All Planning Scheme Reviews are basically an audit of how well councils are performing in land management and how efficient their various departments are. The objective is ‘continuous improvement’ backed up by statistical analysis of progress. The Glen Eira review does not meet these requirements. Not only does this review lack real data, but like everything else council produces it is full of misleading and untrue statements.
The best way of illustrating this is to compare the December 2015 Bayside Planning Scheme Review with what is before us from Glen Eira. Councils are required to report on ‘progress’ made from their last review – such as: how many of the proposed actions have been carried out? Bayside reveals the following:
In contrast, here is the Glen Eira version of ‘reality’ –
COMMENT
The difference between the two councils is staggering. In Glen Eira there is no overall data presented and the statements are false. Two examples should suffice:
- When council writes that “There were also a number of large strategic projects that were undertaken by Council between 2010 and 2016 that were not noted on the Work plan. These projects are detailed below”. Council then list the Neighbourhood Character Review as part of this ‘non-workplan’. Yet the minutes of 10th August 2010 contain the resolution that Council “ Complete review of Significant Character Areas as prelude to the introduction of a Neighbourhood Character Overlay”.
- Council continues with another furphy on the Municipal Strategic Statement claiming that – “Council commenced a review of the MSS but paused it in anticipation of the release of the State Government review into the Planning Policy Framework. Council’s review was commenced in 2013. Since no outcomes or further direction has been provided by the State Government on its Planning Policy Framework project, it is now imperative that Council completes a full review of the MSS. The latest ABS statistics on population and housing will contribute to this review, together with the latest Glen Eira Community Plan.” An extraordinary excuse for doing nothing, especially when the State Government recommends ‘annual reviews’ of the MSS and the minutes of 2010 (that is 3 years before council decided to get started on any review) contained the resolution that council Prepare a new streamlined MSS for Council consideration and commence the amendment process.
- To repeat what we’ve previously stated – countless other objectives from 2010 have failed to materialise (ie parking precinct plans; tree/vegetation protection; review of Activity Centres, etc. etc.) Why aren’t these listed? Why can’t council provide an honest and comprehensive account instead of its continual spin, obfuscation, and to be blunt – lies via the crime of ‘sins of omission’!
Glen Eira Debates 
August 7, 2016 at 3:49 PM
Bayside’s performance isn’t that great to write home about either. Difference is they admit what they haven’t done and don’t try to hide it. I think this is called transparency. Something unknown in Glen Eira council.
August 7, 2016 at 9:25 PM
I’ve read the report and been trying to figure out exactly what it is that council proposes to do. They use all the buzz words like structure plans and urban design but there is no detail of what this means. They refer to commercial areas all the time. Is this referring to commercial zoning or whole shopping strips? The difference is important. There is also no explanation if this includes all those little shopping strips that aren’t in activity centres but isolated on their own for a shop or two. As far as I can see all that they have done is repeat what people have said at all the meetings but don’t provide anything of substance to give anyone any idea of what they are planning. I would have thought that this is the primary purpose of any review.
August 8, 2016 at 9:28 AM
4 to 20 stories they reckon. Rubbish. I went and no one wants 20 stories. We want the zones changed.