSWERS FROM THE MRC)
4. That a firm timetable be set for the expeditious removal of horse training
(again specific timing please).
I would also like an assurance from the MRC that the remaining crown land remains crown land and is not built on – an earlier post suggested that the Guineas area was going to become a multi-storey carpark. That can never be allowed.
Until I have assurance from Council that these issues will be addressed by the MRC, I refuse to attend a Kangaroo Court!
March 22, 2011 at 3:16 PM
Have to disagree with you in part View. Sure this is a set up and a kangaroo court. We all know that. But Lipshutz, Newton, and their cronies should be confronted with public outrage at what’s going on. Have the press there, and I’m not talking the bought off Leader. Create a real stink! It’s about time that this community was really up in arms about the failures of this council and the lack of real representation by the vast majority of these councillors – should I say stooges cos that would describe them a lot better.
The two issues should be separated. As someone said, ‘negotiations’ haven’t been revealed or probably completed, so what the hell are they going to vote on, and what the hell are the public going to say when they’re not party to this information. They’re blind. Don’t forget that the carparking issue has to be resolved as you point out, which means that the centre of the racecourse is crucial for them pushing through the c60.
The whole sordid affair needs to be exposed good and proper.
March 22, 2011 at 3:25 PM
Just seen the letter sent to objectors. Disgusting and devious title. ‘Planning Committee’ its called and signed off by good ‘ol Effie.
March 22, 2011 at 8:57 PM
I wish Esakoff owned some land around the racecourse then C 60 would definately not be approved. The similarities between Libya and Glen Eira under the current regimes is striking.
April 1, 2011 at 12:49 PM
The only relaxation for the unfortunate people living in these cage like units of as little as only seven squares with “New York style fold up-beds” will not be a green blade of grass but a button on one of the many hundreds of poker machines which are so handy. Statistically, now people in these establishments usually do not have work(Henderson-Wilson 2008) so they may try their luck across the road or round at the local hotels. They will have to have their smokes on the footpaths though and the footpaths will become a mix of more cigarette butts and of course the usual broken glass,papers and grass clippiongs from the race copurse events and properties. The drains will be poisonous for me as a fish.
April 2, 2011 at 8:00 AM
Only seven squares!!!! And yet the MRC and Caulfield Village website advertises itself as an over 55 development. Yep, those looking to downsize will certainly flock to this development.
What will be the no. of residences and the workers and daily patrons now? Before the height increases and unit downsizing it was 1200 residences, 3000 workers and 4000 daily patrons. Even on these figures (which should probably be doubled), think about it folks, an additional 8,000 all using an already congested road network (with little parking) or an already outdated, unreliable public transport network. Where will these folks spend their leisure time certainly not in the open areas because there are none.