Another objective of Council is to promote the integrated planning of the city. Integrated planning involves working with the community, residents, traders, service providers and other stakeholders to enhance the quality of Glen Eira’s suburbs and their environmental, economic and social sustainability. Integrated planning involves looking beyond traditional town planning solutions. It is important to encourage people to participate in the development of their city and to develop overall visions and plans for areas. It involves holistically looking at a wide range of issues in the local community including; infrastructure, social planning, economic development, recreation and capital works.

The above quote comes from Council’s Planning Scheme. Given recent history and the manner in which the new residential zones were introduced, we decided to see what other fiction the scheme contained.

Councils are meant to ‘regularly review’ their schemes and this basically means every four years following council elections. The purpose of such reviews is to determine whether the schemes are up-to-date; whether they are aligned with council’s strategic direction, and whether they are in keeping with state provisions.

Glen Eira’s planning scheme has not been genuinely ‘reviewed’ for eons. It is a ‘fossil’ parading as a robust and contemporary document. Featured below are extracts from the scheme. It is frankly incomprehensible how a document of this importance is allowed to exist when so much of what it contains is:

  • Decades out of date
  • Full of promises that have not been fulfilled, and perhaps were never intended to be actioned.

The document itself is a damning indictment of this Council. Reference documents go as far back as 1996 and have not been touched since; data is obsolete; motherhood statements abound and most importantly, nearly everything that is promised under the guise of ‘further strategic’ actions has simply not been done – especially in terms of protecting trees, parking precinct plans, structure plans, etc. In short, the planning scheme is worthless as a document that provides a clear vision and action plan that residents can have full confidence in.

Here are some of the empty promises quoted verbatim –

There have also been growing resident concerns over loss of trees associated with multiunit development. Despite Council’s efforts to encourage tree retention and adequate landscaping, planting is generally limited and has little consideration for the character of gardens within the street/neighbourhood. The cumulative effects of adjacent, multi-unit development have been a loss of the tree-filled semi-private spaces that contribute towards Glen Eira’s image as a garden suburb.

Minimising the demolition of buildings/site clearing prior to seeking development approval.

COMMENT: No local law on tree protection; no significant tree register after at least a decade of public outcry; and when this issue came up at a council meeting, councillors resolved to do nothing since the planning scheme, it was claimed, provided sufficient protection.

See: https://gleneira.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/still-going-round-the-mulberry-bush-10-years-on/

https://gleneira.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/the-saga-of-the-tree-register/

https://gleneira.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/the-non-existent-tree-protection/

 

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

The Glen Eira Community Plan identifies the corporate direction of Council over a 3 year period (2001-2004). Many of the objectives and strategies identified in the Municipal Strategic Statement have originated from actions identified in the Community Plan.

To ensure integrated neighbourhood planning of Glen Eira’s suburbs.

Facilitate high quality urban design and architecture that will enhance neighbourhood Character

Identify a preferred future character for housing diversity areas.

Ensure residential development in commercial areas does not contribute to traffic and car parking problems.

Ensure that the community is involved in decision making about their neighbourhood.

Ensure that the traffic impacts are adequately addressed when considering new residential development.

FURTHER STRATEGIC WORK

Developing local structure plans / urban design frameworks to guide development in the neighbourhood centres.

Investigating a vegetation management program which considers appropriate controls and guidelines to ensure vegetation protection.

Developing “suburb” plans for each suburb which integrate land use and development planning, with planning for infrastructure, capital works, recreation, parks and gardens, street trees and business development.

Developing local area traffic management plans and parking precinct plans to control the effects of parking and traffic intrusion in residential areas.

Investigating mechanisms which require developers to undertake street tree planting.

Ensure that adequate standards are set for on-going maintenance of public space at commercial centres.

Levying development contributions to finance improvements and additions to physical infrastructure including drainage and public open space, where new development is likely to impact on the capacity of existing infrastructure.

Ensuring that impervious surfaces are minimised in areas which are prone to flooding.

Investigating the development of additional development contribution mechanisms based on accepted principles of need, equity, nexus, accountability and timing.

Preparing a Municipal Stormwater Plan incorporating a Drainage Framework Plan.

Parking precinct plans

The City of Glen Eira recognises the special and often conflicting parking needs of its numerous commercial centres. Further strategic work is necessary to develop Parking Precinct Plans to:

􀂃 Maximise the supply and usage of parking for customers and traders of the centres.

􀂃 Limit the requirements for car parking for new development, whilst minimising adverse parking and equity consequences of new developments.

􀂃 Guide Council in the provision of public car parks.

Applying the Public Acquisition Overlay to properties identified by Council as being necessary for the provision of off street car parking in order to reserve land for that purpose and to ensure that changes to the use or development do not prejudice the purpose for which the land is to be acquired.

􀂃 Preparing Parking Precinct Policies for the following neighbourhood centres:

􀂂 Alma Village, Caulfield Park, Caulfield South, Bentleigh East, Glen Huntly, Ormond.

􀂃 Investigating the need for a cash-in-lieu policy to fund new car parks in various commercial centres.

MONITORING AND REVIEW

A review of this planning scheme will be undertaken at least every three years.

++++++++++++

And here are the ‘reference documents’ included in the scheme. Please note the dates.

 

Housing and Residential Development Strategy, Glen Eira City Council, 2002

Urban Character Study, Anne Cunningham & Anne Keddie, 1996

Urban Village Structure Plans, Glen Eira City Council, 1999

Phoenix Precinct Urban Design Framework, Gerner et al, 1998

Glen Eira Neighbourhood Character Review Final Report (March 2011), Planisphere

Economic Overview, Henshall Hansen & Associates, 1997

Glen Eira Retail/Commercial Strategy, Essential Economics, 1998

City of Glen Eira Business Development Strategy, 1998

Urban Village Structure Plans, Perrott Lyon Mathieson P/L, 1997

Phoenix Precinct Urban Design Framework, Gerner et al, 1998

Glen Eira Heritage Management Plan, Andrew Ward & Associates, 1996

Melbourne Water Drainage Survey, Melbourne Water, 1998

Glen Eira Drainage Strategy, 1998

Glen Eira Furniture Strategy, 1997

Undergrounding Infrastructure Policy, 1997

Glen Eira Traffic Management Strategy, 1995

Revised Warrants for Local Area Traffic Management Measures, 1998

Draft City of Glen Eira Parking Policy, Andrew O’Brien & Associates, 1998

Review of Car Parking Provisions in Victorian Planning Schemes –Final Report. Car Parking Advisory Committee, 1996

Urban Village Structure Plans, Perrott Lyon Mathieson, 1997