Nick Staikos Media Release –
Mandatory height limits for Bentleigh
The Andrews Labor Government has unveiled new planning rules for Glen Eira that will protect neighbourhood character and put local residents first.
Minister for Planning Richard Wynne has approved new controls for activity centres in Bentleigh, Carnegie and Elsternwick, with maximum building height and setback rules that respect the area’s low scale shopping strips, residential heritage and gardens.
For Bentleigh and Carnegie, height controls have been updated and extended to reflect planning work by Council.
In Bentleigh the maximum mandatory heights are now between two and five storeys.
In Carnegie’s Koornang Road commercial area and surrounding residential growth zones, heights are set at a mandatory maximum of two to four storeys. The commercial area adjacent to Dandenong Road in Carnegie now has a maximum of eight to 12 storeys.
For Elsternwick, which previously had no height controls, discretionary heights of between two and 12 storeys have been introduced.
While the new controls are interim measures, Glen Eira City Council will prepare permanent controls to be exhibited for public consultation.
Former Planning Minister Matthew Guy approved skyscrapers that lined the pockets of developers but the Labor Government is putting residents first, protecting our famed liveability with transport infrastructure, growth corridors and fair height limits.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Planning Richard Wynne
“These interim controls will protect these communities while Council develops permanent controls.”
“This will provide certainty for both developers and residents as to what can be built in these important shopping precincts.”
Quote attributable to Member for Oakleigh Steve Dimopoulos
“The mistakes made by the previous Liberal Government are obvious to everyone who lives in my community. The changes announced today are a massive win for local residents.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Bentleigh Nick Staikos
“As a lifelong local, I am pleased to have secured height controls in Bentleigh. Unlike the local Liberal candidate, who has supported 30 storey buildings in our suburbs, I will always act to protect Bentleigh’s liveability.”
Source: http://www.nickstaikos.com.au/media-releases/mandatory-height-limits-for-bentleigh/
Glen Eira Debates 
August 6, 2018 at 2:18 PM
Guy was bad but Wynne takes the cake. Maybe not skyscrapers of 50 stories but he has effectively destroyed local communities.
August 6, 2018 at 3:00 PM
Not far enough I say with these new election year controls for activity centres in Bentleigh, Carnegie and Elsternwick.
Now just watch the developers rush to Glen Huntly and other minor shopping centres like East Bentleigh for their wall to wall six ,seven or eight stories profit generators, and then watch our traitorous councillors hand it over to them with their phony excuses and their dry eyed sobs.
All this is so carefully stage managed in the run up to the November elections, Staikos sits on a wafer thin margin in Bentleigh and wants to save his arse from being kick by the voters. After this is all over the Councils Activity Centre Plans will be finished and handed over to Wynne with cosmetic changes that will make little difference and he will sign them off on behalf of his developer mates.
All this nonsense just adds up to business as usual being rudely interrupted by a unfortunate outmoded democratic institution called elections.
August 6, 2018 at 4:00 PM
Save East Bentleigh! Still relevant from our campaign 3 years ago.
August 6, 2018 at 4:19 PM
Nick will do the quiet sell out if he’s elected again.
I think the Liberal candidate would be far worse, with his background of neoconservative think-tank worship of small government, no red tape ie. and letting the market decide whether we build fire traps lined with asbestos, or learn for our bitter experience.
August 6, 2018 at 5:35 PM
I recognise that spin is now the norm for all forms of politics. The opening sentence of this media release is unacceptable. It is more than spin. I would call it a bare faced lie. In the first place no resident was given the opportunity to object to 5 storeys. The overwhelming position of residents was a maximum of 4 storeys and many argued for less. Council then applied and received 7 storeys preferred for Carnegie again without giving residents a voice. This has now become 12. Elsternwick was left out completely only to come in now with 12 as well. None of this is putting residents first as claimed. If anything, residents are coming a long distant last.
August 6, 2018 at 6:38 PM
The politics of this absolutely smells with Elsternwick in particular being cast adrift with 12 storey discretionary heights. There is no justification at all for this and to the contrary the Glen Eira FULL sign should be hung out. I read something recently about North Caulfield residents saying there has been no integrity in this process and this outcome further confirms it. Perhaps the only option is to stop being passive because logic does not prevail under this regime.
August 6, 2018 at 9:26 PM
Did Nicks Staikos”s Press release say,
“Glen Eira City Council will prepare permanent controls to be exhibited for public consultation.”
This has to be the joke of the week and it’s only Monday, it should have read Glen Eira City Council will prepare the developers wish list and any public feedback received via the consultation process will be censured by the bureaucrats and derided by councillors.
August 7, 2018 at 10:06 AM
Keeping the community informed is certainly not high on the priority list of the department, government, nor council. Residents have yet to see the new amendments – they have not been published by any authority as yet. The gov website has not uploaded the documents but they very quickly removed the original interim height amendments for Bentleigh and Carnegie (ie amendments c147 and c148). Whilst the argument could be that the amendments have not been officially gazetted at this point in time, and hence can’t be published, that would also mean that amendments 147/8 are still in operation and should not have been deleted.
August 7, 2018 at 12:56 PM
There is no doubt that our 9 Councillors have egg all over their faces with this announcement of interim height limits. Residents have been calling for this for decades. VCAT as also made it more than clear on numerous ruling passive height limits are plain stupid.
I invite any of our spineless, bureaucrat whipped councillors to now explain how and why Glen Eira is in the position we now find ourselves in.
Come on Magee, Hyams Esacoff and others front-up and explain why you have supported a totally anti resident position on unsustainable development.
August 8, 2018 at 11:05 AM
Double-plus ungood. Even the quotes are screwy. Suburbs aren’t protected by these changes, quite the opposite. These changes weaken the previous interim heights, unless one believes that discretionary height limits carry no weight at VCAT. We replace one set of mistakes with Labor’s preferred set. There is still no certainty. Both Council and government have confirmed they believe planning schemes should be amended, repeatedly, without public scrutiny. Submit an amendment and it could be adopted within as little as 24 hours. Wynne refers to residential areas as “shopping precincts” which gives us an idea what he has planned for the future.