Council’s Community Plan asserts that in order to meet population demand the city will have to provide for roughly 9,700 new dwellings in the period between 2011 and 2031. Victoria in Future 2014 predicts a higher figure – approximately 9,800. At the rate we’re going, and even if we assume a forecast figure of 10,000, this target will be reached within another 18 or so months. That is 15 years ahead of schedule! Plus, it does not even take into account what will be the final figures for the Caulfield Village!
Data from Planning Permit Victoria reveals the following numbers for ‘net new dwellings’ from 2011/12 onwards. Please take careful note!
2011/12 – 1280 dwellings
2012/13 – 934 dwellings
2013/14 – 1716 dwellings (council’s published data)
For the period from July to December 2014, another 1519 new dwellings were on the horizon according to Planning Permit Victoria. This makes it a grand total of 5449 in three and a half years. If the current rate of development continues, then the target of 10, 000 will be reached by the end of 2017 – even earlier once all the 2046 dwellings at the racecourse have been given the rubber stamp by our very accommodating administration and councillors.
So exactly what is council doing about this predicted future? What initiatives have they introduced, or even thinking about, that will ensure that such a rate of development is sustainable and doesn’t completely destroy the fabric and lifestyle of existing and future residents?
There are countless questions that should be raised and must be answered. For example:
- What is ‘saturation’ point? When will it be acknowledged that the city is fast approaching breaking point and that no further development is possible unless major environmental, social, and economic safeguards are implemented?
- How many speed humps in quiet residential streets have to happen, and at what cost, before proper Parking Precinct Plans in all activity centres are introduced and the waiving of car parking requirements ceases?
- How well is the drainage infrastructure coping and how well will it cope with another 10,000 dwellings?
- How many double levels of underground car parking will council allow before the water table becomes a real problem? How many of these have resulted in structural problems for the development and/or their neighbours?
- What happens post 10,000 new dwellings? How many more are feasible?
- How much will it cost to ensure that infrastructure is adequate?
- How much should developers contribute to this new infrastructure or is it council’s intention to keep subsidising development and keep raising rates?
- How much will open space provision decline per person as a result of population increase? Apart from the Booran Road Reservoir, what is council’s long term acquisition plan? Does one even exist, or are we to have more and more pavilions, car parks, and removal of trees and pretend that this is fulfilling our open space needs?
- Will councillors have the temerity to demand amendments that actually do something to alleviate congestion, shoddy building design, environmental sustainability, or are they as impotent as they appear?
- When will common sense prevail and council gets off its backside and starts proper strategic planning and consulting with residents as to the future of this municipality? And when oh when will the archaic, inept, and totally out of date planning scheme be reviewed in a proper consultative fashion with residents?
- And last, but certainly by no means least, when will standards that mean something be introduced and adhered to by this planning department and councillors?
PS: readers may be interested in the following application. Interestingly the developer has bought up surrounding GRZ properties and is now contemplating having 3 storeys alongside 7 storeys on East Boundary Road, which is already a disaster given recent applications and, of course, GESAC. We suggest that residents attempt a left hand turn from Centre Road into East Boundary Road to see for themselves the traffic conditions in this area. And East Bentleigh isn’t even a major activity centre! It merely is a de facto one!
795-807 Centre Road and 150 East Boundary Road BENTLEIGH EAST VIC 3165 – Construction of a part three (3) and part seven (7) storey building comprising 110 dwellings and 4 shops, use of the land for dwellings, reduction of statutory car parking requirements, waiver of loading bay requirements and alteration of access to a Road Zone Category 1
Glen Eira Debates 
February 16, 2015 at 12:52 PM
Dash of mental arithmetic results in 500 new apartments built in a year. That has been council’s claim for as long as I can remember. These stats blow that out of the water. If 3000 are here by the end of the year we’re looking at a six fold increase and most since the zones came in. I daresay that the necessary planning to accommodate and accompany this growth has been non existent.
February 16, 2015 at 3:11 PM
No council will not get off its backside and work, this would be against their high standards of slackness. I cannot believe some of the standards achieve in Glen Eira, streets-capes full of dumped rubbished, just look at the round-about at the top end of Glen Eira Rd, its always choc-a-block with weeds, never a iota of any council concern about this disgrace, dozens of Parks and Gardens trucks must pass through this intersection daily, and turn a blind eye
February 16, 2015 at 5:32 PM
Media Release of today –
Work Begins: Removing Our 50 Worst Level Crossings
Monday 16 February 2015
The Andrews Labor Government has started work on 50 level crossing removals, a project that will get Victorians home safer and sooner if they drive or use public transport.
Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, at the level crossing on Centre Rd in Bentleigh today to announce the establishment of the Level Crossings Removal Authority, which will deliver the project.
The planning of the project has been fast-tracked. $100 million in funding will be used to progress planning works and establish the Authority, with $3 million provided immediately so work can start as soon as possible.
As a project of historic significance to Melbourne’s road and rail network, an overarching business case will be developed for the full Level Crossings Removal Project.
The project will create 4,500 jobs. Approximately 100 people will be employed for the life of each level crossing removal, though this can increase to 300 during peak construction.
Four of the level crossings slated for removal are already out to market, with construction expected to commence later this year at Main Rd in St Albans, Blackburn Rd in Blackburn, Burke Rd in Glen Iris and North Rd in Ormond.
The number of level crossings in Melbourne is unusually high. Other cities have previously funded programs to remove level crossings, reducing congestion and saving lives.
Level crossings constitute half of the RACV’s worst traffic spots in metropolitan Melbourne. Removing them will reduce congestion on the road, increase safety for everyone and allow more train services.
A study by VicRoads experts says the addition of just three more train services on the Dandenong rail corridor will see the gates at the Poath Rd, Murrumbeena level crossing stay shut for 50 minutes over the morning peak.
Removing 50 level crossings (including 14 along the Dandenong rail corridor) is a key step to transforming our public transport system into an international-style metro, with more trains running more often.
Quotes attributable to Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews
“We’re getting Victorians home safer and sooner by fixing our number one traffic nightmare.”
“They hold up cars, they slow down trains, they take young lives, they’ve got to go.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan
“Level crossings are our biggest cause of congestion and our biggest impediment to growth.”
“We want to build the transport system of the future but level crossings keep us stuck in the past.”
February 16, 2015 at 8:23 PM
Caulfield village monstrosity will be built before 2031. I’d love to be as sure of winning lotto as I am that there will be more than 2046 dwellings. By that stage council would be letting in about 25000 new places to kill off what remains of suburbs all over.
February 16, 2015 at 8:47 PM
Well obviously growth isn’t sustainable using the conventional definition eg “able to be maintained at a certain rate or level indefinitely”. Checking the Planning Scheme, it is riddled with mentions of “sustainable”, but provides no definition. One of the troubles is that the Objectives of Planning in Victoria include “to provide for the fair, orderly, economic and sustainable use, and development of land”. Since these are inherently in conflict, fair, orderly and sustainable use has been abandoned, and the focus is only “economic”: what makes money for developers and donors to political parties.
As for construction rates, David Bergin [DPCD/DTPLI/DELWP] minuted at a Ministerial meeting that “Council” believed it had an 85-year supply “based on current housing construction”. Cr Hyams is quoted in The Age as saying that the “forecast population growth, of about 18000 people over 20 years, had been taken into account in zoning plans”. Victoria in Future 2014 specifically warns people that it isn’t providing forecasts, but only projections based on a set of assumptions. Its projection for Glen Eira is 25900 people and 9700 dwellings [2.7 people per dwelling] over 20 years.
All of these are extremely rubbery, since we don’t know what the yield for the new defacto residential zone, C1Z, will be. Nor do we know how low VCAT and Council will stoop concerning amenity standards—they keep lowering the bar. There is pressure on decision-makers to squeeze as many dwellings as possible into the areas targetted for higher density development, and so we see an inordinate number of small 1- and 2-bedroom apartments, with minimal landscaping, poor amenity, no nearby public open space, and overcrowded public transport running at limited times to only a few selected destinations.
February 17, 2015 at 10:10 AM
with those 3 houses at 143 neerim road which were sold collectively now having a planning permit for 32 apartments there will be surely be zero movement of cars at peak hour. I know governments are not forward thinking but won’t this just mean they will need to remove this level crossing as well at a cost of $50 million which means they wont get any change back from the all the extra stamp duty they receive. Plus thousands of people will be living next to a methane factory!