City of Glen Eira Crown land
Mr SOUTHWICK (Caulfield)—I rise to raise a matter for the attention of the Minister for Environment and Climate Change regarding the Caulfield Park council depot and some Crown land located near the intersection of Glen Eira, Booran and Kambrook Roads, Caulfield, known as the Booran Road reserve. The action I seek is for the minister to explore with Glen Eira City Council the opportunity to relocate the Caulfield depot to the currently unused Crown land site of Booran reserve adjacent to the racecourse to free up parkland in Caulfield Park. The Caulfield depot is a large allotment within Caulfield Park on Inkerman Road and is used to store heavy maintenance vehicles and other equipment. Glen Eira has the lowest amount of open space of any Victorian municipality, and therefore the opportunity to create more recreational space must be explored.
I have spoken with local ward councillor, Michael Lipshutz, who regards this proposition very favourably. I am aware that council has in the past been agreeable to exploring options to move the depot on the premise it will not take away from recreational parkland at another site. I am also aware that Glen Eira City Council has rejected our offer for it to use the land for parkland. In addition, I have had discussions with Friends of Caulfield Park representatives who agree that shifting the Caulfield depot to the unused Booran reserve would free up further premium open space in Caulfield Park; which would be a big win for the Caulfield community. Glen Eira Debates, a community blog site, has had many locals voice their strong opinions on the matter. There has been overwhelming support from locals for the Caulfield Park depot to be relocated to free up additional open space. Caulfield Park is used and loved by all locals, and to open up additional recreational space in this suburban oasis would be fantastic.
I would greatly appreciate the minister exploring the opportunity with Glen Eira council to provide Caulfield residents with additional recreational open space by examining this opportunity, which would also allow the Caulfield Park depot to be located at the unutilised Booran reserve Crown land and free up much-needed space in the beautiful Caulfield Park, the jewel of open space in Caulfield.
Glen Eira Debates 
May 9, 2014 at 8:57 AM
Congratulations GE Debates for getting the mention. While I don’t expect much to come from the political grandstanding, the mention has to be an indication that your considerable efforts have not been in vain. You are gaining in public awareness and obviously getting the word out.
Good job!!!!
May 13, 2014 at 11:12 AM
It will be very interesting to see the faces of Hyams and Lipshutz who have had nothing but contempt for GE Debates blog.
May 9, 2014 at 10:00 AM
There must be an election coming. Nothing for three and a half years and now he wakes up. Southwick has been a big disappointment.
May 9, 2014 at 11:05 AM
Mr Fix It might succeed in something useful this time. The depot is an eyesore and should never have been allowed to literally cement its place in Caulfield park. But and a huge but has to be sorted out like will council become the committee of management and will ratepayers have to fund what was a couple of years ago estimated to be three million dollars to move the depot? It would be wonderful if the Mrc paid for the relocation. Maybe Southwick can work his magic and achieve this outcome for residents. Then it could be said that he is doing something useful and not electioneering alone.
May 9, 2014 at 2:43 PM
Electioneering. It would take a 12% swing to knock him off and Sportsbet has him $1.10 ALP $6.
The idea has merit. The depot should have gone years ago
May 9, 2014 at 11:07 AM
I think it could cost around $4 million to move the depot. Who pays?
May 9, 2014 at 12:41 PM
$4m to set up a portable and a container to store the gear with a bit of hard standing? Geez you must work for Glen Eira Council!
May 9, 2014 at 2:46 PM
I can answer the question. You and me and all of our neighbours.
May 9, 2014 at 7:28 PM
The ratepayers paid for it to be put there in when they had to move it from the Manchester Grove/Neerim Road land which was sold for development. Yet another non consultation
May 9, 2014 at 9:03 PM
Actually the primary question to be asked is what is the cost and if it is the $4M you suggest then why should it cost that much.
Council, and various other respected, reputable bodies (based on independent published studies) have acknowledged that private industry costs are 4 times less that Council costs. An example of which is the small three sided mulch shed, designed in house by Council and without any facilities (water sewerage or electricity), on free land costing $60,000.
So if the cost is the reputed $4m. where’s the justification. Rather than trying to avoid such needlessly inflated costs residents you be asking for justifications.
May 9, 2014 at 9:15 PM
If memory serves us correctly the mulch shed cost roughly $180,000!
May 9, 2014 at 10:39 PM
So $160k vs $180k. What ever the amount it is excessive and emphasizes the issue. AND It’s a time and time again issue .
May 9, 2014 at 10:49 PM
It probably cost close to that to set it up over the years since moving operations following the Neerim Rd sale. It doesn’t just service Caulfield Park, but all of GE’s parks and gardens and is a car park for a multitude of various heavy vehicles. It is such an ugly area – at least they could lessen its impact with some greenery so we don’t have to look at it.
