Tonight’s council meeting started with a whimper and ended with a real bang – especially in relation to the public questions and the Delahunty Request for a Report. Here is just a brief summary of what occurred. Details of all council’s shenanigans will be up over the next few days. The most important things to note are:
- Glen Eira Debates takes a lot of the credit for pointing out the continual stuff ups that this Council and the Department oversees. Our recent post highlighted the discrepancy between the 2009 and the November 2013 ‘preferred height limits’ in the respective Incorporated Plans for the Caulfield Village. Well, lo and behold, this was another ‘clerical error’ and the Department is now working on correcting it!
- Councillors have not got a copy of council’s ‘recent’ (pre December 2013) traffic analysis. The answer to this public question basically said that the Caulfield Village people (not to be confused with the Village People!) have done extensive studies and that’s what is basically relied upon. We wonder if these bunnies have even bothered to DEMAND access to these reports or as with the Redan St. stuff up they still maintain their unshakeable faith in the abilities of the traffic department?
- Delahunty requested a report that sought the Valuer General’s estimation of the ‘value’ of the Caufield Racecourse Reserve. She stated that he had never been approached to provide a valuation. Please note: HYAMS, LIPSHUTZ, ESAKOFF did NOT DECLARE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND VOTED ON THIS ITEM.
- Pilling will be chairing the Planning Conference on Monday evening. We maintain that this represents ANOTHER CONFLICT OF INTEREST!
- Our final comment relates to the foreshadowing by Lobo of his Right of Reply to Lipshutz asking him (years ago now!) whether the banks he had worked for were in any way associated with terrorism?
Glen Eira Debates 
February 26, 2014 at 12:33 AM
Holy Sh*t
The largest single development in Glen Eira’s history and the bumbling fools in the Planning Ministers Office and Councils supposedly wonderful planning department don’t notice it!!!!! The height of that bloody tower was a hugely contentious issue for gods sake!!!!
The largest single development in Glen Eira’s history and all we get for the excessive dollars paid to CK OBrien is a rubber stamp!!!! These nincompoops haven’t even read the traffic reports, if they had they would realise they are full of inconsistencies and errors. My favourite is that of the 18,900 vehicles per day (vpd) the post construction development would generate, Kambrook Road, north of the railway line, would be expected to carry 4,725 vpd. I suppose it could, if it f*ucking existed!!!!.
February 26, 2014 at 12:32 PM
Judging by the post and what allegedly happened last night at council meeting residents are being let down badly by these councillors. If they have not read the traffic reports, and worse still, if they haven’t demanded that they be given a copy of these studies, then how they can successfully decide on a project of this size is beyond belief. I would doubt that they have even read all of the documents that have been put in by the Melbourne Racing Club. That would require some hard work and effort. It’s much, much easier to rely exclusively on the recommendations of officers who have been shown again and again either not capable of doing the work they have been assigned to acceptable standards, or else, been ordered to present recommendations that suit certain interests. I honestly don’t see the need for any of these councillors. They are there simply to make legal whatever the administration decides should happen. As a result they are not the community’s representatives. They represent the MRC and Newton.
February 26, 2014 at 3:07 PM
Cr Lobo, great work sir I’m sure many residents would like to see where this goes since Cr Lipshutz is so offended these days. We all wait with baited breath as to how he justifies his comments to you after the storm trooper saga…..
February 26, 2014 at 4:14 PM
You are a sick man Lobo. Get help.
February 27, 2014 at 12:19 PM
Did Lipshutz get booted off the Anti Discrimination Committee?
And if so does anyone know why?
February 26, 2014 at 4:30 PM
I guess Lobo really pulled the carpet out from beneath Lipshutzs feet, Isn’t fascinating how someone like Lipshutz
who boasts all his position on this and that board against discrimination and racism, can fall victim to his own mouth.
If Lobo’s statement on the “terrorism comment” is correct, then it follows that Lipshustz is one big hypocrite, and a apology would go astray.
February 26, 2014 at 6:45 PM
We have a pretty good knowledge of the writer Anonymous at 4.14 pm above. Keep touching your bosom buddy for inspiration 🙂
Lobo is not working for a specific community unlike you D**k H**d. There is a rumour like Frank P, that the gang wants to take him to a disciplinary committee a mention made by this blog last year.
February 27, 2014 at 7:05 AM
I would not mention Frank and Oscar in the same sentence. Frank was trying to re-install some proper governance into Glen Eira that has disappeared under Newtons regime. Oscar is just an ostracized (MODERATORS: word deleted) who has fallen out of favour by the gang(because they no longer need him).
February 26, 2014 at 7:55 PM
Fortunately, Australia is a collage of refugees from all over the world… be they German, Italian, Polish, Irish, South African, Vietnamese to name a few but we all realise we have a grand opportunity to join the mix and not worry about soldiers or the like any more.. To the newcomers apparently like that Councillor who only seems to yhink his people are so important according to his election leaflet, and the MRC and definitely not the interests of Camden Residents … that is why he is a councillor after all… He should let reference to description of axe-men just float over is head ,… just as the frisbees do in Caulfield Park,
February 26, 2014 at 9:03 PM
Time to think back to the Alma Club – yet another give the developer what he wants
The Planning Department stuff up in the Alma Club was failing to get back to the developer in the required time – ergo the Councillors, who were being successfully lobbied by residents, were rendered useless by the Admin. And fair enough too since the useless Councillors, accepted the excuse that the 75 dwelling Alma Club was complex, without a murmur. Yet these same Councillors are trusting them with C60.
