PS: We think readers will find the following Kingston Council Notice of Motion of great interest given what happens far too often in Glen Eira. The following is from the minutes of 25th March, 2013.
Notices of Motion
Notice of Motion – Cr West
Moved: Cr West Seconded: Cr Ronke
That Council adopt a position for mediation of a development
application only with the support of either:
1. all three ward Councillors, or
2. a majority of all Councillors.
CARRIED
Glen Eira Debates 
April 3, 2013 at 3:34 PM
It’s good to see other councils taking the initiative and not waiting until the year is out before they reveal to residents what proposals are being put up. I fear that in Glen Eira everything will be rushed through at the last minute with the minimum of consultation and definitely the minimum of homegrown research and the updating of outdated data.
In the meantime council will vote in a few more 8 or 10 storey developments so that their argument for limiting height to 4 storeys in some centres will not carry any weight. Precedents will have been set. Not accidental but deliberate I believe.
April 3, 2013 at 4:57 PM
The Kingston resolution should leave our insipid councillors with real egg on their faces. Here’s a NOTICE OF MOTION that doesn’t exist in Glen Eira plus a resolution that over-rides any delegated powers. So, it can be done by councillors who actually want to be involved and who give a damn about what happens in their local streets.
April 3, 2013 at 10:38 PM
I have filled in the survey for Planning Strategy Melbourne on http://www.planmelbourne.vic.gov.au/getinvolved/survey and raised issues of Glen Eira overpopulation. overdevelopment and high rate of development, lack of public parks due to horse training in Caulfield, destruction of neighbourhood character and lack of height control.
The last point asked:
16. Before today, had you ever done any of the following?
– Written a letter or submission to a relevant authority (e.g. government department, local council, MP) about a planning issue
– Attended a community meeting or forum about a planning issue
– Participated in research (e.g. survey, focus group) about a planning issue
– Signed a petition about a planning issue
– Made an application to VCAT about a planning issue
I have done all of them so I ticked them. I wonder is that good or bad? Will that carrry more weight or perhaps a sign to ignore? Has anyone filled this survey?
April 4, 2013 at 8:57 AM
Interesting notice of motion.
I’m extremely concerned to learn that Glen Eira Councillors have through delegated authorities handed over all sorts of powers (some say excessive powers) to the Administration. When doing so Councillors failed to provide themselves with a necessary oversight tool, i.e. the “Notice of Motion”, that would allow them to openly review decisions made under delegations of authority. While not every decision made under delegation warrants review, it would surely be foolhardy to believe that there is, and never will be, a decision that warrants an open review by Councillors.
Councillors bear legal responsibility for Council decisions, whether those decisions are made by themselves or under delegations by the Administration. Councillors also bear legal responsibility to represent their constituents in an open, transparent and accountable manner when governing the Municipality. Without a “Notice of Motion” Councillors are reliant on informal decision reviewing processes (processes which are predominantly behind the scenes), rather than formal open processses which recognises that Councillors are head of Council and their duty as elected representatives, particularly the duty to act openly in accordance with their constituents views.
Councillors need to re-instated the Notice of Motion – not to do so indicates a failure to perform according to their legal obligations and effectively denies residents their rights of appeal through lobbying Councillors.