We’ve received the following email regarding the draft Elsternwick structure plans.
Dear Residents,
Thanks to everyone who met with Councillor Clare Davey on Sunday. It was a great turnout of 40+ residents. The signs opposing the 12 storey rezone made an impact when we walked her through our community and she was shocked to hear about the lack of consultation.
KEY DATES: Tuesday 27 February – Council vote on Elsternwick Structure plans Option 1 & 2. We need as many people as possible to attend.
FOR ACTION: As a result of negative feedback, we believe council may be considering alternatives to Option 1 & 2. This is our last chance to influence the plans.
Please contact ALL councillors and clearly request they vote NO to BOTH options on 27 February and tell them what you will be happy with. (Note: all nine councillors get a vote).
PROCESS:
- Where possible, please consider calling them – this has the most impact as it connects the decision with real people.
- Please also email all councillors (and CC City Futures department who developed this proposal: cityfutures@gleneira.vic.gov.au )
GIVE COUNCIL AN ALTERNATIVE BY DETAILING WHAT YOU WILL SUPPORT (Below are EXAMPLE statements – please tailor for your own opinion….):
- I ask you vote NO to BOTH options and I EXPECT you develop a more appropriate option (this time with proper community consultation).
- I ask you spread the density in the correct place – right down Glen Huntley Road Activity Centres (up to 4-6 storeys).
- I only want 1-2 storey HOUSE & TOWNHOUSE development in our residential streets in the proposed Urban Renewal zone.
- I want commercial areas off Nepean Hwy to be restricted to 2-4 storey development (& preferably townhouses) in order to maintain our village feel. If you can’t put forward an appropriate option for the car yards, then leave them commercially zoned.
- I want MAXIMUM Height Limits (no ‘Recommended’ heights as this will be overturned at VCAT)
- ALTERNATIVELY, I would be happy for council to buy up the commercial sites and give parkland back to the people.
- I also note that of all the feedback submitted (and available on your website), less than 10 per cent provided feedback to say they were in support of the Urban Renewal Zone options. I expect you to represent the interests of ratepayers in this community.
COUNCILLOR DETAILS:
| NAME & Contact details | What they say about themselves |
| Mary Delahunty (Camden – Elsternwick)
Phone: 03 9523 9105 |
Strongly in FAVOUR of high rise proposal. |
| Joel Silver (Camden – Elsternwick)
Mobile: 0499 357 262 |
Priority is engaging with the community is Cr Silver’s Encourages residents to be in touch on any matter. Previously voted against Councillor motions on development matters. |
| Dan Sztrajt (Camden – Elsternwick)
Mobile: 0466 372 822 |
Campaigned on sensible environmental sustainability, more open spaces, resolute objection to inappropriate development. |
| Nina Taylor
Mobile: 0466 372 809 |
Works for a not-for-profit organisation. Long-term commitment to meaningful community engagement. |
| Jim Magee
Mobile: 0427 338 327 |
|
| Jamie Hyams, Deputy Mayor
Phone: 03 9578 8314 |
|
| Tony Athanasopoulos, MAYOR
Mobile: 0466 372 816 |
Born of two migrant parents from Greece and Italy |
| Margaret Esakoff
Mobile: 0407 831 893 |
Committed to improving residents’ quality of life
Strong community involvement Keen interest in all community issues. |
| Clare Davey
Mobile: 0466 469 776 |
Traffic and Transport Engineer. Affiliated with The Greens. |
| Rebecca McKenzie, Glen Eira CEO RMcKenzie@gleneira.vic.gov.au |
Strongly in FAVOUR of high rise proposal. Has also dismissed suggestions that council has not done a thorough, open and transparent consultation process. |
| City Futures department | cityfutures@gleneira.vic.gov.au |
| All emails: | MDelahunty@gleneira.vic.gov.au; JSilver@gleneira.vic.gov.au; DSztrajt@gleneira.vic.gov.au; NTaylor@gleneira.vic.gov.au; JMagee@gleneira.vic.gov.au; JHyams@gleneira.vic.gov.au; TAthanasopoulos@gleneira.vic.gov.au; MEsakoff@gleneira.vic.gov.au; CDavey@gleneira.vic.gov.au; RMcKenzie@gleneira.vic.gov.au; cityfutures@gleneira.vic.gov.au |
OTHER POINTS TO CONSIDER RAISING (IF YOU WANT TO):
- How long you have lived in Elsternwick and which street.
