From Elizabeth Miller’s Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethMillerBentleigh
Source: http://karl-gillon.me/
PS: The latest spruiking!
August 14, 2015
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- August 14, 2015 at 8:05 AM
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Glen Eira Debates
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August 14, 2015 at 11:03 AM
Probably Liz’s most memorable achievement as Liberal MLA for Bentleigh (2010-2014) was lobbying GE Council to rezone Virginia Park from Industrial to Commercial and set prescribed height limits that are totally excessive (up to 10 storeys) for both the suburb and the site. Although a large land parcel, the site is not serviced by public transport and only has vehicle access to/from already heavily congested Boundary Road.
Good for the land owners (Gillon Group) but not good for either current residents or those likely to reside in the proposed development of 4,600 dwellings.
Now, barely 10 months after residents decided not to re-elect, here she is spruiking for Buxton Real Estate that clearly has a close association with the Gillon Group.
Forgive me Liz, but I don’t think Bentleighites will be beating a path to your door.
August 14, 2015 at 12:08 PM
Definitely not a good look for Miller. Then again, selling real estate pays more than nursing. Would be nice if she removed the “politician” tag from the page even if it shows up the link between politicians, real estate and land owners.
August 14, 2015 at 12:41 PM
While Miller may well deserve the heavy criticism that I suspect is about to be unleashed, bloggers should not forget to also take a swipe at our complicit Council.
Without any fanfare, in 2011, Council quietly pushed through the rezoning and set the absurd height limits that paved the way for the more recent Virginia Estate Development Plan (June, 2015) that proposed the massive residential and retail development.
Despite Council, hoping for another “quiet push through”, downplaying the significance of Development Plan, residents saw through it and waged a massive social media campaign that not only provided details (not provided by Council) of what the plan included but also lampooned Council for it’s inadequate communications to residents. Councillors were so stunned that they rejected that Development Plan despite Officers recommending it be passed.
So while Miller is now gainfully employed (better put her in the Asian Marketing Department, she won’t be much of a drawcard in the Local Marketing Department), Council and Gillon are busy working on Plan B and the residents are in the dark wondering what will be presented next.
If Council’s decides to again adopt its C60/Caulfield Village approach, you can be sure that the next round will be a doozey
August 14, 2015 at 3:49 PM
I am not sure what this item is to prove? Buxton Real Estate must be doing pretty well and of course it will appeal to clients that gives them most business, which are property owners, most likely Liberal supporters. So, what of it. Here is some reality check.
Highest capital gain over past year – Houses in Melbourne
Suburb Council Median Median Change
Value over Year
1 St Kilda West Port Phillip $1,776,943 36.2%
2 Glen Iris Boroondara $1,673,622 29.4%
3 Deepdene Boroondara $2,399,033 29.0%
4 Kew Boroondara $2,062,610 28.5%
5 Whittlesea Whittlesea $486,862 28.3%
6 Fairfield Yarra $1,010,446 27.3%
7 Donvale Manningham $883,583 26.0%
8 Warrandyte Manningham $803,504 25.6%
9 Ashwood Monash $950,296 25.3%
10 Box Hill North Whitehorse $884,435 24.9%
11 Ashburton Boroondara $1,348,969 24.9%
12 Balwyn North Boroondara $1,575,918 24.6%
13 Alphington Darebin $1,254,887 24.1%
14 Malvern Stonnington $1,912,768 23.1%
15 Knoxfield Knox $558,173 23.0%
16 Mckinnon Glen Eira $1,213,834 22.2%
17 Bentleigh Glen Eira $1,123,138 21.8%
18 Mccrae Mornington Penin $634,476 20.5%
19 Mont Albert North Whitehorse $1,088,991 20.3%
20 Vermont South Whitehorse $837,094 19.4%
Top 5 most expensive capital city suburbs in Melbourne
House Suburb Council Median Value
Toorak Stonnington $3,002,699
Kooyong Stonnington $2,936,848
Deepdene Boorondara $2,399,033
East Melbourne Melbourne $2,217,496
Canterbury Boorondara $2,119,283
Unit Suburb Council Median Value
Brighton Bayside $877,100
Ashburton Boroondara $838,830
Balwyn North Boroondara $816,889
Brighton East Bayside $791,517
Canterbury Boorondara $753,386
McKinnon and Bentleigh have had the largest percentage increase in Glen Eira, but it is neither the biggest in Melbourne and Glen Eira median values are well below Bayside, Stonnington or Boorondara.
I think the whole issue is a beat-up that does not get us anywhere. It has no connection to Gillon Group or to Virginia Estate or to the Council. As I said before Glen Eira Complaints site. Any Councillors next time won’t be able to make any sense out of such bull.
August 14, 2015 at 5:53 PM
Ya know Con, if you did a modicum a research you’d see that
1. As the Liberal MLA for Bentleigh, Miller seriously lobbied Council and Guy for the 2011 Virginia Park zoning switch and height limits
2. The Gillon Group is heavily involved in the Virginia Park Development and Buxton Real Estate Agents
3. The ex MLA for Bentleigh, with no previous estate agent experience recorded on her CV, has now become a real estate agent with Buxton’s.
