The two tables presented below are from the latest ABS building approvals. (uploaded HERE) The first table features the total number of building permits granted per year for the past 6 years and 9 months – ie until March 2018. Glen Eira is still ahead of the pack in unit development, plus the fact that Stonnington is a special example – ie three times the commercial zoning that Glen Eira has, whilst Port Phillip is in a league of its own with over 15% of its land mass designated as ‘capital city zone’ plus its large quotient of commercial zoning plus tourism. Monash is double the size of Glen Eira and has double the number of houses built compared to Glen Eira. Boroondara is also well ahead of Glen Eira in the number of houses versus apartments erected in that municipality.
So, once you add in the following, then the ‘damage’ done to Glen Eira is evident:
- Small size of municipality
- Least amount of open space
- High population density and increasing
- Dwellings per hectare
- Lack of any traffic plans
- No developer contributions for drainage, community infrastructure, parking waivers
- Small commercial zoning which means development is occurring in local streets (approx 3% compared to Stonnington’s 8%)
- Money squandered on open space ‘improvements’ instead of the purchase of more and more open space
- No local environmental or water policy in the planning scheme
- No local policy regarding tree protection in the planning scheme – and a mooted ‘significant tree register’ which will probably total only about 150 trees. This won’t go far enough by a long shot to halt the rampant moonscaping that has been plaguing Glen Eira for decades.
- Most importantly, these figures make a mockery of council’s prognostications. Our supposed 13000 net new dwellings by 2031 will be here within the next few years – especially with a mooted 4500 net new dwellings for East Village and precinct 3 for Caulfield Village. Thus, why are hundreds upon hundreds of properties being rezoned? Why are activity centres being doubled in size? And why oh why does council refuse to address and answer these fundamental questions?
Glen Eira Debates 
May 15, 2018 at 12:58 PM
These latest figures indicate that we’re getting 1300+ net new dwellings per year on average and that’s not including East and Caulfield villages. Council keeps saying we need 800 or so. We’re close to double that. All their figures are dodgey. Time they coughed up and answered the questions.
May 15, 2018 at 1:14 PM
How did you get to 1300?
May 15, 2018 at 1:36 PM
10500 total subtract the 2000 for houses and then divide.
May 15, 2018 at 5:21 PM
This can’t keep happening with council keeping mum. I cant find anything to support the increase in activity areas and turning single storey places into possible 3 and 4 storey places. This is planning gone mad and the desire for more rates. It’s got nothing to do with making sure that residential amenity is improved.
May 16, 2018 at 4:43 AM
The pressure on open space and sporting facilities is looming nightmare, if not already a present one. I suggest that GE looks at purchasing land in the neighbouring Green Belt in Kingston and moving some carefully selected sports grounds out of Glen Eira. This would free up space for greening and offer decent passive areas that serve the community with 24/7 benefits, rather than a few weekend warrior son their sunbaked, windswept treeless turfs.
This would also give Glen Eira the flexibility to provide sporting activities outside of the narrow tradition range of activities now on offer. With East Village and the Racecourse and Omond developments happening I hope we haven’t missed the chance to collect some existing amenity levy from these well healed developer than are going to make a killing by cashing in on our 100 years plus of reasonably sane planning, which has made Glen Eira such an attractive place to live.
Of course all this existing attractive amenity so much lorded by councillors and planners is in my estimation is on the tipping point. What I think we need is some really far-sighted planners and councillors to nut-out a future direction that the community can have confidence it.
May 16, 2018 at 6:15 AM
Just a disgrace
May 16, 2018 at 1:23 PM
Victoria in Future 2016 set growth targets for Glen Eira of 1.3% for 2011-2021 and 0.9% for 2021-2031. These were made regardless of ability to provide open space, or the amenity impacts on existing residents, or the cost of additional infrastructure required, or even what is “fair” when we are denser than most neighbours. [Why isn’t there a VIF2017? Will we get to see Labor and Liberal growth targets before a state election?]
The ugly truth is that the only statutory mechanism available for controlling growth is the zoning and associated controls determining how big a development can be. Council already has zoned land such that another maybe 120000 dwellings could be built [eg 3 dwellings on 700sqm in NRZ] and it has proposed further relaxing controls. Government has given a further boost to the development industry by weakening the garden requirement via Amendment VC143.
I haven’t heard Steve Dimopoulos utter anything about town planning, but Nick Staikos has at least made an attempt to ameliorate some of the worst features of Labor’s plans for Bentleigh. Officially Carnegie and Elsternwick will be sacrificed. The Government did in writing confirm it is unaware Glen Eira has 5 Major Activity Centres despite this being defined in their own strategic plan.
I am also mindful that successive Federal Governments share considerable responsibility for the mess.