From Caulfield Glen Eira Leader
Close eye on development
THE final Caulfield Village project came about as a result of extensive negotiation and involved many stakeholders (‘‘Libs on back foot’’, Leader, July 5).
As a candidate, I said that ‘‘we need developments that add to the community’’, and I stand by this.
As a result of my involvement in these negotiations, the centre of the racecourse is being improved with a $1.8 million contribution by the MRC.
I raised three other specific concerns about this development, which I am glad have been addressed:
HEIGHT restrictions have been put in place on the entire site, which range from two to three storeys at the Kambrook Rd end to no more than 20 storeys at the Monash University end.
THE parking requirements put in place are higher than both recent comparable developments and recent decisions made by VCAT. There will also be restrictions on on-street parking.
COMMUNITY concerns over high density, low cost housing have been heard and restrictions have been put in place to ensure any residential development does not have a detrimental effect on public safety.
As this development continues, I will be monitoring its progress to ensure the view of our community are heard.
Glen Eira Debates 
August 9, 2011 at 10:41 AM
My God – we should all be bowing down to your fabulous victory for residents. Height restrictions of no more than 20 storeys, and more parking restrictions than comparable developments. Name me just one comparable developments in the area Mr Southwick. It’s also very reassuring to know that you’ve put in place conditions that won’t have a detrimental impact on residents. It’s really such a windfall for residents so I’m curious as to whether you’d like to live anywhere alongside this disaster.
August 9, 2011 at 4:29 PM
What’s wrong with 20 storeys? Good way to house people especialy when the city has so little open space. Buildings of this height will be common in Melbourne in the near future. People have to live somewhere. You will see. You have no choice but to get used to it. Shouldn’t be too hard.
August 9, 2011 at 6:26 PM
Yeah build 20 storeys but not near Newtons house … Or the Councillors either!
August 9, 2011 at 5:45 PM
Your right anon, I also see there is nothing wrong with 20 floors and people must live some place.
But is it that simple?
Would not it be nice to see it planned planed for, adequate public open space local facilities like kinder’s, schools all must be able to cope with the influx.
Over crowding is a negative when it comes to education our children.
Glen Eira councils response is to abandon its responsibility for pre-schooling, and put providing public open space in the to-hard-basket, and sell off our assets that are needed.
We do no-one any justice by promising people a good life in Glen Eira whilst abandoning any social responsibility for there well being.
Do we want to become London? if we don’t we must plan wisely for our community, leaving it up to the market place to provide will lead us to London 2011, no money for anything to do with people’s well-being. But billions of pounds for the Olympic games gravy train. Choose your side.
August 9, 2011 at 8:58 PM
We won’t become like London. The cause of the current problem is London is simple. There are people that are under educated but have traditionally been able to find employment. Since Britain signed up with the EU and allowed Europeans to work there they have been inundated by Polish people. They are well educated and will work for low wages. They are reliable and hardworking. Unfortunately they have taken the traditional jobs of many unskilled Britons. Drive past any London tube station and you will notice large groups of tradesman standing around waiting for a builder to drive up and give them a days work. Far cheaper that hiring a local pom and they work harder. They young ones see no future. Pre-schools are a function of the education department. The money spent on the Olympics is going into infrastrucure that will be used long into the future.
August 9, 2011 at 9:54 PM
anon there is 24 million refugees out there now, and that could double in the next few years and then no doubt double again.
You bubble world of Glen Eira is heading to be London, Calcutta, or LA, or something similar. Melbourne is rapidly headed for 5 million people, 4.2+ now. No circus of athletes is going help anyone.
Work cheaper just to eat and a place to sleep in a rat race that will burn down your bedroom.
Pre schools are a function of a civilized society not some government department.
We have a morality and a environmental crisis, not a financial crisis.
Money may not be able solve either.
That is why parts of London are burning.
August 9, 2011 at 11:32 PM
If David Southwick was involved in extensive negotiations, then he should be aware that the Caulfield Village and racecourse improvements are two separate developments, unrelated other than a bunch of plutocrats called the MRC are involved with both. Cr Lipschutz was so adamant that they were unrelated he was prepared to turf a room of 100+ people out of a public meeting on the point.
David makes the spurious claim that height restrictions have been put in place on the entire Caulfield Village site. This is of course a lie. There is no such thing as height limits in the Victoria Planning Provisions. There is only policy. Some policies contain “standards”, which VCAT freely ignores when it suits them. There are no standards for buildings of 4 or more storeys. Despite this amazing omission, there are standards designed to protect people’s amenity: prevent overshadowing, overlooking, provide reasonable solar access, provide a reasonable buffer between property boundaries etc. That’s where heights get involved, but they’re not binding. There is *no* limit.
Theoretically people can request a Review of Council planning decisions, especially when Council fails to consider the matters specified in Glen Eira Planning Scheme. What Council did is remove all 3rd party appeal rights provided the developer confines their building envelope to what is in the Development Plan. We don’t know what is in the Development Plan (it may not yet exist), but again theoretically it is supposed to be generally consistent with the the Incorporated Plan, and that specifies heights for different parts of the precinct. Exceeding those heights only acts as a trigger for restoration of the 3rd party appeal rights that Council has removed. People can appeal to VCAT, then lose their appeal. Developers win at VCAT at least 87% of the time (you have more chance rolling a 6 on a fair die).
The Planning Panel acknowledged the development would adversely affect the amenity of nearby residents, but decided that the profit of the developer was more important. That is hardly surprising considering Panels often consist of part-time VCAT members. In a particularly shameful act, the Panel permitted Stuart Morris SC berate a member of the public for refusing to sell. To add to the Panel’s shame, they recommended less than the ResCode standard of protection of the amenity of that resident–with no appeal rights. Glen Eira Council wholeheartedly supported that part of the Panel report, and now we discover David also supports it.
I’ve commented before on the unsatisfactory state of governance of the Public Reserve component of the Racecourse precinct. We don’t know what parts of the Reserve have been leased to the MRC or what the terms of those leases are. The public has no right of access currently, and under the draft agreement, continues to have no right of access. There is no revenue stream available to the public to fund the continued improvement and maintenance of *our* public reserve. All monies have been appropriated by the MRC for their benefit. Where the hell are the Trustees in all of this? The majority are of course racing folk, as per the Government’s wishes that this Crown land be managed primarily for the benefit of the MRC. The Trustees should be the ones responsible for resolving the mess, and if its beyond them, then sack them.