Council presumably pays big bucks for its expert consultants. Residents should therefore expect a lot more than what is ultimately produced. Featured below is an extract from page 30 of the recently released ‘economic analysis’. Putting it bluntly, we do not know whether to laugh or cry at the arguments presented and the assumptions inherent throughout.
THE ASSUMPTIONS
- a given amount of office space in one location will equate in agglomeration benefits to the same amount of office space at a different location. And let’s not worry about car parking provisions which are far less for office space, etc.
- The largest assumption of course is that companies will decide to rehouse to Glen Eira. In a March 2017 article written by the paper’s economic editor, the reverse was found to be the case – that companies are drawn to the CBD rather than the suburbs or regional centres. See: http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/melbourne-booms-while-the-rest-of-victoria-wilts-and-itll-only-get-worse-20170307-guslcg.html
Thus we have a 58 page document that is basically endorsing council’s proposals rather than objectively analysing and backing up its recommendations with sound data. A couple of other paragraphs from this report provide the overall tone and we believe, intent.
While there would be expected to be strong demand for office suites from various small businesses, the capacity for office development within activity centres is limited by developer‘s preference for apartment development. Council has the opportunity to facilitate office development on its car park sites through either planning controls or conditions placed on the sale of these sites.
There is the opportunity for Council to play a leading role in facilitating the development of new office space through its ownership of a number of car park sites within the Bentleigh, Carnegie and Elsternwick activity centres. This may take the form of either office suites or co-working spaces. Additional opportunities also exist within Commercial 2 zoned precincts on the Nepean Highway in Elsternwick and Moorabbin
Council‘s ownership of the two car park sites provides the opportunity to influence the scale of development and size of individual apartments in order to meet the needs of downsizers and families.
November 2, 2017 at 1:09 PM
Encouraging employment opportunities is exactly why Commercial 2 Zone [C2Z] exists. When the poobahs changed the former Business Zones to Commercial Zones, Accommodation use was deliberately prohibited from C2Z because they knew developers would otherwise replace most employment opportunities with apartments. So instead of obliterating sunlight and bulldozing trees in existing carparks, Council could gain control by ensuring a certain amount of additional land is zoned C2Z. I suspect they won’t because they’ve already aligned themselves with Gillon group’s attempts to rezone C2Z land in Virginia Estate to C1Z.
On carparks themselves, Council has a poor record of ensuring they comply with the relevant standard, AS2890.1-2004. The Spotlight centre on the fringe of Carnegie for example is substandard. When I raise standards with Council, their response is that standards are too generous and compliance isn’t necessary. That’s why we have so many casualty and non-casualty accidents.
November 2, 2017 at 1:17 PM
Supporting your viewpoint is the number of recent amendments that council has implemented which rezone c2 to either straight out residential or c1 – the latest example being the corner of McKinnon road. The emphases has always been to allow residential development.
November 2, 2017 at 1:16 PM
So pie in the sky predictions! Really? As if… What planet are they on?
November 2, 2017 at 2:32 PM
Who would be clever enough to really understan what this poorly written plan is really saying. The composer (who is presumably a university graduate)
could go back to school so he/she could tell us what is reall;y planned.
November 2, 2017 at 3:34 PM
Interesting SMH article which states that “Mr Rawnsley said Victoria had become so centralised it was too late to envisage attempts at decentralisation working, as the high-value jobs near the centre had become dependent on other high-value jobs nearby”. Assume that this has also been noted in the GE report? Not!
November 2, 2017 at 3:38 PM
The bottom line in all of this is whether people want two high rise car parks and selling off of council land for development in Bentleigh and the other areas. In theory creating employment sounds great. Whether or not that is possible is another matter entirely. More and more cafes and restaurants will provide employment but it will be mainly casual and I suspect suit uni students and if train services are as bad as now then why would anyone bother to come from outer suburbs to us. If they do then I’d guess they would still use their cars.
November 3, 2017 at 12:04 AM
Local councils need to get back to the basics and do that job properly. Parks/Rubbish and footpaths. Planning at this level needs to stem from the Federal and State Governments. Why are council punching above their weight….. is it ego? or is it “its not my money so lets spend it because we can. I hope rate payers remember those councillors in 3 years time.
November 3, 2017 at 3:24 PM
One of the biggest problems is; no one talks or considers sustainable living issues in Glen Eira. It’s like everything get considered or planned as to there are no environmental repercussions.
Many Glen Eira sporting clubs have for years been saying they cannot cater for all the people wanting to participate in their activities. And there is absolutely no room for females that want to play aussie rules or soccer, and the demand is already big and growing.
I hear peak trains are so overcrowded the government can only think of removing seats so more people can fit in.
If you ask me the system is already close to maxing out in many areas. Public open space continues to get squeezed by the needs of sporting people to the disadvantage of the majority passive users.
Trees and grassed areas in public open space and private are vanishing and concrete is replacing once green open space.
No one in planning and sustainability asks where is fresh air or shade is going to come from; or even if this is important.
There is a prevailing gungho attitude in Glen Eira that nothing other than development matters, it seems development is the only game in town.
Jacinda Ardern the new Kiwi PM has fingered foreign investment (Chinese) as distorting the housing market place, making home ownership unaffordable for first home owners in New Zealander.
I think Glen Eira has become very distorted place on many levels, in some areas to the point of being perverted.
The sustainability staff at the town hall should get off their backsides and try and get some sustainable living issues onto the agenda to help balance this ongoing unsustainable planning fiasco.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/with-jacinda-ardern-at-the-helm-nz-readies-ban-on-foreign-home-buyers-20171025-gz8h86.html