Following several comments we decided to do a little bit of investigating. Readers will remember the Queen’s Avenue issue and residents’ call for something to be done in regards to the overgrown vegetation and lack of real footpath which forced pedestrians and joggers onto busy Queen’s Avenue. The issue was therefore one of safety.
With typical convoluted logic, the officers’ report tabled on the 2nd November 2011 recommended, in part, the erection of a barrier in order to ‘force’ residents and joggers to use the other side of Queen’s Avenue. This barrier has now been erected for the princely sum of at least $15,000!!!!
What is quite ridiculous about this barrier is that the very officers’ report which purported to support ‘safety’ included the following paragraphs:
“Safety
Since Council called for this Report, Council has involved the Crime Prevention staff of Victoria Police. They do not support any changes which would increase the use of the strip of land without increasing safety by significantly reducing the risk of ‘ambush’ from vegetation and clearly separating pedestrians from vehicular traffic along Queen’s Avenue.”
“To improve safety along Queens Avenue, officers have previously recommended that Council move to encourage pedestrians to use the footpath on the east side of the road. This is because some pedestrians continue to use the informal track on the west side where they risk tripping and/or stepping into on-coming traffic.”
Solution? Put a barrier in to ensure 100% that pedestrians have to step into traffic! And pay $15,000 for the privilege. What should also be borne in mind is that BECAUSE of the overgrown vegetation, pedestrians will not see the barrier until they are upon it. How’s that for shrewd ‘risk management’ and prudent expenditure of public monies? And we have to ask, how much would a little pruning have cost?
Glen Eira Debates 
December 10, 2011 at 11:18 PM
I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. I’m laughing because this is so stupid that a 2 year old could have figured out a better and safer option. I could also cry because what a waste of money and what does this say about the people making such decisions – they are either total morons or they do what they’re told by the racing club. Whichever the real reason I just get so fed up with the continual attempt to veto good ideas and substitute them with this kind of rubbish. I reckon I could also go down to Bunnings and buy something like this barrier for a couple of hundred dollars. Someone is making an absolute killing here.
December 10, 2011 at 11:46 PM
Are you saying that the little fence in the picture cost us $15.000
That’s it, no other bits or pieces somewhere else?
If this is true, there has to be some form of corruptions happening here.
Only this could explained why a few hundred dollar fence, ends up being worth $15.000
December 10, 2011 at 11:57 PM
From the minutes –
Proceed with works to encourage pedestrians to use the footpath on the east
side of Queens Avenue at a cost about $15,000
b. As per the Agreement already adopted, consult with residents and the MRC
next year on
The extent to which palisade fencing should extend along Queens
Avenue
Significant vegetation to be retained
Preliminary planting scheme with preference given to native /
indigenous plantings
If necessary, options for staged implementations
A concept plan (including topographical survey) at an estimated cost of
about $40,000.
Crs Lipshutz/Hyams
That the recommendation in the report be adopted.
The MOTION was put and CARRIED.
December 11, 2011 at 1:23 AM
Actually there is a similar fence (no bigger just angled) at the Neerim Rd and Queens Avenue intersection. Neither the Station St end or the Neerim Road end are bigger or more technically sophistcated than a manually operated driveway gate, Yet the two combined cost $15K!!!!,. To hell with safety, we have snouts in the trough to consider!!!!
Add to this, a bicycle path on the east side of Queens Ave. A white line, the length of the race course, with a few bicycle stencils thrown in = $27K = more snouts in trough!!!!.
Makes one realise what a bargain the $160K (no land cost) three sided, inappropriately located, and now disused, mulch shed was. Regardless of whose snout was in that trough.
December 11, 2011 at 12:05 AM
Of course! The Great Mumbler and the King of Weasel Words bound at the hip and doing Newton’s bidding. Why? Because it was Penhalluriack who raised this issue!
December 11, 2011 at 6:09 AM
So this tiny length of fence could be just the beginning of more works to come. More fencing, trimmed bushes and no doubt lots of eye-sore signage warning folks of the dangers of living in a increasing over populated city with slack planning and band-aid remedies. There is your 15.
December 11, 2011 at 8:16 AM
It’s not so much the stupidity of spending $15,000 on a fence to save mowing and maintaining a strip of land, but this fence forces people onto a road and is clearly unsafe. There is also a fence on the other side of Queens Avenue near Neerim Rd. It forces people onto the road away from the pedestrian crossing. It not only defies logic but is a fatality just waiting to happen. Most likely an International student walking from Monash to the flats in Neerim Rd. A death that resulted from petty politics of wanting to defy Penhalluriack.
December 11, 2011 at 9:04 AM
I for one will risk my life going around the fence and walking along the nature reserve. MRC already dictates when we can use the ‘reserve’
December 11, 2011 at 11:42 AM
What happened to the replacement of the gulag style fencing with palisade at those two locations? Cr Pilling, Hyams, Lipshutz and Esakoff trumpeted the agreement but like most things this Council promises, all hot air and no delivery.
December 12, 2011 at 9:12 AM
I dont want to make light of this. But when do you think there will be the first fatality at these fences from someone going around them on the road. The one at the Neerim Road end is so dangerous it beggars belief. Did the council do any impact analysis?
December 12, 2011 at 12:37 PM
Put me down for 3 March, when Uni resumes. Mind you, there will be plenty of near misses in the meantime.
