The above image comes from page 93 of council’s commissioned Housing Report. We highlight this paragraph because it illustrates completely how statistics can be used to distort situations, especially when only half of the story is presented.
Both Plan Melbourne and Victoria in Future 2016 are cited, leading to two possible scenarios required to meet Glen Eira’s population growth – either 28,600 net new dwellings, or 32,500 required dwellings. Thirty two thousand certainly sounds a lot, and is intended to. What readers need to remember is that these figures are projections for the next thirty-three (33) years up to 2050 or 2051. Thus if we are indeed in need of another 32,500 new dwellings, then all Glen Eira has to average is 970 net new dwellings per year! And for the past 5 years this pro-development council has averaged 2000+ per annum – OVER DOUBLE WHAT IS ‘REQUIRED’!!!!!
Why couldn’t the document state this simple fact? Why do residents have to perform some basic arithmetic in order to come up with a scenario that is far more ‘realistic’ and accurate? When put into perspective isn’t the issue that Glen Eira doesn’t need to:
- Expand its activity centre borders as we suspect will happen
- Maintain a growth that is double and triple what is required
- Maintain a growth that increases density per square km that is totally unsustainable
- Make Glen Eira the development ‘capitol’ of the Southern Region?
To illustrate all of the above here are the ABS building approval figures up to the end of March 2017 – that is, 9 months of building approvals. At this rate the year’s total will be approximately another 2000 new dwellings.
Residents need to understand that council’s mantra is and has always been to welcome development irrespective of its cost to residential amenity, sustainability, and overall density. Residents also need to demand answers as to why this council isn’t screaming blue murder as a result of Wynne’s recent amendments and why no genuine attempt is being made to rein in development?
Finally, it is also worth pointing out that the very figures presented by Plan Melbourne are highly questionable. Victoria in Future 2016 only shows projections up to the year 2031. Yet Plan Melbourne sites this source as projecting to 2051. There’s also the question as to how Glen Eira is supposed to represent 26% of the required new dwellings when there are only 4 municipalities included in the Inner Southern Region – Glen Eira, Stonnington, Bayside and Boroondara? Surely that’s 25%? Plenty of other stats in all of these documents can and should be called into question.
Glen Eira Debates 
June 4, 2017 at 7:17 AM
Thanks for the summary, it highlights the agenda from Council which is to build more and quicker.
June 4, 2017 at 10:11 AM
FYI – https://www.domain.com.au/news/andrews-government-urged-to-fund-heritage-protection-to-stop-mansion-demolition-20170603-gwgxqd/
June 4, 2017 at 10:18 AM
The larger your rate base the larger your income and the larger the corporate empire grows. In the corporate world growth is everything, there is nothing else. (We live for better or worse in this growth model) only growth and outcompeting your rivals to get what growth is available is important.
Nothing is allowed to interfere with growth no matter how reckless or unsustainable it may be or become.
Environmental sustainability and the myriad of other needs and wants of people do not matter. These are perceived as anti growth, and are dealt with by (motherhood statements) churned by the public relation staff, in reports and strategies that vanish into oblivion before the ink has dried on them. It’s appears likely beneath the dignity of the planning staff to read these reports, as they know is just B/S to placate the general public, and are outside of their growth model formula.
The East Village meeting a few weeks ago “we were told it’s “Jobs & Growth” this was the take home message, It was on the opening slide projected of the big screen by Infrastructure Victoria. I thought it was disingenuous message, because I don’t think they give a hoot about jobs, and that leaves, you know what.
A good question is (since when) has creating jobs been a primary goal of Glen Eira council. I haven’t noticed this primary job creating role or direction in any of the policy or strategies I’ve read. I’m not discounting any incidental jobs that may be created normal council activity etc.
June 5, 2017 at 10:42 AM
We were in Bentleigh over the weekend. At least 3 shops were empty and for lease signs up. Will probably end up as more coffee shops. Just what we need. Coffee shops and $2 shops. Council is kidding itself if it thinks that any policy they write up is going to change whats happening
June 4, 2017 at 10:38 AM
Ok, Glen Eira has the most development and the least open space. That tells me that every single box that gets put up puts more and more pressure on people. Had a look at the last minutes and they admit to having 1100 metres of the new Booran park closed off to people because of the joke of an urban forest. Stupidity and developers run council.
June 4, 2017 at 9:29 PM
1520 new apartments in nine months is mind boggling. More mind boggling would be if we knew how many of these are 3 or 4 bedrooms and how many are only 45 metres in size. None of this is good for residents and even new comers. The only winners are developers (if they can sell that is) and council who still gets rates even if the places stand empty.
June 5, 2017 at 3:33 AM
We really need a new political party that will slash the immigration rate that is driving all of this. We need it soon too, as our liveability and amenity are fast being destroyed, and we will never get it back.
June 5, 2017 at 3:44 PM
You can’t argue with the figures. The post calls Glen Eira the development capitol and they are right. All this makes me ask why and it’s not because everyone is dying to live in Glen Eira. Part of the reason could be cost. Bayside could be more expensive than Glen Eira. But that wouldn’t be true for the others listed in the table. I put it down to how helpful this council has been to developers year after year. The calls gone out that says Come to Glen Eira and you won’t have to pay for drainage. You can get away with no car parking and you can pay a pittance for open space. Trees in the way of what you want to do isn’t a problem either. You can rip them all out. If you run into problems we will also let you have extensioin after extension for your permit. If you’re one of the really big guys like the mrc its a done deal.
June 5, 2017 at 3:47 PM
Political gamesmanship with satisfaction out of screwing the community, very Machiavellian. No-one is standing up for community rights except for the community. Karma will catch up with all those involved. Thanks for the transparency GE debates, we are not getting it from anywhere else.
June 5, 2017 at 4:08 PM
I’m waiting to see what happens with North road, Centre road and Mackinnon road developments on the rail separation sites. Council is all for it if you bother to read between the lines. They’ve already said that 8 stories is okay in Ormond and that’s not a major activity centre. The more the merrier is how this mob work.
June 5, 2017 at 10:23 PM
Proximity to train stations doesn’t mean less cars. Activity centres don’t have significant development in the commercial sites. It’s the growth and general residential zones that are built out and that means suburban street after street. Policy is out of whack with reality and has been for years. Sounds good though and developers love it.