- The Victorian state government’s policy is to “encourage local governments to review the purpose and function of individual centres, and revise local planning policies through structure planning for each of their activity centres”. The proposed Urban Renewal Zone is outside Elsternwick’s activity centre.
- Retailers in Elsternwick’s activity centre – right along Glen Huntley Road (and in particular near the corner of Glen Huntley & Hawthorn Roads – who recently petitioned the council on this point), want the higher density to be along the shopping strip – so residents will choose their shops and not drive to large shopping centres.
- Key statistics on why such an excessive proposal unjustified. When comparing Glen Eira to other councils:
- Glen Eira has highest population density per hectare (2016 Census)
- Glen Eira has overall highest building approvals for 2016/17 – with only 7% of these houses. (ABS). Building approvals is almost three times higher than neighbouring councils.
- Glen Eira has overall highest multi-unit approval 2016/17 (ABS)
- Glen Eira has lowest open space provision per person
- Glen Eira has third highest number of unoccupied dwellings (1,300)
- Building approvals info was NOT included in the research & reports undertaken to inform the development of this proposal.
- The Victorian state government highlighted Bentleigh and Carnegie for increased development in the activity centre NOT Elsternwick.
- Elsternwick has 32 schools in a 5km radius – making it an ideal places for families. It doesn’t make sense to re-zone for apartments which will not be able to cater for families.
- This is one of the oldest parts of Elsternwick with long term residents who know and support each other. It is the village feel you are seeking to create. You can’t have a village feel if you build a high rise city.
- There is no traffic impact assessment or traffic plan – and will create traffic gridlock in all streets going up to Glen Huntley Road shops.
- The proposed park on the Holden site will be in complete shade if highrises are built around it.
Glen Eira Debates 
February 16, 2018 at 5:53 PM
Good luck to these residents
February 16, 2018 at 7:07 PM
Well done to the Elsternwick group and good luck. It’s so disappointing however that Glen Eira residents again need to put so much time and effort into lobbying elected members who claim to represent community. A lost opportunity of community engagement by a Council preoccupied with development at any cost and without justification. Why?
February 17, 2018 at 9:32 AM
A major test coming up for councillors. Will they or won’t they support residents? They’ve been told hundreds of time that twelve storeys is a no-no.
February 17, 2018 at 11:12 AM
For me it’s not so much the absolute height but the context that is a concern, specifically the shadows they cast and whether they impact nearby residents.
The planning scheme has standards for solar access and equitable development potential, but the application of them in practice is very unfair and inequitable. The fact that Council ignores them whenever they’re inconvenient for the outcomes they want is a concern.
Diagram B1 in Standard B17 shows the sort of setbacks required to ensure equitable solar access. The net effect is if you want 12-storey buildings, they should be set back around 33m from any sensitive residential interface. As both VCAT and Council have demonstrated, they have no standards, in which case 12 storeys is unacceptable.
If Council believes both itself and VCAT should be trusted, then it should first publish an audit of buildings taller than say 14m to show what sort of setbacks they considered acceptable.
February 19, 2018 at 7:02 PM
The Carnegie Structure plan that council officers are lobbying for is to be presented to Council on 26 Feb. As always, Council is only making the final plans available at 12 noon Friday to limit opportunities for lobbying. Seems pointless telling people with questions to contact City Futures Department. I’ve tried, got nowhere. Very unhappy about the lack of principles, and the inconsistent application of the few they have.
February 20, 2018 at 2:06 PM
Once again, with so little time allowed by Council for residents to properly examine the impacts of substantial changes to amenity which will last many lifetimes, Councillors are demonstrating their dereliction to duty in failing to represent residents/rate payers of Glen Eira, and not those with vested interests ( the developers). Residents have overwhelmingly said “NO” to 12 storey building. Why don’t they hear it??? This was an election issue and Council must be held to account.