PS: And from the Stonnington Leader we have Matthew Guy’s admonition to Councils to prepare structure plans following the Orrong Rd Supreme Court judgement. Funny how this not only contradicts the arguments against structure plans that have been endemic in Glen Eira, but reveals the complete failure(s) of this council’s approach to planning for the past decade.
Glen Eira Debates 
September 24, 2013 at 9:51 AM
Ya know Jamie’s attempt to save Council’s credibility is in the “too little too late” category.
IF Council (and Mayor at the time Jamie) had actually made an announcement of the 6 month delay in the December, 2011 opening date before November, 2011 (and not stated in October, 2011, that everything was on track for the December, 2011 opening) AND
IF Council (and the then Mayor Hyams), had during the protracted delay not maintained steadfast silence
THEN Jamie might have a shot at bluffing it through – BUT since he didn’t, he doesn’t
September 24, 2013 at 10:30 AM
Nothing was revealed about liquidated damages until the very last minute when it was as plain as the nose on your face that the place wouldn’t open. I think that was very late November or December 2011 when it was due to open at that time. So for 6 months at least nothing was said to the public.
Hyams knows damn well that very few people bother to even look much less read the financial reports or the annual reports. That’s what they’re banking on all the time. They meet whatever the law says but try as hard as they can to make sure nothing hits the spotlight and they have to start answering real questions. That’s not being open and since I’m paying I should sue them for wasting my money.
September 24, 2013 at 2:23 PM
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) does not recognise structure plans.
September 24, 2013 at 3:45 PM
Except that structure plans which include mandatory height controls ARE recognised by VCAT and generally adhered to. Glen Eira’s tardiness and blanket refusal to even consider such things for the past ten years has meant that high rise “precedents” have been set all over Glen Eira and that continuing the ad hoc approach rather than real strategic planning has placed residents at the virtual mercy of developers. The sad, sad history of VCAT decisions can be generally summarised by the members saying that the application “fits” the planning scheme and so permits are granted. The problem is, and has always been, the planning scheme and council’s failure to implement even the most basic safeguards for residents. We repeat ad nauseum and ask councillors to explain why:
there are no parking precinct plans in activity centres?
No environmental sustainable design policies in the planning scheme?
No development contributions plan?
No meaningful open space contributions plan for the past 12 years when development has soared?
Why half of the measures recommended by the bogus 2010 Planning Scheme Review has still not happened?
Why councillors continue to emasculate themselves by granting unprecedented powers to officers via delegations?
Why such delegations are then not accountable and transparent in their decision making?
September 24, 2013 at 4:27 PM
A PS: Here’s a recent example of VCAT and structure plans. Please note the penultimate paragraph –
South Melbourne brothel expansion in clash with council’s structure plan says VCAT
Dana McCauley
Port Phillip Leader
May 17, 2013 12:00AM
A LICENSED brothel 200m from the South Melbourne site earmarked for a new state primary school has lost its VCAT bid to expand.
Pleasuredome owner Ivan Gneil sought VCAT approval to use the property next door as part of his Gladstone St brothel, after council officers discovered he had installed a connecting door between the two properties.
Mr Gneil said he spent a year and a half and $200,000 fighting the council at VCAT, seeking to use the second building for storage, administration and staff facilities.
The tribunal heard the extra space would allow the brothel to better cater to its clients’ desire for anonymity, which was “a high priority in a brothel where transgender sex services are offered”.
Mr Gneil did not seek to increase the number of rooms where sexual services were offered, which his permit limits to six.
His application drew 26 objections from residents and businesses.
VCAT members Philip Martin and Cindy Wilson found that allowing the brothel the extra space would increase the intensity of its operations and clash with the council’s Montague Structure Plan.
They rejected this part of Mr Gneil’s application, but allowed him to keep demountable buildings used as a smoking area.
September 24, 2013 at 5:21 PM
I thought the dictionary would throw some light on what transparency means. Some terms that were used were “obvious” but the antonyms were most informative. These included such words as opaque and secretive. The perfect description of how Glen Eira council prefers to work. If Hyams believes that transparency and accountability to residents is fulfilled by placing a paragraph or two into an annual report, or the accounts section, meaning that people would have to scour through and locate this paragraph, then he is living on another planet. That is not being transparent and certainly not being accountable.
Since ratepayers are the ones who have most to lose by this ongoing court case and management of Gesac, then they should be informed in simple everyday terms what is happening. Full accounting figures should be provided and definitions as well. Not everyone is an accountant and not everyone has the time to hunt through reams of spin to locate the odd sentence or paragraph that could shed light on what thus far has been kept from people. If this council and Hyams are genuine in their claims that all is well and there is nothing to fear then there is no possible excuse for them not to be forthcoming with the information that would support their case. By hiding it away they are harming the reputation of this council and deserving all the criticism that comes their way.