The following Media Release in our view exemplifies everything that is wrong with Glen Eira City Council. It typifies the secrecy, failure to inform much less consult, and the complete over-riding of resident aspirations. The inequity which is the Housing Diversity and Minimal Change areas are now ostensibly cemented via this announcement and it has been done without even the courtesy of informing the public. At the time of writing there is nothing on Council’s website. Councillors who silently sat by and allowed this to happen must be called to account.
PS: As an example of the deviousness of this council, we alert readers to the public questions which raised these issues and the blatantly dishonest answers. It is inconceivable that Council did not know what it claims not to have known, designed, and implemented.
“This evening 1 July, 2013 there was a news item on the 7p.m. news which featured a story about the new residential zone reforms in this state. It was stated that the Boroondara Council along with Glen Eira were the first two councils to be implementing these new residential zones.
Could you please explain to me why residents in this municipality have to learn these things via the media?
1. Has this council already submitted an amendment of the draft to the Minister? If this is the case then why were residents not told anything of the change?
2. The City of Boroondara has had this amendment C108 for discussion since March. What consultation is this council planning to carry out?”
The Mayor read Council’s response. He said:
“Council is not responsible for what is broadcast on any news program. Council does not know why the ABC reporter chose to mention Glen Eira, any more than we know why a similar story in today’s Age nominated neighbourhoods in Stonnington and Boroondara as the first to come under the new zones but did not mention Glen Eira. It demonstrates that you can’t always fully trust what you hear or read in the media, although, of course, the media is far more reliable than an anonymous blog.
Council has not submitted an amendment of the draft to the Minister. Boroondara City Council’s Amendment C108 proposes to apply planning controls to neighbourhood activity centres, which are shopping strips, and to enterprise
corridors, which are mixed commercial areas. It implements strategies and plans adopted or amended in 2011, and has nothing to do with the new residential zones. Council has not yet decided what consultation will be carried out in relation to the residential zones.”
Question 2 – “Given the significance of the proposed Residential Zone Reforms, when will council begin its public consultation on the introduction of the zones into the Glen Eira municipality?”
“Council has not yet decided.”
Question 3: (July 23rd, 2013)
“Will Council be undertaking community consultation on the residential zone reforms?”
The Mayor read Council’s response. He said:
“The extent of consultation would depend on the extent of any departures from the current Housing Diversity/Minimal Change arrangements and that is not known at this time.”
Glen Eira Debates 
August 5, 2013 at 3:32 PM
The lies, and that’s a very appropriate word for the goings on with this council are unforgiveable. Amendments we’ve been told take forever to draft and to get approved. Council claimed in late June that it hadn’t forwarded anything to the Minister. Maybe. But they surely knew that they were going to. That’s the point and one which they skirted around entirely in their response to the first question. Now we’re informed that there is an amendment on the cards – C110. This didn’t get created overnight. It would have been worked on for months and months.
The big question now is whether Akehurst and Newton and the pathetic councillors submitted this and asked that it be withheld from public consultation and that the minister authorise it as he has the power to do. That would cut out any seeking of submissions from residents and be a simple rubber stamping without any consultation whatsoever.
I am disgusted with all of them. They should be hauled before an inquiry and sacked on the spot after they’ve repaid all their wages to residents.
August 5, 2013 at 4:33 PM
Looks like the Minister may have forced council’s hand. See the following for more info – http://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/Council/Media_and_news/News/Height_limits_over_all_residentially-zoned_land
August 5, 2013 at 5:43 PM
I see that the amendment won’t even be disclosed to residents until the Minister gazettes it. Well done Glen Eira City Council for your total arrogance, secrecy, and treating residents as if they are morons – only there to raise money for your glory seeking ventures. I received my rate bill today with the increases. Not happy Jan!
August 5, 2013 at 11:39 PM
The Minister did not force Council’s hand – ask yourself why this Council has buckled and others haven’t and have been busy seeking residents input. Council’s Administration is yet again taking advantage of the fact that all Councillors are, despite community interest protestations, really “don’t give a sh*t” and are in it for themselves. Their primary focus is their personal objective, ie
. stepping stones to a potential larger political future (Pilling, Magee, Souness,, Delahunty. Lobo and Okotel) or,
. having a dipped out on the political future, embracing the “big fish small pond syndrome” (Hyams and Lipshutz) or
. self interest (Esakoff of heritage infamy)
Consequently, all Councillors, rather than ensuring residents interests are at least given some consideration, have all “taken the path of least resistance”. Councillors have all opted to go for unfounded praise (look for it in the next edition of the Glen Eira News) at the expense of residents.
The new zones are the equivalent of, the as reported in today’s media, the current proposed guidelines to stifle opposition on road projects – the only difference being the length of time to introduce/enact.
Council’s Administration, which is continually endorsed by uninterested, unquestioning Councillors, has done what it has always done – defined the terms of reference of community consultation that will ensure that, regardless of merit, any opposition is cut off lickety split and anything that slips past the cut off mechanism can be effectively stifled.
This Council and all it’s Councillors have just shat big time on residents.
August 5, 2013 at 6:39 PM
This must be the lowest act ever perpetrated by this administratiion and its councillors. It is repugnant to all notions of what a council governed properly and with respect for its residents should be. Enacting secret amendments and then trying to argue that they mean very little change for residents will not wash. The link does not provide any information about the schedules and they are the heart of the matter.
I am staggered that in a council that keeps proclaiming how transparent it is councillors have allowed this to happen without one word being stated. Every council that this website has commented upon has engaged in consulting its residents, and providing them with detailed information. Glen Eira may not have placed itself above the law, but it certainly has placed itself above all forms of ethical behaviour and respecting its ratepayers. Newton and councillors are an affront to all notions of decent and responsible behaviour.
