We’ve received a series of photographs that illustrate the carnage caused by development and the failure of this council to enforce its own regulations – much less fine contractors or even order a halt to construction because permit conditions aren’t being adhered to or everyday road rules are ignored. There is absolutely no excuse why residents living near these constructions should have their safety, and lives impacted to such an extent. Developers are not outside the law – but it might appear to some that in Glen Eira they are free to do what they like, when they like, and how they like!
Glen Eira Debates 
November 1, 2014 at 11:07 AM
Morons are running the joint. Here’s a goldmine if they had the brains to figure it out. Hire a couple more inspectors just to go around to all construction sites and fine them every day. Reckon they’d make thousands each day. If they complain they can’t hire any more staff then just sack a director or two and they’d be rolling in dough.
November 1, 2014 at 11:49 AM
I see plenty of tradesman parking their utes on the nature strip as if they have some right to be there. They then crank up the volume of their ghetto blasters, once again as if they have some right to ruin the amenity of the area.
The Council don’t give a stuff about these infringements.
Reasonable Laws, reasonably enforced. What a load of codswallop. To bad the rational of the council doesn’t match that of the residents. A bit of balance is called for.
November 1, 2014 at 12:11 PM
Too true. Bet you didn’t have to venture too far to get these photos. Snap Send Solve is a good app to report these issues. You slap have a record of your complaint. Agree with above that with a little enforcement, this disregard for the community could be all but eliminated rather than being the norm.
November 1, 2014 at 1:52 PM
Council’s policies and procedures covering building sites are notoriously poor, as is their enforcement regime. The Building Site Code of Management is inadequate, although Council disputes this, and its officers don’t even know the difference between an Asset Protection permit and an Asset Consent permit.
Building sites routinely create hazards for pedestrians passing them. Builders block off footpaths, force pedestrians onto roads without protection from passing traffic, park haphazardly to ensure poor visibility. They rip up footpaths for months or years, dump building refuse onto the paths and naturestrips including sharp chunks of metal and nails, leave clay strewn about on footpaths and roadways, wash building material into stormwater drains. And they erect temporary fences and hoardings that blow over too easily.
Council’s response is:
a) “they’re allowed to do that”;
b) “don’t bother reporting it because I can tell you know we’re not going to take enforcement action”;
c) “I haven’t seen that each time I’ve driven past”;
d) “I consider the irregular surface with mud and gravel adequate for people on mobility scooters”;
e) [at the very end of the project] “we have issued a fine for the partial road closure because they didn’t have a permit”.
It is simply not good enough for Council to claim it is acceptable for a mother battling with a stroller and a toddler having to walk on the road around a site for 100m, with the road narrowed by cars parked on both sides, and cars squeezing past from both directions. That’s not traffic management and it’s not site management either.
November 1, 2014 at 2:16 PM
I’ve seen parking officers sitting in unmarked cars in supermarket car parks and checking their watches continually. They then jump out an put a fine on the car in front of them. That’s what they are good at – picking on shoppers who happen to have overstayed for a few minutes instead of booking the developers. It’s pathetic. People should not be forced to walk on the road to get around any building site and the rubbish that is left behind should be cleared away every day.
November 1, 2014 at 2:45 PM
We have had a tray truck ioaded with reinforcing mesh for the 2 Belsize site parked here for over three weeks in the two hour zone. Occasionally he moves it up or back but for days has remained in the same spot. Has been reported to council – nothing still there! But families around here desperate for a park outside their houses have been fined very quickly by council for over staying the 2 hour limit. Two rules, one for the developers the other for the residents
November 1, 2014 at 2:23 PM
We’ve received several more emails in response to this post from residents also complaining about the mess that their streets are in as a result of construction. We would ask all residents to please take a photo of anything you consider to be dangerous, or an infringement of any road or bylaw and forward us the photos plus the address. We are confident that the wider media would be most interested in the lack of adequate surveillance and enforcement actions that are occurring in Glen Eira.
November 1, 2014 at 9:09 PM
Face it folks Council doesn’t give a stuff about parking. Doesn’t matter about the construction wrecking both the road and blocking driveways. And as for the residential parking permit system it might work if Council actually enforced it.
November 1, 2014 at 11:13 PM
In my personal experience if you put complaint to council, a officers does follow it through, and action is taken, or at least resolved for a few days, until more tradies visit the site, and it’s all back to square one.
I did notice a temporary site office built over the footpath near Booran Rd and Glen Huntly awhile back, which was pretty outrageous. When all the digging was over it was moved on site. I think a little freedom is needed, most people are flexible
“give tradies an inch and they will take a mile”
that hasn’t changed in a hundred years
November 2, 2014 at 10:16 AM
In my personal experience Council rarely does anything when it comes to tradies and there is never any follow through.
And when it comes to tradies themselves they don’t particularly care about anyone but themselves and seemed to assigned themselves all sorts of rights that don’t apply to others.
I’ve even been told (when I complained for the third time) about the manager of a reno across the street parking his ute across my driveway (when there was ample parking available about 5 steps further from the site) that “it wasn’t his fault”. A truly astounding piece of logic and I predict a bright future for that young tradie
November 2, 2014 at 10:28 AM
I think we need to get this in perspective. This isn’t about ‘trades’ this is about developers being given the right to occupy the public realm at great inconvenience to the community and creating a very unsafe environment. The issues raised in this blog are about uncontrolled transgressions by developers that are never chased up be council. If the development can’t be contained within the block then the development is too big and should not have been approved. Don’t see this as being about ‘trades’!!
November 2, 2014 at 10:48 AM
I agree with you completely. If council is not willing to prosecute tradies then they will continue doing what they are doing.
November 2, 2014 at 2:46 PM
Readers should also check out the following as evidence of what can be done to control workmen and their trucks. To the best of our knowledge, none of this exists in Glen Eira – another gold mine of potential revenue that remains uncollected and gifts developers plenty! Please also note various council’s ‘hoarding” policies which we’ve commented on before.
http://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/residents-and-services/building/local-law-permits/workszones/builder-parking-in-residential-streets/
http://www.monash.vic.gov.au/planning/infrastructure-permits.htm#part
http://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/residents-and-services/building/local-law-permits/workszones/builder-parking-in-commercial-streets/
http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/parking-roads-and-transport/parking-permits-moreland/business-parking-permits.html (see parking management policy link)
http://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/residents/planning/article/item/8cd0c32a9ccd720.aspx
November 2, 2014 at 7:41 PM
Every development is required to provide a construction management plan which, as is shown in the above pictures, must be filed unread in the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet in the unlit basement.