New boundaries are being declared along the Elster Creek Trail – as we suspected! We’ve previously highlighted what this implies regarding Council’s planning department and how poorly they do their requisite homework. For example:
- The claiming of land has been known to council for at least 15 years
- They’ve spent a fortune on a concrete path without first checking to see whether they have constructed this path on, or far too close to private property
- The most interesting query is whether ratepayers will be forking out money to ensure that this and potentially other new fences do not sit on, or right next to the yellow brick road. If money is handed over to landowners, then what’s the cost to residents for something that should never have happened?
We reiterate – we do not have any problem with landowners claiming what is their legal right to land. At anywhere between $1000 and $2000 per square foot this is not a negligible sum that many would be ready to forego. What we do have a major problem with, is the failure of this council to ensure that all necessary planning has been done beforehand. When you create a flood plain (as the raising of this path has done), and when you don’t know where public and private land meet, then we believe there is cause for concern as to the competence of those responsible.
The slideshow reveals the ‘before’ and ‘after’ view and the amount of land that has now been ‘reclaimed’. Please also note that the new fence line is directly over major drainage and a lightpole. Who pays for relocating, removing is another fascinating query. We also wonder whether the landowner fully realises that this particular section of the trail is more often than not under several inches of water thanks to the new yellow brick road!
Glen Eira Debates 
January 29, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Very interesting indeed, I totally agree with your analysis of the situation here.
The boundary shift in the pictures did however miss the beautiful yellow gold path, looks like there will be change in this case, hence no cost to the ratepayers to remove any concrete.
But to be sure more of what was perceived as public open space has vanished, backwards we go in open space. A death of a thousand cuts
As usual not a whimper from the people running this town, I agree with past posts on this comment site, it is high time Glen Eira had an up to date open space strategy, that will adequately plan for the future burgeoning population that is trying to squeeze into our area.
January 29, 2012 at 4:36 PM
You can’t assume anything since council could have already handed over thousands and in return got the owner not to claim his full rights. What about others who will see this and decide to move their fences out? Glen Eira’s right. All of this could have been avoided if they’d checked their files before they told the concreters to go ahead. Someone’s stuffed up real bad and it isn’t for the first time I bet.
January 29, 2012 at 5:52 PM
I actually thinks its good, if council has handed over 1000’s of dollars to secure open space and in this case both open space and a viable and worthy link-way, both of which Glen Eira is short of. So far there is no evidence that council has handed over anything to anyone.
If Glen Eira is going to address or redress its Triple Burden of unsustainable living practises, rising population, a critical open space shortfall, and the ever decreasing amount of private open space through higher density living. Money will need to change hands with land holders somewhere sometime.
Basically what other way is there?
January 29, 2012 at 7:16 PM
$1000 to $2000 per square foot? Let’s try per square meter. Still can come to a bit of money but you wouldn’t want to Pay more than $150 per square foot in that area.
January 29, 2012 at 7:42 PM
You reveal your ignorance of the area. Have a look at sales and the prices brought. I’ve checked out a few – Windsor avenue – $1,285.000; McKinnon Rd – $1,340,000; Hopkins St – $1,436,000 (and this one backs onto the trail). Units go for anything between $500,000 and $900,000. “That area” is bloody expensive. Real estate agents tell you that if you live anywhere near McKinnon High it immediately adds $70,000 to your property. Land is expensive and if council are paying owners not to claim what’s there’s then there’s a heap of money that’s being turned over when all they should have done is checked first and then designed the path to not be anywhere near private property. Whichever way you look at it, council has ballsed it up.
January 29, 2012 at 7:50 PM
Fantastic! $2,000 a square foot values my little house at over $10 million. I’m selling!
January 29, 2012 at 9:16 PM
How about concnetrating on the issue rather than the blooper between square feet and square metres.
January 30, 2012 at 9:48 PM
Yep, sorry it was a bit trivial. But couldn’t resist after the foolish comment from (yet another) anonymous re the post from anonymous at 3.
But I think the issue is just as trivial.
Yes, maybe there is some issue with boundaries along Elster Creek. And obviously someone is in the process of moving their fence. For their sake I hope they’ve got it right – it wouldn’t be the first time that someone has tried to extend their property into public land.
But to suggest that council have built a pathway over private land or that council is paying some sort of compensation to landholders should normally require some evidence. Otherwise it’s speculation and nothing more.
Has anyone phoned council about this?
January 30, 2012 at 11:09 PM
And do you honestly think that you would get a straight answer from anyone sitting behind their comfortable desks?
January 29, 2012 at 9:20 PM
Yes Glen Huntly we plead guilty! Being from the old school of imperial measures we still think in feet, yards, chains, miles, fathoms, pounds, ounces, and so on. The post should have read metres instead of feet! mea culpa a thousand times!