We’re focusing on one tiny corner of the Carnegie plan this post as the perfect example of planning gone mad. With typical double speak nonsense, council tells residents that they are concerned about ‘transition’ – we even get titles like ‘Building Transition Plan’. We urge all residents to carefully consider the following and at tonight’s public relations exercise at Carnegie to really hone in on this lunacy.
Here’s what the above image reveals:
- Rosstown Road ‘upgraded’ to 4 storeys from 2 and now abutting some remaining 2 storeys to the South-West of Rosstown Road.
- The ‘pink’ coloured areas in Egan and Arawatta (up to 12 storeys) enclose ‘heritage character/shop top’ of 3 to 4 storeys
- These ‘pink’ areas of 12 storeys also overshadow Chestnut Street (heritage overlay) of 1-2 storeys.
- To the north of Chestnut we again have 4 storeys along Dandenong Road overlooking 2 storeys.
When all of council’s propaganda for the past 4 years has been about protecting the community via appropriate transition (ie 4 storeys, down to 3 storeys, down to 2 storeys via RGZ, GRZ1 & GRZ2 respectively) to now come up with this nonsense is literally beyond belief. It is even more unbelievable that such plans could even get off the ground and be put up for ‘consultation’. Who is responsible for this? Where is the strategic justification? What secret deals have already been made with developers and/or governments? And how on earth can 9 councillors even come close to believing that this is worthy of consideration by ratepayers? We would also question how much of ratepayer’s money has been spent on ‘consultants’ and producing glossy flyers, letters, and brochures that are nothing short of embarrassing!
Glen Eira Debates 
August 14, 2017 at 9:49 AM
Summary says it all.
August 14, 2017 at 11:21 AM
Carnegie is now an unofficial province of China, there is now a bulk private posts office on Koornang Road, working overtime sending goods back to China by the container load (mostly food). Their own food production chain back in China has become so polluted; people cannot trust in it, feeding it to children or babies they think is too risky.
Here before our eyes is an example or glimpse and lesson on unsustainable/planning/living in China; now impacting on Carnegie/Glen Eira.
August 14, 2017 at 1:09 PM
I agree. The local community of Carnegie has been destroyed by the over population of this transient student community. Only 20 years ago we could shop locally, butchers, pet store, outdoor store, furniture, menswear, toy shop and many others in our local strip. Now we need to read Mandarin to know what these stores do or sell. I am all for a mixed diverse community. No problem with a noodle shop, an indian restaurant, a korean home wares store alongside what we did have, but it is now mini Beijing. Speak with older residents, they feel like strangers in their community. Not Australia anymore. I ask do these stores and the community who shop there contribute to our community? Volunteer in local sport groups, contribute at our local school? Think not! These apartments are only encouraging this. We will look like Beijing with the high rises and washing hanging on all the balconies.
August 14, 2017 at 11:47 AM
Eighteen storey application for Derby Road, 150 residences (student accomodation.. on about 10 metres b y 45 metres) with no adequate parking within and of course no vacancies forever make everything else look like mere pimples. and of course many of the inmates willl receive their filtered llight and air of some kind through one of these new solutions called a light tunnel.
August 14, 2017 at 12:22 PM
This is now at VCAT we believe.
August 14, 2017 at 12:04 PM
Unbelievable. I was at the table at the Bentleigh briefing and the focus was on transition. Frankly to consider 8 storeys transitioning to 2 storey townhouses is ridiculous. Anyway how can an area be zoned for townhouses when single storey houses exist. Are Council going to buy them all? No I guess they know residents will be forced to sell because of lack of sunlight, staring at people and their clothes hanging on their balconies As well aS parked cars and major traffic chaos. Really GE Council is this listening to and working with residents to create a village? More than fed up!
August 14, 2017 at 12:54 PM
I’m angry, its like a horror movie
August 14, 2017 at 2:54 PM
The reason we have not been privy to any strategic justification is because none exists apart from what’s already been teed up with developers. Council will get some cash in return and the developer can build to his heart’s content and make a packet in the process. Council can then spend this blood money on its penchant for useless projects or more useless staff.
August 14, 2017 at 4:56 PM
The biggest folly in all this suspect planning is the assumption that employment will be created long term in the activity centres. If everything is being turned into cafes and restaurants then the only employment will be for a few chefs and a lot of uni students as part time waiters. Setting up 12 storeys and hoping that a large proportion will be filled with offices and other high tech businesses is day dreaming and when planning says yes to one office and 100 apartments on top of this 50 square foot office then how many people can fit into such a space? When there was a variety of businesses, then there was the chance of much more permanent staff. With cafes it is mostly casual slave labour and council has practically no control as to what goes into a shopping strip. Filling it up with people only gets you so far until they choke on the pollution, hate the traffic and find that their basements are flooded out every time it rains. That’s what happens and what council is encouraging.
August 14, 2017 at 10:30 PM
I think people are getting smart about buying above shops that could end up being noisy and smelly food places, some operate late into the evenings.The street table are particularly good for sending noise up to the near floors.
The property investment person on the radio, issues a warning on buying such apartments as being a real no goer for resale. She also says on site car parking is essential for on-selling at a gain in the future.
Hence a few floors worth of daytime offices as noise padding between the noisy retail and the residential apartments above makes very good sense if you are the developer.
A visit to Dockland shows a host of empty apartments above that very busy dining strip. Unless the rent was free you would want to live there, let alone purchase one.
Also there has been a few other stories around about people that already live in apartments finding they need more space for hobbies like woodwork and collecting things that need display and or storage etc, grouping together and buying an apartments to follow through with their pursuits. It’s just a matter of money.
If we are going to have generations of vertical dwellers, the issues are going to become more and more troublesome and complicated.
August 15, 2017 at 12:15 AM
Many of the new food outlets are being established by rich Chinese as part of their migration/business application/qualification for permanent residence in Carnegie. Then with very few rules about employment for Australians the majority of workers therein probably come as 457 workers or part time to subsidise their costs while on a foreign student visa. Our council has happily waived all recommended parking requirements (even for 100 seat restaurants) and leased out the footpaths for restaurant trading. The diners arrived from many other suburbs, stay longer as they on a social outing and the local residents who liked basic shops (for ten minutes parking) like fresh meat from the butcher, a frock shop or two are forced to shop elsewhere as customers cannot park any more and the bag of potatoes is too heavy to take home on the bus.