Council has finally published what is supposed to be the latest version of a draft structure plan for Virginia Estate. It is anything but a comprehensive and detailed set of proposals. At the time of writing no other documentation has been forthcoming – ie no traffic report, no economic analysis of impact of surrounding businesses, no urban design guidelines, no indication of setbacks, nothing on environmental sustainability and drainage. In short, another exercise in pretty pictures (all of which fail to present one image of an 8 storey building!) and grandiose, unproven statements that ultimately boil down to spin and more spin.
All that we are told is that the prospect is for another 3000 dwellings. Since this will ultimately become a ‘development plan’ akin to what happened at Caulfield Village, we won’t hold our breaths that the final figure will remain at 3000. Remember that the MRC started out with 1100 dwellings. It is, after 2 approved development plans for the first two precincts now standing at about 2063 dwellings in total. What precinct 3 will come up with is yet to be seen. We do not see why this project will be any different!
Some changes are apparent from the July version, namely – East Boundary Road developments go from 4 storey to potentially 6 storeys; the area of 8 storey development is slightly decreased.
Finally, until council releases all of the necessary documentation, this is anything but a genuine community consultation. People can only comment once they have been provided with the necessary information. This effort fails dismally on this important step!
We’ve uploaded the full document HERE AND PRESENT BELOW THE DIAGRAM OF PROPOSED HEIGHTS.
Glen Eira Debates 
November 21, 2017 at 5:49 PM
How do they come up with 4000 jobs and 6000 residents? Pie in the sky stuff to sound good.
November 21, 2017 at 6:01 PM
Good grief, that looks really terrible, surly there should be a open space link from East Boundary Road to Marlborough Reserve at the rear and a open space link from Virginia reserve through to North Road.
This Canyon City
SHOCK HORROR
November 21, 2017 at 9:14 PM
Canyon city surrounding specks of open space surrounded by more concrete.
November 21, 2017 at 9:43 PM
I don’t believe anything GECC or VPA says. Here’s what GECC said back when it was first pushing Amendment C75 through: “Buildings near the perimeter will be up to three storeys”.
November 21, 2017 at 9:54 PM
I’ve just spent half an hour reading council’s summary of the previous consultation. Practically everyone was saying they don’t want eight storeys and too many apartments. Council obviously doesn’t give a stuff about what people said and continue along their merry way with keeping the eight storeys and raising the height even more along East Boundary.
Everything about this consultation stinks to high heaven.
November 21, 2017 at 10:47 PM
An absolute atrocity!!!
How the hell is the surrounding area going to cope
with traffic, when already North, East Boundary
and South Roads are chock a block!!
Add to this a new school —- East Bentleigh will be
stuffed!!!!
Down the gurgler!!!!
Most liveable suburb to this!!!!!’
The Council and their forecasting, planning,
all money spent on expert advise has ended up
at this!!!
Can someone please explain how they have got it
so wrong
November 21, 2017 at 11:18 PM
They got it so wrong cos they’re all in cahoots with each other. Council, developer and government. The aim is to make as much money as you can and that comes from property. Residents come last. We just pay for the expensive consultants who produce work that endorses what they want. Its that simple.
November 22, 2017 at 7:01 AM
I’ve had a reasonable read of the Environmental Conditions Summary and not a single mention of asbestos.
A visit to the site one can see thousands of square metres of asbestos roofing materials.
November 22, 2017 at 2:04 PM
Council has always been the judge and jury. Belief is that they have the expertise required on the basis that they have millions and trillions that they can use from the rate payers money box. It was always a public knowledge when Mary Delahunty first got into the Council had assured residents that it was a time to clean up certain repeated issues that were taking place in Glen Eira. Where is Delahunty, the self professed prophet?
November 22, 2017 at 4:08 PM
Mary is a future Labor stalwart, biding her time waiting for a offer for a safe seat in parliament, she hardly going to rock the boat by putting developers ie. party donors and the Victorian Planning Authority off-side.
She will stay on the safe ground of other issues like domestic violence and improving council performance and accountability.
She’s a clever person and knows the machine and where not to go.