May 9, 2014 at 4:09 PM
So it I known as the Booran road reservoir is it. Does he not know it is 2 separate places? Maybe someone should show him around the electorate and show him the size of the land he is talking about. Bet the residents would be rapped as well
May 9, 2014 at 4:17 PM
Timing is everything. Council has mooched around over this issue for as long as I can remember. It’s always been too hard to achieve and too expensive and no suitable land has ever been available. Now, when the C60 development is about to start and Maccabi are after land in the centre of the racecourse it suddenly becomes a feasible proposition.
This isn’t an off the cuff speech. You can bet that backroom “negotiations” have been going on for some time. Residents will be the last to know who pays for it all though.
May 9, 2014 at 4:24 PM
We refer readers back to an earlier Southwick speech in parliament (April 3rd 2014) and ask what on earth has happened to the ‘public consultation’?
City of Glen Eira Crown land
Mr SOUTHWICK (Caulfield) — I rise tonight to raise a matter for the Minister for Environment and Climate Change in regard to Crown land located near the intersection of Glen Eira, Booran and Kambrook roads in Caulfield. I ask the minister to open up the land for expressions of public interest. The matter I raise is in regard to the land referred to as Crown allotment 2031 or Booran reserve. It was offered to the City of Glen Eira after a land swap with Melbourne Racing Club proposed by the previous government in 2009-10. Since the land swap, the land has been left dormant, and recently the council advised that the development of the land for open space will not be supported under its new open space strategy.
The piece of land is effectively the doorway into the racecourse.
The City of Glen Eira has been advocating for more open and active space and more participation, but this land has now been dormant for some years. It is a missed opportunity. I note that Glen Eira City Council has said it was not consulted by the Labor Party when the swap was suggested, but now that the land is Crown land I hope a suitable use will be found for this very important piece of land, which is, as I said, a doorway into the racing club.
Many people in the council, particularly Cr Jim Magee, have advocated many times for open and more active space around the Crown land and the racecourse. I would have thought this would be a perfect opportunity to do so. With the council not being willing to take up this space and not being able to be the committee of management to activate the space, I ask that the minister consult with community members, sporting clubs and other organisations in the community to see who would be interested in taking up this vital and important piece of land.
Taking up this action would be a really good opportunity. Not only would it open up the opportunity for sport and other activities within that place — a parkway or whatever — but ultimately it would be the link to any further activity that would take place within
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the racecourse itself. It is a valuable piece of land, and this is a great opportunity to utilise this land that has been left idle for a long time now. It is important that we get on with doing something with this land so we can give the constituency of Glen Eira an opportunity, particularly the many sporting clubs that are screaming out for more space. I ask that the minister open up this matter for public consultation and expressions of interest from the public so that those in the community have the opportunity to apply their best thinking to how this land can be best utilised for the community and best service the city of Glen Eira.
May 9, 2014 at 7:32 PM
Yeah well Southwick flips and flops all over the place but always ends up taking credit. Last election he promised to stop C60 and reverse the land swap – know it lets use the land (but neglects to mention they first need to kick the MRC of the adjoining land that is also part of the landswap.
May 9, 2014 at 5:21 PM
This is all wrong, we have a shortage of open space, new land should be rented or acquire for Parks & Gardens it need not be in Glen Eira, and both areas under discussion should become parks. Switching deck-chairs on this issue will not solve anything. Which is exactly what we should be expecting from Southwick, do not fall for his lazy solution.
May 9, 2014 at 7:30 PM
Just outsource the gardening services like every other Council. Far cheaper, better service and the Contractor can find their own depot.
May 10, 2014 at 4:59 PM
Stonnington new mowing contractor is UMS and have depot in Monash
May 10, 2014 at 5:56 PM
From the minutes of 1st May 2012 –
“A site outside Glen Eira could affect costs such as travel time / staff productivity and fuel as well as greenhouse emissions.
Officers have previously advised Councillors of an estimated cost of not less than $3m. It is not possible to be more specific until a new site is identified and the nature of redevelopment of the existing site is known.
The $3m cost needs to be considered in the context of other Council priorities. This Term, the Council has funded the acquisition of two properties to increase public open space and the redevelopment of the former bowls greens for public use at Packer Park. As to the future, in officers’ opinion, the conversion of the former Glenhuntly reservoir to public open space is the project with the most potential to provide community benefit through improved public open space.
4. Joint Venture
Neighbouring Councils face similar issues to Glen Eira. Our five neighbouring Councils have been written to in order to register our interest in joint use of any suitable site.”