It would appear a lot of back scratching has gone on.
While I am impressed by your research into property values I wonder if you could explain the point you are making.
August 14, 2015 at 7:27 PM
I’m having trouble to trying to figure out what you are on about with all these house prices. Plenty of Glen Eira areas are now in the million dollar mark and they’ve been there for yonks. So what? This just means that the agents can make more and if Gillon is part of Buxton then he builds, he sells, and the money stays in the family and previous supporters are given cushy jobs.
August 14, 2015 at 5:42 PM
I would have to laugh over this one, she’ll chase of the customers with her natural charms
August 14, 2015 at 11:10 PM
I am pleased to explain the point I am making to you Anon, as you do make a lot of sense with your comments. Essentially, I agree with you that it is the “complicit Council” that is at fault. As GED post explains (https://gleneira.wordpress.com/2015/06/22/virginia-estate-history/ ) the fundamental rezoning occurred in 2011 before election of Ms Miller through C75 Amendment. It may well be that Ms Miller has lobbied additionally in support of changes from C2 to C1 in 2014. They are actually minor changes in comparison to the 2011 C75 changes.
I do have a problem with the Council explanations that the changes of C2 to C1 should not be allowed because Vitginia Park is to remain an employment hub. This is a lot of bull-dust. Vitginia Park employment has been in decline for many years now and any land owner would seek an alternative to a declining business on an increasing property values. More importantly, Glen Eira local jobs is not keeping up with the increase in population, which is about 1.5% per year. Local jobs increase is about 0.3% per year. Also, if C2 are the hubs of employment then Glen Eira has a miniscule of C2 zoning with Victoria Park being the largest one. A serious attempt to increase employment is to go through a Structure Planning processes for all Activity Centres. This we do not do since we have only Urban Villages without any proper structure plans. Carnegie was and is being supported by Glen Eira Council, but iys shopping strip is going downmarket. So are all other Centres. That is the reason for lack of employment opportunities in Glen Eira.
In contrast, Bayside every time it used Structure Plans it considered in detail how to improve the vibrancy and employment of its Activity Centres. If you visit Bay Rd Activity Centre you will find it has improved over time and it is a vibrant area now. The Gillon Group has contributed to this as they have together with Coles improved the parking situation for the shopping strip. The Bayside Council has thanked them for that. I mentioned that, because the Gillon Group is very well aware of the proper processes and try to do good while doing well. So do not blame developers as it still depends on the Council and how they plan or do not plan the City.
If only we would have a Structure Plan and its processes for Virginia Park we would not be in this debacle. As for Ms Miller, please it has nothing to do with her.
August 15, 2015 at 11:32 AM
Conanon, I agree wholeheartedly that this Council’s failure adopt structure planning for activity centres, urban and neighbourhood villages has resulted in ad hoc development to the detriment of the municipality. It’s also a key factor in VCAT being able to reverse Council decisions.
Council’s argument for not adopting structure planning was purely based on the saving the cost of undertaking proper planning (structure plans are expensive) but you know what I’m stumped to see where all those saved dollars went.
But I can see a deterioration in all our centres (both large and small) and Glen Eira going backwards at a startling pace as Council continues to pursues development while ignoring all it’s flow on impacts.
But you are wrong about Miller’s involvement in the 2011 Virginia Park decision – she was elected in 2010.
August 15, 2015 at 12:34 PM
Ms Miller was elected to Parliament 29 Nov 2010, before the rezoning of Virginia Park on 2 Jun 2011. I do generally agree about the need for proper structure planning, but note that both Council and VCAT have ignored the reference document “Urban Village Structure Plans” [GECC 1999] in what could loosely be described as their decision-making. A comparison of what the Plan says versus what has actually happened should be embarrassing for Council. Little wonder they have resisted reviewing the Scheme and urged successive Planning Ministers to make changes to their planning scheme without public scrutiny.
August 16, 2015 at 7:21 AM
Urban Village Structure Plans (Glen Eira City Council 1999) – the title alone tells the woeful story of planning in Glen Eira.
Not a lot has changed since 1999, no need to regularly update
August 15, 2015 at 12:41 AM
I’m not sure that you can say that Virginia park was her *most* memorable achievement when she has just so many highlights, including:
– Taking away the funding for bentleigh high, then announcing she would give them funding if re-elected
– saying she had given Coatesville primary money for redevelopment, when in fact it was only enough for design and drafting
I sure hope for Buxton and vendors sakes you are not half as shonky in your real estate practices as you were in your political practices!!
August 16, 2015 at 1:34 PM
real estate agents love shonky
August 15, 2015 at 10:02 PM
Virginia park … she lost the election there by turning off the pre-polling voters with her very rude in ya-face desperation, now its time to wreck the place .. no mercy …. or personality come to think of it