We’ve received the following email from a reader –
In planning permit GE/PP-24534/2012, the Elsternwick Club, already a privileged operator in a residential zone with a 24 hour liqour licence, machine gambling, food and its expensive and non-green bowling green (massive use of chemicals and insecticides at present well beyond that expected in a “garden” region) had applied to Glen Eira Council to have a licence to run a restaurant and cafe business for the financial benefit of its members (who will retain non-exclusive use of the bar and gambling areas as well as the green and surrounds).
The current use is already a burden to particular residents (including the correspondent) in terms of loss of amenity. The officers have advised Council that the matter be considered by the Delegated PLanning Committee tomorrow 28/3/2012, on the basis that the matter is either insufficiently significant of there have not been enough respondents.
Council sent information to the immediate neighbours including… (a) neighbour in hospital recovering from hip surgery, the corner owner spending a large amount on a major renewal without advance warning of the potential reduction of amenity, notices to new residents unaware of the potential impact a fully commercialised business might have in a previously exclusively residential area.
I doubt that anyone else except me saw the second and smaller notice of application to the Justice Dept for a second licence for alcohol provision in addition to the 24 hour existent licence for gamblers and club members (and their “guests”) in time to protest this as well.
My wife is caring for her recently widowed mother who is in hospital after fracturing her hip, I am (phrase deleted to maintain anonymity) and don’t have the time or a great deal of energy to go door to door to arouse local interest in this matter, sufficient to draw actual councillors’ attention to what appears to be an underhand way of achieving what is in reality, a highly significant and fundamental alteration to the character and amenity of our block of Elsternwick.
This area is already well served by the RSL and local pubs and restaurants. What next? Private hotels, bars, home based restaurants and shops, even brothels in our streets?
I doubt that the local business folk know that the club, which has the unique advantage of the attraction of a summer bowling attrraction and open access machine gambling is intending to take customers from their doors. The only advantaged groups are the club and the council which may be able to charge better rates for a business than for a private club.
Is anybody out there aware of this or concerned about the subtle changes council officers are able to create without necessarily bringing matters to council attention?
Glen Eira Debates 
March 28, 2012 at 12:27 PM
Here we go again. The west of the City is devoid of parks and gardens. We have not one oval west of Hawthorn Rd, no swimming pool and virtually no council assets bar an old library and a non descript Elderly Citizens Club.We do however have a beacon of light in the Elsterwick Club and you lot who live in the peasant, poorer areas want to remove that to ,without any regard to the decades this facility has existed in harmony with its neighbors. Get lost.
March 28, 2012 at 1:18 PM
Jeez, last time I walked along Glenhuntly Road to the local supermarket I noticed heaps of drinking, eating and gambling establishments. All in well light easily patrolled/monitored locations, i.e. not tucked away in poorly lit, narrow residential streets that are clogged with parked cars.
By the way, if you want readers to actually take note of what you write you might want to consider avoiding phrases like “you lot who live in the peasant, poorer areas”
March 28, 2012 at 1:01 PM
I see Council is at it again – limited notifications and the absence of all the relevant information.
I’m wondering why this application should be upheld yet the recent Morrice Street application for a child care centre in a primarily residential area should be denied. Conducting a full scale 24/7 wining, dining and gambling operation on a residential street in the middle of an already congested residential area should be given the boot.
Interestingly, the recently held GERA planning forum touched on the planning application process (refer their website). It appears that if no objections are received to a permit or if the Delegated Planning Committee (which is comprised of officers only – no Councillor is on the Committee) decides that the objections received are not “significant or reasonable” (whatever that means is not defined) the application doesn’t have to go to a full Council. In just about all other Councils, Councillors can respond to residents concerns by “calling in” a permit application to be reviewed/questioned by the full Council at an ordinary Council meeting. “Calling in” a permit effectively by passes or overules the Delegated Planning Committee.
Unfortunately, Glen Eira’s short sighted and indifferent Councillors have delegated away the ability to “call in” a permit. For this alone, they should all be thrown out.
I suspect the only option available to this resident is to make as big a stink as possible in the limited time available.
March 28, 2012 at 1:58 PM
The key thing is to submit an objection highlighting how the proposal materially affects the objector, and be prepared to stump up $307 to request a review by VCAT if the decision fails to consider the matters that it is required to, or attaches inappropriate weight to those matters. We don’t get to define the rules, but we have to be prepared to play the game. It is also appropriate to lobby for the rules governing the process to be improved based on actual experience.
March 28, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Well here we go again – more outrage based on very little information.
I don’t know the details of the application other than it is for a restaurant and café licence but I am familiar with the Elsternwick Club.
The Elsternwick Club has been operating pokies, a bar and restaurant for many years. The restaurant is open Wednesday to Sunday. I am not a club member but have been to the restaurant a few times. It seems to be popular with some local residents. The restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol but patrons can buy alcohol to consume in the restaurant at the adjacent bar. I presume that the licence will allow them to serve alcohol in the restaurant.
If this is the case, little will change and there will be no impact on local residents at all.
If it is more significant than this, I’m happy to be proved wrong.
And by the way, the club doesn’t operate 24 hours a day.
March 29, 2012 at 6:41 PM
The Elsternwick Club is among other things a sporting club. People go there to socialise and enjoy each others company. The Council delegates power to the staff when there are few objections. They are not about to change the Planning Act to satsify someone that is too busy to gain support for their cause. Giving council powers to ‘call in” planning issues would be a political nightmare. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink call this one in will you mate.
Give us a break.
March 30, 2012 at 12:32 AM
Jeez, ain’t it surprising that all other Councils have call-ins and the system works.
Glen Eira is the only Council that doesn’t – guess that says alot about the calibre of the elected ones.
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