Residents really need to sit up and take notice of what is happening throughout Glen Eira. Not, mind you, just in the old housing diversity areas, but in minimal change as well. The volume of applications for subdivisions and applications for two double storeys in minimal change has gone through the roof. But worse, is what is happening as a result of the new zones.

On August 23rd the zones were gazetted and made LAW. So in the space of barely two and a half months applications for over 300 apartments in just two of the zones have been submitted – many of them requesting car parking waivers. Given the failure of this planning department and councillors to plan properly and judiciously, we see large parts of Glen Eira becoming the slums of the future and the clear establishment of a second class citizenry. Those who will dwell in certain suburbs can expect to be inundated with high rise and not be given a second thought by this council. It is progressing according to the Newton, Akehurst and gang’s vision. What is unacceptable is that no-one has ever stated what the optimal number of buildings should be, nor whether the infrastructure is capable of dealing with this dramatic growth. When is enough, enough? When the population reaches 160,000? 180,000? Or when all in-fill properties have been used up and Glen Eira is no longer ‘green’ but a dirty, concrete jungle choking on its traffic mayhem, lack of open space, and continual flooding.

Below we feature some of the applications that have come in post August 23rd with the clear warning that this is only the start!

ADDRESS

DESCRIPTION
21 Truganini Road CARNEGIE 4 STOREY; 42 UNITS; CAR PARKING WAIVER
12 Arawatta Street CARNEGIE 8 THREE STOREY DWELLINGS; CAR PARKING WAIVER (PERMIT ISSUED)
14 Maroona Road CARNEGIE 3 STOREY, 26 UNITS; CAR PARKING WAIVER
40 Koornang Road CARNEGIE 4 STOREY, 21 UNITS; 2 SHOPS CAR PARKING WAIVER
1A Orrong Crescent CAULFIELD NORTH 4 STOREY, 18 UNITS; 3 SHOPS
4 Bond Street CAULFIELD NORTH 2 THREE STOREY
10-12 Cromwell Street CAULFIELD NORTH 3 STOREY; 12 UNITS
185 Booran Road CAULFIELD SOUTH 3 STOREY; 14 UNITS; 5 SHOPS CAR PARKING WAIVER
17 Rosella Street MURRUMBEENA 3 STOREY; 7 UNITS
4 Kitmont Street MURRUMBEENA 3 STOREY; 11 UNITS
Unit 1 20 Ardyne Street MURRUMBEENA 5 DOUBLE STOREYS
13 Etna Street GLEN HUNTLY 3 STOREY; 12 UNITS; CAR PARKING WAIVER
15 Manchester Grove GLEN HUNTLY 3 STOREY; 22 UNITS
677 Centre Road BENTLEIGH EAST 4 STOREY; 10 UNITS; 2 SHOPS
730A Centre Road BENTLEIGH EAST 5 STOREY; 29 UNITS; 1 SHOP; CAR PARKING WAIVER
348-352 Centre Road BENTLEIGH 4 STOREY; 20 UNITS; SHOPS
27 Nicholson Street BENTLEIGH 3 STOREY OF 5 UNITS & 2 TWO STOREY OF 5 UNITS; CAR PARKING WAIVER
495 South Road BENTLEIGH 3 STOREY; 14 UNITS (PERMIT GRANTED)
6 Prince Edward Avenue MCKINNON 3 STOREY; 10 UNITS
225 Orrong Road ST KILDA EAST 3 STOREY; 15 UNITS

There are 308 new dwellings proposed in the above list – plus 13 shops. We assume that at least 275 will be rubber stamped by Council. If this represents anywhere near the ‘average’ then the total number of dwellings that could happen over a year would be close to 3000! Council already admits the following figures – with the proviso that these  figures represent the ‘old’ planning zones only and not what is currently on the cards:

September permits – 189 new dwellings

August permits – 177 new dwellings

July permits – 122 new dwellings

Source: http://pparsreporting.dpcd.vic.gov.au/PPARSReporting/monthly.jsp?ra=22&date=9-2013