Council can certainly get things rolling very quickly when they want to. The latest is the Lord Reserve car park development at the cost of $542,000. Tenders were advertised on November 16th and closed on 6th December. The decision was made on the 17th December. Quick as a wink, without telling residents exactly what is happening, the contractors moved in, and what a surprise, a further bunch of at least 8 mature trees were removed.
We do not for one instance believe that the speed and timing of this project is a coincidence. If you expect community opposition, and certainly questions, then January is the best time to get the ball rolling.
Please note: we are not suggesting that this section doesn’t require work. What we are questioning is:
- Why were so many trees removed? Could any have been saved?
- How much open space will be lost and turned into a bitumen car park?
- Why can’t residents be given a clear picture of what is happening?
PS: By way of contrast, residents should take a look at how Bayside City Council deals with car park extensions and the value of trees and consultation. The following is taken directly from the agenda set down for January 28th.
The Beaumaris Reserve Masterplan was adopted by Council in September 2008. The masterplan identified a range of initiatives to be implemented over the lifetime of the plan, including works to the car park adjacent to the sportsground at the rear of the Reserve.
The design for the car park was subject to a period of community consultation between May and July 2013. Key design features reflected the endorsed 2008 masterplan and included; reducing the area available for car parking by turning the area behind the Arts Building into an extended Village Green, proposed removal of six trees to the north of the existing car park to facilitate additional car parking spaces and the installation of a rain garden.
Following this phase of community consultation, it was evident from the comments received that the proposed design no longer met the needs of the community or the users of the Reserve. As a result, a revised design was developed to take into account issues raised by users, including retaining the existing car park footprint, retaining six trees proposed to be removed and reducing the extent of asphalt surface to the entry road. As the revised car park footprint differed significantly to the endorsed 2008 masterplan, a revision to the masterplan was required.
A revised masterplan detailing the amended car park footprint was presented to Council and adopted at its 29 October 2013 Ordinary Meeting detailed in Attachment 1.
Source: Agenda item 10.1 – 28th January 2014 – http://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/documents/governance/28_January_2014_Ordinary_Meeting_Agenda_without_confidential.pdf
Here’s the ‘before and after’ –
Glen Eira Debates 
January 25, 2014 at 11:28 AM
Ya wouldn’t wanna be a tree in Glen Eira. Ya would be stuffed. I remember 170 from McKinnon – a few more for the pavilion – caulfield park – bailey reserve car park – centenary park and on the cards stacks from koornang park. Glad we got a green mayor.
January 25, 2014 at 12:43 PM
How come additional car parking is considered mandatory for parkland but when it comes to developments the already minimal basic requirement is continually waived?
January 26, 2014 at 9:29 AM
Whether or not a few trees go in the name of “progress” is not the point here. What is the point, is how one council can listen to residents, engage them, and finally act on community wishes. More laudatory is the fact that all of this is done out in the open with documents that provide the reasoning behind council decisions and how funds are used. Bayside, at least on this topic, doesn’t work in secret and by stealth. Glen Eira councillors could learn much if they wanted to from the way others manage local issues.
January 26, 2014 at 12:40 PM
I agree the Council is deficient when it comes to consulting the residents. Very deficient!
Which leads me to ask the Mayor why he is so on-side with the way Council functions in this regard. After all it was a platform of openness, transparency and accountability on which he was elected.
Perhaps the Mayor should again look at how his support fell at the last poll.
and reflect on that. In my view the only thing that will save him at the next municipal poll will be his Greens endorsement. Which was probably the factor that got him over the line this time.
January 26, 2014 at 2:19 PM
The trees are in the park the carpark is on the other side of the fence, whats happening. Is there a plan residents can see?
January 26, 2014 at 6:56 PM
I don’t know what is being proposed for Lord Reserve since it’s been declared confidential. However Council did refer to changes to Lord Reserve, Murrumbeena Park and Caulfield Park in a response to a Public Question last year as being driven by sporting clubs to reduce “liability risk” to Council. While Caulfield Park and Murrumbeena Park have Master Plans [prepared over 13 years ago], there doesn’t appear to be a Master Plan for Koornang Park or Lord Reserve. There was however a landscaping concept that proposed removing most trees along Koornang Rd and Lyons St. Tenderers who responded to tender 2014.029 should know more but will be constrained by confidentiality provisions. Oddly one of the photos above refers to “car park construction” but the tender synopsis Council published refers to “car park redevelopment”. A safe bet is there will be more asphalt and a reduction in the surface area covered by crown trees.
January 26, 2014 at 8:34 PM
Doesn’t matter about the car park – Council has changed the definition of open space so that includes car parks – let the asphalting begin!!!! (and begin it will).
And as for trees. The value the community places on trees has been well documented and is reinforced by the globally accepted significance of trees in terms of climate change mitigation and public well being, Yet, despite its rhetoric, Glen Eira stands alone in viewing them as expendable and is every ready with the chainsaw.
January 27, 2014 at 7:59 AM
good the definition is change. We can include the MRC carpark in the guineas stand area as open space as well