The June 26th 2012 Special Council Meeting  to consider the budget and the community plan listed the term ‘open space’ 73 times in the minutes of this meeting. Time and time again lip service has been paid to the importance of ‘open space’ – how to acquire more, how to use this to enhance liveability and recreation, and how ‘open space’ is important for all residents. That’s the spin. The reality is far different.

We’ve commented in the past on how little this council has done in regards to open space levies and how out of step they are with the current thinking of many other councils. On the one hand, they bemoan the fact of how little open space is available in Glen Eira and how much it would cost to purchase. Yet, in the same breath, this council imposes minimal financial costs on developers who seek to subdivide land and erect anything from 3 to 4 to 20 storey high density dwellings! They can’t have it both ways!

Even more telling is that these councillors have again turned a blind eye to the inadequacies of the Planning Scheme. Instead of ensuring that subdivisions bring in some real money to pay for open space, our woeful lot have allowed the current rates to stand from at least January, 2006. If the following isn’t an enticement for more and more development, then we don’t know what is! The current levies are:

CRITERIA

PERCENTAGE   OF CONTRIBUTION
The   number of lots in the subdivision capable of containing a   dwelling.

3   lots – 2%

4   lots – 2.5%

5   lots – 3%

6 or more lots –   3.5%
The   site is in McKinnon, East Brighton, Ormond or Bentleigh.

0%
The   site is in Carnegie, Murrumbeena or East Bentleigh.

0.25%
The   site is in Caulfield, Caulfield North, Caulfield South, Caulfield   East, Glen Huntly, Elsternwick or St Kilda East.

0.5%
The   site is not within 300 metres (walking distance) of a park listed in Table   2.

0.25%
Fifty   percent or more of the lots in the development contain   less than 40 square metres of private open space, not including   the area in the front setback.

0.25%
Fifty   percent or more of the lots in the development contain   more than two bedrooms (a study is regarded as a bedroom).

0.25%
A   six or more lot subdivision which does not provide useable   communal open space that has a minimum of 4   metres and provides a minimum area of 60 square metres,   and is not part of the front setback, service area or   driveway.

0.25%

Compare this to:

KINGSTON: about to introduce 5% and 8% in Major Activity Centres

CARDINIA – in all residential Zone 1 – 8%

PORT PHILLIP – all municipality 5%

GREATER DANDENONG – “Any residential or commercial subdivision in the area bounded by Springvale Road to the west, Cheltenham Road, Dingley Freeway Reservation, Dandenong Southern Bypass to the north, EastLink to the east and Hutton/Greens Roads to the south (except for Lot 2, PS 524033N Volume 10804 Folio 885 and Lot1, PS 524033N Volume 10804 Folio 884). 20%”. Other residential zones – 5%

KNOX – “Subdivision of land into lots having an area of 725 square metres or greater in a Residential 1 Zone, Residential 2 Zone or Residential 3 Zone. Minimum of 5% of the total land to be subdivided.

Subdivision of land which includes lots having an area of less than 725 square metres in a Residential 1 Zone, Residential 2 Zone or Residential 3 Zone. Minimum of 8.5% of the total land to be subdivided.

MANNINGHAM – 5%

MAROONDAH – “All subdivisions 5 per cent. Land at the south west corner of Canterbury Road and Dorset Road, Bayswater North 8 per cent”,

MOONEE VALLEY – “Subdivisions of greater than 10 lots 5 per cent where provided as a percentage of the site value of the land 5 per cent or greater subject to negotiation of the density and layout of the development where provided as land. All other land 5 per cent”.

MORELAND – Location as defined by Plan 1:

1. Brunswick East / North Fitzroy 2.8%

2. Brunswick 3.1%

3. Brunswick West 2.5%

4. Coburg 6.8%

5. Pascoe Vale South 3.4%

6. Coburg North 4.3%

7. Pascoe Vale 3.7%

8. Oak Park 3.1%

9. Fawkner 5.7%

10. Hadfield 4.3%

11. Glenroy 4.0%

12. Gowanbrae / Tullamarine 4.7%

We could go on and on! Suffice to say that the hypocrisy of Glen Eira council is mind blowing. Residents are on the one hand fed the tripe about halting overdevelopment in such areas as Bentleigh and Carnegie, yet every possible enticement has been offered for more and more development in these areas. We can only speculate as to the stupidity and/or ignorance of our councillors, or their complicity in the Newton and Akehurst pro-development vision.