And wouldn’t ya know it the CK Obrien traffic department rubber stamped the Alma Clubs developers traffic report too. At least this time round they have refrained from making assertions that were clearly full of cr*p.
At least residents can console themselves with the fact that it doesn’t matter who the developer is or how big the project is the planning and traffic dept. will stuff up and Councillors will still be blinded by their crap and residents will get screwed.
February 26, 2014 at 10:03 PM
Incompetence certainly hath not bounds when it comes to the Planning Department/Traffic Department. Here is the latest farce taken from a recent VCAT hearing. We remind readers that haste to rush through a secret Amendment rather than making sure everything is double checked, and the t’s crossed and i’s dotted all combine to make Glen Eira the laughing stock it clearly is. The VCAT member had this to say (and Bromley is the council officer) –
Source: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/vic/VCAT/2014/154.html
Mr Bromley explained that prior to Amendment C110, the reference to “General Residential Zone” in this part of the policy had previously referred to the Residential 1 schedule that applied to all minimal change areas, including this site. He contended that Council was currently in discussions with the Department of Planning, Transport and Local Infrastructure to amend this part of the policy as Council considered the reference to the General Residential Zone was an error. This is primarily because all minimal change areas are in a Neighbourhood Residential Zone.
The policy comprises two sentences. The first requires (as policy only) that the responsible authority may consider more than two dwellings where it is clearly demonstrated that provisions of the schedule to the General Residential Zone are exceeded. As a separate sentence it then directs circumstances where two dwellings may be considered.
A literal reading of this policy, I find, is that there are two separate statements about considering more than two dwellings. The proposal meets a literal reading of the first sentence as it exceeds all requirements of the three schedules to the General Residential Zone, although I agree with Mr Bromley’s assertion that this is somewhat a meaningless policy statement for a site in a Neighbourhood Residential Zone, which is where the minimal change policy applies[8]. I also note that there are three schedules to the General Residential Zone. The policy does not direct which schedule needs to be met. It is the second sentence of the policy that I find more useful.
February 26, 2014 at 11:24 PM
MODERATORS: comment deleted
February 27, 2014 at 9:08 AM
do you agree
http://caulfieldneighbourhood.com.au/update-caulfield-village/
An update on Caulfield Village
By now we hope you are familiar with our new project known as the Caulfield Village. Comprising approximately five hectares of land located north of the racecourse and adjacent to the Caulfield Train Station and Monash University, our vision for Caulfield Village is to create a vibrant, integrated mixed-use hub with convenient access to public transport, shopping and recreation, designed to integrate with the character and facilities of the surrounding community.
We understand that Caulfield Village is a significant local project and that it is important to keep you informed with what is happening. As the project gets underway we will provide more regular updates on this website.
Who are we?
With over 70 years of combined experience building property projects of lasting quality and enduring appeal, The BECK-PROBUILD consortium is the project team that will be working on bringing this exciting new project to life. You can read more on the project team page
What is Caulfield Village?
Caulfield Village will ultimately comprise three different precincts offering various types of high quality housing and other complementary uses. It will deliver a range of benefits to the established neighbourhood such as pedestrian and road upgrades, convenient local retail, peaceful landscaped connections, recreation zones and improved safety through greater activation of the streets leading to the railway station.
Caulfield Village is a project we believe will enhance the whole local community. As a local resident, we hope you’ll enjoy the benefits of the new facilities and come here to eat, work, shop and relax.
BECK8115_Caulfield Heath_V02_Ladnscaped walkways
How will it happen?
The project will not happen all at once but via stages to enable us to manage the process more effectively and minimize public inconvenience. Over time you’ll notice new amenities and facilities emerging as the project progresses, making it more convenient to accomplish your daily tasks.
The first stage – Caulfield Heath
We’re excited to have completed the development plan for the first stage, called Caulfield Heath, and have lodged it with Council.
Caulfield Heath will provide high quality apartments and townhouses in a lush landscaped setting, including a publicly accessible green pedestrian walkway through the site to improve connections to the rest of the neighbourhood.
Broad use of the site has been mapped out by a Planning Scheme Amendment which is overseen by Council. We’ve ensured that our application addresses all the requirements of the development overlay set down by the State Government and focused our design approach around the provision of new homes that will integrate comfortably into the community, surrounding neighbourhood and streetscapes.
You may already be aware that Glen Eira City Council has begun the community consultation for Caulfield Heath and we support that process. It is important to us to get Caulfield Village right.
February 27, 2014 at 9:20 AM
These guys need to get marching orders for their hidden agenda. (MODERATORS: sentence deleted)
February 27, 2014 at 8:49 PM
“mproved safety through greater activation of the streets leading to the railway station”” did this mob take a leaf out of the Alma Club book!!!!!
The Alma Club marketing guff described overlooking as “ïncreased passive surveilance ocpportunities”
February 27, 2014 at 9:50 PM
One very nice direction in the “plans” for our convenience is the direction for residents to cross Normandy Road at theexisting traffic lights on our way to the Caulfield Station. One asks if you have ever examined this overgrown space, not even covered with the famous yewllow brick road, on the south of the railway. Thanks so much for the thought!. One would need rubber boots or very sturdy work boots will you develops be ready with alternate footware so one can travel to the city office after that?