No further report from these “neighbouring councils” has ever been made public.
May 11, 2014 at 9:43 AM
Travel times and emissions are important, and converting council vehicles would help, and I believe many are already converted. We could reap a huge load of emission benefits from converting little used grassed areas into vegetated area; they would never need to be mowed again. Vegetated areas also act as buffers for heat on hot days effectively cooling their surrounding areas, meaning a little less reliance on power hungry mechanical cooling. I notice people train on the local football oval on some week nights, and the huge power guzzling lights stay on for a very long time after everyone has cleared out and gone home. Putting an off switch, so the last person out, turns off the lights, this could save thousands over the years. Or why not scrap people training at night, under 10.000 kWh of energy. I sure if they had to pay for this dangerous extravagance they would do it. Saving energy is easy, it just needs the will power. Which Glen Eira doesn’t have, so long as they can keep putting up our rates anytime they choose, we pay for their laziness.
May 9, 2014 at 8:37 PM
I think that this is a good result and Southwick should be congratulated on his efforts. it’s better than nothing. I would like to see that Glen Eira Council would shift the Glen Huntly park mulch facility from the playground to the same area as the depot. In the Leader they report that the Booran Reserve is to become an open space area and not a sports ground.
So after all it seems we will have a little more of useful open space if Southwick proposal will eventuate. That should not release the Caulfield Racecourse Trust from its obligation to allow more open space at the racecourse and access to it.
Glen Eira Debates contributors should be pleased with these developments.
May 11, 2014 at 9:50 PM
well I am not pleased at all
May 12, 2014 at 9:23 AM
I am sure I heard that council has asked the Minister if they could move the depot to that site before, only to be told NO. What is Southwick up to?
May 13, 2014 at 7:31 AM
By approving the infamous land swap, the Minister (aka the Labor, State Government) endorsed the creation of a much heralded “NEW PARK FOR CAULFIELD” on this site even though the police argued against it – a busy 3 road (Booran, Glen Eira and Kambrook Roads) round-about controlled intersection. The major police concerns being major pedestrian safety issues and the “after dark” safety issues arising from a relatively small area being enclosed by solid MRC fencing on 3 sides. Quite frankly the site is not suitable for anything that requires multiple pedestrian or vehicular access – a fact the MRC recognised when proposed the appalling land swap.
Had Southwick bothered to do any research he would also be
1. asking for a progress update on the clearing of the 954 sqm strip of land on the south side. This is currently used for stabling and under the terms of the land swap the MRC had 10 years to clear and rehabilitate it – 6 years are already up.
2. commenting on the significant vegetation retained on the site. This was a key selling point in the MRC push which neither the State Government nor Council disputed. Retention of this vegetation has major impacts for future land usage.
3. embarrassed to learn that his predecessor and fellow liberal party member argued strongly against the land swap on the basis that it unduly favoured the MRC over the public and also because limited ability to the safely access the site severely impacted any public purpose usage.
May 12, 2014 at 8:53 PM
Is that site large enough to handle the depot staff and equipment? Wouldn’t placing it in such a heavily trafficked location be problematic anyway? I’d suggest the answers are ‘No’ and ‘Yes’ respectively.
May 13, 2014 at 12:06 AM
Agree regarding the heavy road traffic at the roundabout site, but more importantly what about the ‘pedestrian’ traffic at the present site? There is a constant stream of heavy vehicles entering and exiting across one of our most popular walking/jogging paths throughout the day.
May 14, 2014 at 1:41 PM
11,30am MRC/Trustees in trouble? ABC News at the Racecourse.
May 14, 2014 at 7:00 PM
Anything on the news tonight?
May 14, 2014 at 7:11 PM
The Member for Taking Credit very kindly acknowledges Cr Lipshutz as the only councillor whose views matter. Perhaps he knows the size of the voting bloc that Cr Lipshutz commands. Fundamentally though the idea of relocating the Council Depot is misguided. It is not designed to improve the distribution of open space in the municipality, which should have been the fundamental goal of the flawed Open Space Strategy. It is not providing money to fund a relocation and which would be an embarrassment to the CEO. It doesn’t even take into account the value of the extant vegetation that the MRC extolled when it pursuaded the Spring St racing fraternity in Parliament to approve the land “swap”.
May 14, 2014 at 10:07 PM
Check out new planning application to use Heywood st car park for car parking. Is the middle of the racecourse too small for them to use now?
May 15, 2014 at 9:16 AM
https://www.stbedesmentonetigers.com.au check this out. They are offering caulfield village dump to them. Expect most of it to be sold in China though