On Thursday night at the Camden ward forum there was some discussion on structure planning and how this was to be the be all and end all for Glen Eira’s problems! A solution in one fell swoop! Delahunty expressed some regret that council had not undertaken this process during her four years as a councillor but assured residents that Elsternwick would be better off once these plans were introduced.
Even if we accept this position, it still leaves a multitude of questions that require honest answering. Structure plans are intended for use in activity centres. Elsternwick is a MAJOR activity centre – yet it has been excluded from the interim height controls recently proposed by council. The spurious and unbelievable excuse provided by councillors was that in the ‘popularity’ contest, Elsternwick featured lower on the list of priorities than did Bentleigh and Carnegie. This may well be true, but it is hardly a valid excuse for neglecting Elsternwick and the prospect of major high rise development that is on the cards with Coles, Ripponlea studios, etc. This leads us to suspect that Council has geared Elsternwick to accommodate much denser development in this area.
Further, council’s ‘action plan’ following the ordered Planning Scheme Review, states that 2 structure plans (Bentleigh & Carnegie) will be completed within 4 years. If it takes 2 years per plan, and if Elsternwick is next in line, we won’t see anything happen for another 6 years! Unacceptable! Then there are all the so called ‘neighbourhood centres’ such as McKinnon, East Bentleigh (with Virginia Park looming), Ormond, Caulfield North (already seeing 7 storeys go up) etc. The time lag for completion of these structure plans could be as far away as 20 years. In the meantime street after street, neighbourhood after neighbourhood will be overdeveloped and ruined if the current rate of development continues.
As for the interim amendments recently submitted to the Minister for rubber stamping, residents have again been left out in the cold with no opportunity to comment or express their viewpoints. No-one was asked whether they thought discretionary rather than mandatory heights should be the option; no one was asked whether they thought 7 storeys in Carnegie was acceptable or appropriate or whether 5 storeys in Bentleigh was suitable. Not one single piece of strategic justification for any of these decisions has been provided. This makes us suspect once more than a neat little secret deal has already been teed up with the department and the minister in order to buy time for council and to delay and continue to delay any real strategic work!
Below we feature council’s ‘justification’ (obtained under FOI) for these two amendments as sent off to the minister. Hardly solid, researched, and validated ‘strategic justification’ for anything.
Thus if new councillors are elected in a few week’s time we suggest that their immediate priority should be to:
- Rejig the budget so that funds are available to immediately hire outside consultants to start on these structure plans and other amendments that would change the schedules to the various zones.
- To immediately implement a full and complete review of the zones with community consultation
Glen Eira Debates 
October 15, 2016 at 9:03 PM
The Review Work Plan has to be one of the most non-commital plans ever produced. No clear timeframes, no resource allocation and no reporting on status. Hopefully the Minister sees through this and intervenes with further specific direction.
October 15, 2016 at 9:50 PM
The Camden Forum has highlighted the issue of planning, planning and more planning as an urgent business for the Council. In addition it also highlighted the need for engagement and participation of the community to ensure priorities are established to cover the whole of Public Realm in Glen Eira, which should include ALL 15 activity centres and public areas such as schools, hospitals, kindergartens, churches, parks, shopping strips, public transport access etc.
I would recommend that the Council develops a Public Realm Strategy as the first step in the planning process. A good example of that is the Stonnington strategy of 2010 (http://www.stonnington.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/adl/council-policies/public_realm_strategy_part_a.pdf ). Note that this strategy was done by independent consultants, who have engaged the community in a meaningful way. A long standing standard community engagement and participation process is recommended by the State Government at (http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/effective-engagement/developing-an-engagement-plan/a-model-for-engagement ).
Without such a top down long-term approach to planning that takes into account the population growth for the next 20 to 30 years, we will only end-up with a reactive management of problems and development, rather then a planned proactive approach to development of the city.
October 16, 2016 at 9:18 AM
I think this a really worthy idea, and a good way forwards
October 16, 2016 at 9:20 AM
Minor point but there is no longer any such thing as a Major Activity Centre under Plan Melbourne. They have been “demoted” to plain Activity Centres. Under the Government-imposed plan, Rosebud, Berwick, Glenhuntly and Hampton are all Activity Centres in “Southern Subregion”, yet you can bet there will be political deals done to ensure very very different treatment. Glenhuntly has no RGZ around it for example.
Hard to believe it will take 4+ years for 2 structure plans if discretionary height limits are the only thing being sought in interim controls. The idea of discretionary standards is a nonsense anyway. VCAT doesn’t believe in standards, or the Objectives of planning in Victoria. Nor does Council—consider how many Permits GECC where the proposals failed to comply with ResCode. Worst of all, they justify the repeated waivers on such spurious grounds as the developer can’t make as much money if they have to comply, and substandard amenity is acceptable for people in established residential areas who have the misfortune to live near land developers find attractive.