December 12, 2011 at 7:31 PM
Someone has placed a sign up stating what they think of Council and Newton. I won’t repeat what it said as this is a family friendly website but needless to say residents seem to see what Glen Eira Council do not!
December 12, 2011 at 9:29 PM
Pray tell – where is this sign?
December 12, 2011 at 11:12 PM
On the fence on the corner of Queens Ave and Neerim Rd.
December 13, 2011 at 7:37 AM
the sign will be taken down. Could someone just put it down here for the record and blank out the expletives. It is true it is a family friendly website but considering there will be a fatality in the coming months it would be good to fully guage public opinion. I thought the council would at least try and explain themselves by putting a note on their website. Mustn’t be something important then or something they are not proud of. I notice that a sign has been put up at the corner of Queens and Normandy Road saying footpath to car park only.
December 13, 2011 at 8:05 AM
I notice Council have now installed barriers topped with flashing lights to stop people from crossing the road. Wouldn’t it have been easier to mow the lawn and prune some trees?
December 13, 2011 at 4:25 PM
There is a racecourse watch tower half-way along Queens Avenue. Couldn’t this be used by council guards to observe and photograph the people walking along the wrong side? I am sure the MRC would co-operate. For seventy years they used to have barbed wire along the top of the fence, and that certainly kept the pests out.
December 13, 2011 at 8:51 PM
The fence has been extended since the photo shown was taken. It has probably cost closer to $30,000 now, all to save one of the gardeners a couple of days work pruning and mowing. What a joke.
December 13, 2011 at 11:40 PM
Maybe council will ask the MRC to take it this natural pathway in behind the green fence so that would save council the worry of maintaining the barriers. Probably the MRC PAID SO AS PEOPLE WOULD NOT MAKE NOISES OUTSIDE THE FENCE AND INTERFERE WITH THE HORSES.
December 14, 2011 at 8:27 AM
yes the fence has been extended by about 2 metres at the normandy Road End. This stops people swinging around the fence. They now have to walk along the road for a couple metres to get back on the path! Up the Neerim Road end I beat they are going to dig up the footpath that you can longer get to because of the fence. I think that was only built a few years ago so that is more money down the drain. I am wondering if a good solution might be for the steal fence be taken down like everyone wants and replacing it with these pailing fences (probably have to be 2 metres) all along the road. Native vegitation could be just planted in this dead space. These should be proper trees and no the weed trees that are growing now. This would look nice for the residents, act as a bit of a wind break and would make it less dangerous for the jockies. After all the metal fence is about the height of the rail so they would probably be going over the fence if for some reason they were on the outside rail.
December 14, 2011 at 8:51 AM
This all makes perfect sense mrc fan club, and in fact there was an agreement for all this to take place signed by Newton and Council and the MRC. Only problem is all this was to be completed by March. Now Counicl has gone silent and the MRC is going back to doing nothing, even though C60 was passed and approved by Council and the State Government. Once again residents have been let down and a complicit Council has sided with the MRC by not enforcing the agreement and by not maintaining land beside the racecourse. As for the fence, everyone is still ignoring it only now joggers are on the road fighting with bikes and cars.
December 17, 2011 at 4:46 PM
Congratulations on such a great website keeping the community in touch on local issues affecting us all. This is a new era and as we have seen in the Middle East, governments can fall if the politicians don’t listen to the community and the internet can be used to keep the bastards honest. Now my question. I am curious as to why Council is tearing up a perfectly good footpath along Queens Avenue. I have been trying to get a response from Council but have had no luck in getting a response. However the people on this blog seem to know whats happening so I would appreciate some information if you could help me. Thanks, New resident.
December 18, 2011 at 1:55 PM
This would be in preparation for the fence being removed on the corner of Neerim Rd and Queens Ave. An agreement was signed last year by Council and the MRC removing that fence and replacing with palisade by March 2012. If you have no luck with Council Office, try the Councillors who signed the agreement being Crs Pilling, Hyams, Lipshutz and Esakoff.
December 18, 2011 at 1:56 PM
Sorry, the agreement was signed this year!
December 18, 2011 at 6:41 PM
Thank you for your response but it still seems odd to me that you would remove the footpath before replacing the fence.
December 19, 2011 at 9:21 AM
question what is the reasoning behing the MRC saying the fence along Queens avenue cannot be removed for 5 years? I dont see what the difference will be at that time? I would like to state I am sitting on the fence on whether removing it is a good thing or not. Some good things about the current fence is it would block out some of the noise from trains< crowds etc and would also act as a wind break. It might look better with it removed but unless you are 9 foot tall you wont be able to see very far as the race track is higher than the road.
December 19, 2011 at 7:32 PM
mrc fan club, the agreement entered between Council and the MRC was for the fencing on corner of Neerim Road and Queens Avenue to be replaced with palisade by March 2012. The rest is to be reviewed in 5 years. The replacement of 70 year old tin fencing will be a good thing. Opening up vistats to the racecourse will not only make it more inviting but will actually force them to maintain the thing. Mind you noxious weeds growing over fencing and trees is happening all over the racecourse. Have you seen the corner of Queens Avenue and Normanby Rd? If this were allowed to take place on any other property the owners would have been fined under the CaLP Act.