The VEAC report was released today. We have not had time for a thorough read, however the following paragraphs are pertinent to this council and its performance. The full report may be accessed at: http://www.veac.vic.gov.au/documents/VEAC152-MMI-Final-Report-FINAL-low-res.pdf
Recently released Australia Bureau of Statistics’ population estimates for metropolitan Melbourne indicate that the current population in some municipalities (Bayside, Brimbank, Glen Eira and Moonee Valley) has already exceeded the projections for 2016 (that is, population growth has been more rapid than anticipated).
Development of facilities on public open space in Caulfield Park
Caulfield Park is in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of North Caulfield. The Park is about 25 hectares in area and is on Crown land. It was permanently reserved for public park, gardens and public recreation in 1866. It is managed by Glen Eira City Council as a committee of management. Much of the park contains sportsgrounds and hard courts, while the western end contains a parkland area. The park also contains a playground and conservatory.
The construction of a new Caulfield Park Pavilion in the central part of the park was completed in 2009. The 0.4 hectare pavilion and car park replaced a small sports building and storage shed (0.04 hectares in size). The footprint of the new pavilion is significantly larger than that of the old building and shed, and involved the construction of an additional access road in the park. The expansion of the pavilion transformed freely accessible public open space into an enclosed area where access generally requires membership of a particular sports club or payment of hire fees.
Sporting groups using the park generally favoured the construction of the new building as it enhanced their sporting activities. There was, however, opposition to the redevelopment from other users who were concerned about the loss of amenity and reduced area available for non-organised recreation and informal activities at the park.
RECOMMENDATIONS
R6 Prior to considering proposals that would result in the reduction of open space, government and local councils undertake a public process to assist them to determine the costs and benefits to the community of proposed reductions in public open space on public land and land owned by local councils.
R7 The principle of no net loss of area be applied when public open space on public land and land owned by local councils is used to deliver non-park related services and facilities.
R8 Public open space on public land and land owned by local councils be managed to maximise public access and to provide the widest range of user opportunities.
R9 Government review the open space contribution policy and provisions in the Victoria Planning Provisions and Subdivision Act 1988 with the aim of assisting metropolitan local councils meet the challenges of population increase by maximising the contribution of open space through subdivision of land. This would include:
(a) reviewing the contribution level in the Subdivision Act to determine whether the minimum contribution should be set at five per cent
(b) streamlining the process for creating a contribution schedule to clause 52.01 of the Victoria Planning Provisions
(c) removing the uncertainties in the interpretation and use of the SubdivisionAct and clause 52.01 of the Victoria Planning Provisions
(d) reviewing the provisions in the Subdivision Act and clause 52.01 of the Victoria Planning Provisions that exempt some subdivisions from the requirement to make an open space contribution
(e) considering whether the open space objectives in clause 56.05-2 of the Victoria Planning Provisions, which detail standards for neighbourhood open space, can be made to operate with the provisions in clause 52.01, which require people proposing to subdivide to make specified contributions to the local council.
Glen Eira Debates 
August 8, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Today’s Age:
Open spaces to shrink as Melbourne grows
Jason Dowling
August 8, 2011
Comments 12
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Public parks are about to get more crowded, according to a new report. Photo: Rodger Cummins
MELBURNIANS will have less room to kick the footy, walk the dog or take personal training sessions in coming years as population pressure squeezes the city’s cherished public open spaces.
A ground-breaking report released today by the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council warns that public open space, such as local parks, gardens and public golf courses will have to cater for communities swelling by more than 1500 new residents a week.
”Public open space per capita is likely to decrease over time for almost all municipalities,” the report concluded. It looked at 29 metropolitan councils.
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Population growth in areas such as Bayside, Brimbank, Glen Eira and Moonee Valley had already exceeded population projections for 2016, the report noted. ”The community perceives that Melbourne’s increasing population will result in a loss of quantity and quality of public open space,” the report commissioned by the state government found.
”Without the retention and creation of public open space on both public land and local council land, public open space per capita will decrease over time for almost all municipalities in the investigation area.”
The report recommends the Baillieu government prepare a ”metropolitan open space policy and strategy that provides a long-term plan for public open space” and maintains ”an open space inventory” to keep track of open space.
Open space was defined in the Metropolitan Melbourne Investigation report as ”those areas of public land and local council land that have an accepted and ongoing community use for outdoor recreation and informal activities and that are freely accessible to the public”. It did not include land zoned as green wedge or farming and rural conservation.
Victorian Environmental Assessment Council member Ian Harris said community responses to the inquiry indicated ”a strong feeling that open space is essential to the liveability of Melbourne”.
Mr Harris said public open space should be considered mandatory infrastructure like schools and hospitals. ”There is a lot of research now around the world linking open space to community health, to child development. It is quite critical in terms of the liveability of communities,” he said.
VicHealth acting chief executive John Fitzgerald said open space was a key factor for healthy living. ”Public open space is one of the essential ingredients of a healthy city and a healthy population,” he said.
Mr Fitzgerald said it was particularly important where backyards had made way for larger homes or subdivisions.
The report recorded 22,360 hectares of public open space inside Melbourne’s urban boundary across the 29 councils, but because the study was the first of its kind it was unable to say whether the amount of public open space was increasing or decreasing.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/open-spaces-to-shrink-as-melbourne-grows-20110807-1ihpr.html#ixzz1UOW29LWz
August 8, 2011 at 3:13 PM
This long awaited report is utterly disappointing. As far as I can tell the racecourse isn’t even mentioned and the recommendations are fairly weak. Community involvement also appears to be limited. I’d be interested in what others think and how they’ve reacted to this document.
August 8, 2011 at 5:14 PM
I agree that the report isn’t all that was hoped for. Yet it does necessitate some action on the part of council. Instead of having 0.25% levies in its planning scheme for some suburbs, and none for others, this should be increased to 5% overall. That would really put a dent in developers’ pockets one hopes. I would have liked to see them be more prescriptive in the manner that these funds can be used since our council claims that the vast majority of this money goes into maintenance of parks (ie. more sports grounds and concrete pavilions) rather than the acquisition of new open space.
August 8, 2011 at 5:41 PM
Correct anonymous how the money is spent is very important.
It now make sense why the GESAC Bailey reserve swindle was rushed through.
The report now gives us the facts to arm ourselves against the asset stripping CEO’s that have infested our town halls. It will take some courage from our councillors to actually make the wise decisions that will head us towards a sustainable future in population growth and open space requirements.
From this point on, the councillors can no longer hide behind a curtain of ignorance.
The facts are there, it’s up to us.
August 8, 2011 at 7:59 PM
Thank you Mr Akehurst and your staff for ensuring that Glen Eira outstrips its population projections in record time. A job well done – but to hell with open space as a consequence and residential amenity. Did you happen to notice that the VEAC Report also talked about structure plans and the need for cohesive planning? Does that ring any bells for you and the developers plus their mates on council? You can be sure that your name will go down in the annals of this council as opportunities botched and community views totally ignored. That’s yours and Newton’s legacy.