Every current councillor has been a failure on planning matters. They lack principle and ethics, have resisted community efforts for transparency, have refused even to answer public questions. Even if rejected at the next election (and incumbents do have a massive advantage), it would be prohibitively expensive to undo the damage they have wreaked. Council, State and Federal Governments have all admitted they can’t afford the infrastructure needed to support the population growth while maintaining or improving current amenity.
October 16, 2016 at 9:31 AM
I really like the street fronts in our activity centres, the old red brick double storey building, some very appealing and ornate. I think it would be a great loss to replace these buildings. Elsternwick, Carnegie, and Glen Huntly, McKinnon and to a lesser extent Bentleigh all have a certain historical visual appeal. Foe a start they have been designed with wide awning that cover the footpath, offering people protection against rain. There a section of shops on the bottom end of Centre Rd Bentleigh near wheatley all relatively new with no awnings so you get wet if it raining, this is poor planing, very cheap and nasty. We should save our shopping centres from ruin, they a public place that has soul and shouldn’t be turned over to developers for a quick buck
October 16, 2016 at 10:38 AM
Sobering read, all 9 councillors just do not get it, they seem to have learnt little to nothing over the years. It just easier to take the money and vote with the bureaucrats/developers, you may get a sore arm, but that’s better than a sore bum from getting bottom kicked for stepping out of line.
M. Delahunty’s admission that she could have done more on structure planning is all to late, as she is highly likely to see nothing even if she serves another term.
One of the biggest failure of the 9 incumbents is their abject failure to plan for the future.
It would be good to turn all 9 over with fresh faces, as these 9 will if (re-elected) spend a great deal of their time covering-up of their past failing.
October 16, 2016 at 5:09 PM
This is serious. If Delahunty and Sourness are elected than they will continue to play their games. They must go along with Esacaugh
October 16, 2016 at 6:44 PM
Delahunty spends her efforts on gay marriage and other matters that have nothing to do with local government. Her plan is to try and get into parliament. She must think by banging on about social issues she will get there faster. If she spent more time thinking about planning the city may be better off.
October 16, 2016 at 11:30 PM
Mary has done better than social issues or on occasions tried too, anyway everything’s a social issue.
Remember nothing moved in Glen Eira without the approval of Newton, Hyams and his fellow Conservative Liberals and of course Pilling their tail-wagging de facto lap-pooch.
Most of time Mary was right out there on her own, Magee and Lobo were next to useless, preferring to do nothing rather than be the slightest bit reformist. (racecourse issues aside with Magee)
The abiding question that will alway remain, is why the so called progress of Lobo, Delahuntly, Pilling, Sounness and Magee never could get together to form a voting block to take it to Hyams and Lipshutz faction.
One answer could be apart from Delahuntly and Sounness the others are dyed in the wool conservatives and misogynists to boot, pretending to something else. Sadly, Mary likely realised this very early on after being elected, and gave up trying to round-up these sad sacks.
The scary thing is they are all deadly serious about being re-elected and doing the exactly same thing again, with Lipshutz possibly being the exception and the only one with enough brains to abandon ship, or is he such a traditional male of his ilk, he could never adjust to working under a female CEO (a more likely scenario).
The dilemmas are there, and numerous.
October 16, 2016 at 9:47 PM
Anonymous no: 5
Instead of your bloody bla bla bla,, why don’t you get in the Council and be the agent of change? How many times have you come for the Council meetings? Talk is cheap, go to either Clayton or Dandenong markets or go to a park where you will come across non police personal carrying objects. Shape up or shut up with your crap.
October 17, 2016 at 9:28 AM
Like carrying bananas and bread rolls, that’s kosher, so what’s your real problem, because it’s not me or you average market shopper?
October 17, 2016 at 9:08 AM
Hopefully in 10 days, GEC residents will have the Incumbent Councillors.
Financials need to be reviewed.
Public consultation.
Time for change BUT strategic and messuredd outcomes ..not scatter gun.
Donna Elliott Tucker Ward
October 17, 2016 at 10:03 AM
The biggest gain for the residents of GE will be the not coming of the architec of destruction. If residents are foolish, the zones will be further changed or remain status quo to cover the gigantic deliberate zones to give businesses to the rich developers thatsupports the party.
October 17, 2016 at 11:44 AM
The biggest gain for the residents of GE will be the not coming of the architect of GE residential zones & destruction.If residents are foolish they will be further changed or remain status quo to cover the stinking and deliberate zones to give liberal business members who support the party/parties. Stop the Rot. thelMany of the home owners were not interested with the offers they received due to the three generation memories of where they lived and the new developments built side by side with galleries over looking the BBQ area, swimming pools and in many ways having a view from the top in people’s living rooms and in other cases a clear view into the toilets. Should Councillors be asked to resign from the party they belong to and furthermore what are the implications about serving two masters? Councillors should be like Ian Fayman and the focus should be on how we can serve
all the residents.