When one considers that planning applications have the power to impact dramatically on people’s lives, the least that councillors could do is to actually consider and debate the merits of the case. Instead, what invariably happens in chamber is that councillors merely regurgitate the officer’s reports (verbatim at times), possibly make some minor amendments and the whole matter, from start to finish, takes approximately 5 minutes – if even that long! People’s lives, their amenity, surely deserve more than 5 minutes of weasel words?
By way of contrast, slapping themselves on the back about the moving of the Toy Library to a council owned building takes around 12 minutes and ten years of community pleading! Requests for reports, turn into marathons of political grandstanding, constant contradictions, and a focus on ‘feel good’ issues that many would argue are beyond council’s control. These requests take close to half an hour of argey bargey and political point-scoring.
Of course no information is provided to residents on:
- What happened at the VCAT ‘mediation’ over the Caulfield Village Development
- No explanation as to why the Duncan Mackinnon pavilion will not be completed until half way through next year
- No insight into whether the Duncan Mackinnon pavilion is over budget
In short, all the important issues, are downplayed, given short shrift, or the code of silence descends. That is the incontrovertible message that these councillors send to residents. The priority for this Council and its councillors is to continually slap themselves on the back and state again and again how wonderful they are.
PS: The triple block of land in McKinnon Road (1112 square metres and zoned GRZ) was sold today for $3.61 million! At that price, residents can look forward to plenty more chicken coops so that the developer can recoup his outlay!
Glen Eira Debates 
September 3, 2014 at 1:32 PM
in relation to Duncan Mckinnon etc Andrew Newton has a quote in the council news this month ‘ do it right and do it the first time’. thought you might be amused!
September 3, 2014 at 4:20 PM
We find it more than “amusing” – we have to stifle outright laughter.
Yes indeed – ‘do it once – do it properly’.
That’s why the GESAC car park had to be redone TWICE!
That’s why a certain pavilion kitchen at the estimated cost of $70,000 has been redone despite being next cab off the rank for a new pavilion
That’s why amendment after amendment has, and will continue to follow as a result of the shoddy, secret, and inept planning processes involved in the introduction of the Residential Zones!
That’s why the Booran Road reservoir has been put on the back burner since at least 2010
That’s why Duncan Mackinnon pavilion has to be fixed up and is nearly two years behind schedule and is still another year off completion!
That’s why council resolutions mean nothing – ie Caulfield Park conservatory
That’s why 20 odd trees had to be destroyed at Caulfield Park to fit in with the relocation of the sports ovals – the second time ovals have been ‘relocated’.
That’s why the ‘agreement’ with the MRC as to the centre of the racecourse has seen countless breaking of this agreement and council’s inaction on such issues.
That’s why errors in amendments have to be pointed out by residents instead of an extensive planning department of so-called ‘professionals’.
That’s why tens of thousands of dollars are spent on litigation only to have charges dropped!
Yes indeed! Glen Eira council sure does it only once and then IMPROPERLY!
September 3, 2014 at 3:25 PM
Being an objector to the Neerim Road development I attended my first ever Council Meeting last night and I left absolutely appalled. This post presents a pretty accurate broad outline of the meeting, i.e. focus of self congratulation vs. swiftly glossing over matters that really impact residents. On a more detailed level the arguments and comments put up by Okotel and Lipshutz during the “lets contact other Council’s to see what they do to support their GLBT community discussion” landed smack dab in the middle of the neolithic period. The community has left their closed minded, biased views behind long ago and it is outrageous that such views are still being expressed by supposed leaders.
And what gives with Lobo!!!! Less than one minute after saying that, even with additional modifications to the 487 building envelopes he didn’t know if he would vote to approve the development, he votes to approve it!!!!!!!. Nothing happened in that less than 1 minute that changed anything … is this his standard performance, if so people have wasted their vote.
September 3, 2014 at 4:08 PM
Yes voters have wasted their votes on Lobo and Okotel.
September 3, 2014 at 10:02 PM
Ya can add the rest of them too – useless buggers
September 3, 2014 at 4:09 PM
3.5m for 1100 metres of land is incredible. I’m in agreement with the post that what will happen is at least 25 units so that the buyers can get their money back and make a profit. That’s at least another 25 cars in a street that is already jam packed with traffic and noise. I feel sorry for the house next door. They will move out next and all the areas that are zoned in this way will become concrete jungles. I wouldn’t want to live next door to a 3 or 4 storey housing commission place and if I can get my neighbour to join me then maybe we could get out with some monetary compensation for what this awful council is doing. The planning policy is discriminatory at worst and irresponsible at best because it doesn’t treat everyone equally.