August 6, 2013 at 9:59 AM
Good luck if your trying to figure out what’s going on from the map. Impossible to know which streets or blocks have been given the green light for 3 stories and there’s no information that comes close to explaining anything.
August 5, 2013 at 6:56 PM
http://www.theagendagroup.com.au/zoning-in-on-residential-changes-for-victoria/
http://coherence.com.au/curlew/2012/10/michael-buxton-on-proposed-vic-planning-zones-1/
August 5, 2013 at 7:10 PM
Newton is continuing his all out support for developers. Nothing to be surprised about with this. The inability or unwillingness of councillors to put their hands up and be counted is another story all together. They can spout all the rubbish they like about how good this is but not after the fact and not when people haven’t been told a single thing. I don’t believe it for a second anyway which makes councillors as guilty as hell for not doing what they are supposed to. They are there to represent residents and listen to what residents have got to say. We weren’t even given the chance to have a say and that stinks. The paper on the website talks about the review of 2010. Nothing that residents said then was taken up and anyway that was three years ago. It’s like using a consultation about drugs and Essendon that is 3 years old. Its outdated and no longer relevant and when there’s been all this mayhem of development going on then it makes it even worse.
I agree with what people have written. This council is the pits. A total disgrace.
August 5, 2013 at 8:11 PM
Council’s answers to the questions are lies. If the amendment will only be made public after it gets gazetted then there is no consultation happening. That means that the bit about diverging from the housing diversity or minimal change to decide the extent of consultation is plain bullshit. In June they reckon they hadn’t decided on consultation. The amendment would have gone in well before this. I don’t like using the word lies but in this case it is 100% spot on. We’ve been lied to and conned and councillors have to wear the blame.
August 5, 2013 at 9:12 PM
Much more can and should be said about Glen Eira City Council’s behaviour in being so secretive, especially if it later emerges they knew months ago that there would be no consultation. I take exception to Mayor Hyams’ unsubstantiated claim that “of course, the media is far more reliable than an anonymous blog”. Bullshit. The ‘mainstream’ media that Jamie refers to relies on publishing media releases uncritically to relieve itself of the tedious business of researching anything. This is in contrast to concerned individuals who are prepared to read though the mountains of crap that get published from our alleged leaders, analyze them critically, and share their discoveries. One has personal political power and prestige at stake, the other the health of their community. People can believe what they like, but facts are sacred.
August 5, 2013 at 11:12 PM
Well said Reprobate. The future of a municipality should never be engineered in secrecy and without public endorsement.
August 5, 2013 at 10:06 PM
Ministers don’t make announcements like this on the spur of the moment. There’s been plenty of “discussions” between Guy’s office, planning, and council officers. No doubt plenty of argey bargey and sweet heart deals worked out because Newton has been such a good little boy in being first cab off the rank in bringing home the bacon for Guy and his mob.
Reminds me of the C60 and the centre of the racecourse “agreements”. All done in secret, with plenty of political interference and pay offs I’m sure. Don’t think this is any different except residents in Housing Diversity are the ones that are getting screwed even more and those poor sods in neighbouring streets. Instead of a 3 storey “standard” they can now look at 4 storeys. Great deal that’s been struck.
August 6, 2013 at 11:43 AM
The unavailability of the amendment tells me straight off that there is much that is being hidden from residents that this council doesn’t want us to know about until it is too late and the thing becomes law. If it was as they say really providing protection then it would be published. More dirty tactics by Newton and councillors. I don’t trust any of them as far as I could throw them. They have colluded, schemed and planned and left people with no say on anything.
August 6, 2013 at 12:09 PM
No: 9 and all who feel that public consultation was not done, what can stop all of us in protesting outside of the Elizabeth Miller’s office as a M.P. of the state government? She would have lots to do with this and gave her approval to the Minister. Also, get Hyams in a public meeting to explain why he has been hiding this pre-cooked dish and responding to public question with lies. Action speaks louder than words. Hyams is caught with his pants down.
August 6, 2013 at 12:49 PM
If you are the same Anon who has been commenting recently and who has a bee in his bonnet about the liberals, then I respectfully ask that you cease and desist. If any blame is to be apportioned then that must be sheeted back to the architects of this scheme – Newton and Akehurst. Even if you are correct and the liberal councillors exerted some influence, they tally only 4 on council. That leaves the other 5 supposedly community minded councillors – Magee, Delahunty, Lobo, Pilling and Sounness. I blame these labour and green councillors equally – for their silence and agreeing to this amendment without consultation. They have failed residents and not one single councillor appears to have the courage to put a comment up here to explain their role and why this has happened.
August 6, 2013 at 1:03 PM
Fair comment. Delahunty is shtum on both Twitter and Facebook. Same goes for Sounness and Pilling. Even Lobo hasn’t put up any outrageous comments here. Everyone’s lost their tongues and their brains.
August 6, 2013 at 3:19 PM
Anyone see ABC news last night? There was Lobo with Guy grinning like a cheshire cat.
August 6, 2013 at 3:50 PM
All I saw was Miller trying to look like she knows what was going on. Hyams looks sick pressure must be getting to him.
August 6, 2013 at 12:11 PM
Elect boofheads an ya get this crap.
August 7, 2013 at 8:50 AM
Hyams is exposed and does not know how to hide from all the mess he has created. He and the other Councillors should have insisted to have public consultation before the new residential zones. He will be remembered as the worst Mayor after Esakoff, both have worked against the residents and now residential zones. He cares a hoots for the feelings of the residents. He begged people to vote for him with his artificial smile and now turned as an ungrateful Councillor. .