Planning Permit Activity reports are now available for the entire financial year of 2014/15. The figures represent ‘net new dwellings’. From July 2014 to June 2015, another 2885 dwellings have received permits. This is on top of the 1713 from the previous year. Population projections for Glen Eira tell us that in order to meet housing needs the municipality will require 9000 new dwellings by 2031. Since the zones have come in the numbers have gone through the roof – 934, 1713, and now 2885 – for a grand total of 5532. Hence in the space of three years Glen Eira has achieved an average of roughly 1800 dwellings per year – triple what is stated in the fossilised Planning Scheme. At this rate, the 9000 new dwellings will be reached in 2018 and not 2031!
Given these figures, today’s Letter to the Editor, is very relevant.
Glen Eira Debates 
July 21, 2015 at 9:04 AM
Yes, yes yes. Save all of Glen Eira because it is being ruined by this council. More should be added to since I’m guessing that the rest of caulfield village isn’t included in these numbers. That makes it another 1500 or so there plus the 4400 for virginia park. Another 6000 just like that.
July 21, 2015 at 9:47 AM
Fair question – what is capacity? No one knows, or they don’t want to answer. If roads, drains, schools, electricity, lack of parking, lack of open space represent measurements of “capacity” then we’re there already. My beef is how much will it cost ratepayers in continually subsidising developers in all these areas and when does it become non cost effective. Council is spending millions on drainage that should be shared with developer contributions. They pay nothing and are laughing all the way to the bank.
July 21, 2015 at 3:29 PM
I would like to suggest the Greens councillors as an beacon, but they have failed even to raise a single point of alternative reasoning to open slather development, and have slipped to the right of the Liberal Party and just vote everything through no matter what.
July 21, 2015 at 9:31 PM
The Greens are a protest party. Actually implementing policies is right out of their reach. The Greens on the council worked this out and behave accordingly. The Greens policies may work in some parts of Melbourne but Glen Eira is not one of them.
July 21, 2015 at 3:31 PM
Speaking of fossilized figures – in 2013, based on 2012 Council provided info, Bentleigh was expected to gain 77 new dwellings per annum!!!!
Yep, we are certainly getting a big bang for our buck when it comes to paying for the Planning Department – it’s just that the resident’s vs. the Administration’s definition of “big bang” is vastly different.