PS: Announcement today of a second campus for McKinnon High at Virginia Estate. A $70m, multi level school catering for 650 students. Whilst this is definitely needed we have to ask: is the site 1.2 hectares only? how high is multi level? will these 650 students be using the adjoining open space of the reserve and hence letting Gillon et al off the hook from providing sufficient open space for the proposed burgeoning population at the site? Plenty of other questions too regarding traffic, drainage, etc.
Another month and another set of figures that show no sign of a development downturn in Glen Eira. If anything, the number of building permits granted is increasing rather than decreasing. Thus even if we accept the figures that council relies upon so heavily to push their pro-development agenda, Glen Eira is maintaining its record of being far ahead of all required net new dwellings to cater for population growth.
Council keeps spouting the Victoria In Future (VIF) 2016 projections that an additional 9000 dwellings are necessary by 2031. Inexplicably, the government or the DWELP has failed to come up with Victoria in Future 2017 and neither have they produced Victoria in Future 2018. Promises to provide new Planning Practice Notes following VC110 on how to apply zoning, have yet to materialize – 18 months later! An abysmal record of planning all round!
Even if we accept that between 2016 and 2031, Glen Eira should produce an additional 9000 net new dwellings that means a lowly average of 600 net new dwellings per year. Glen Eira is currently TRIPLING THIS NUMBER and then some.
The tables below reveal the latest ABS stats published today. We have combined the totals from the year 2011 onwards, for our surrounding municipalities, as well as indicating the numbers of single houses. If we subtract the house numbers from the overall totals for the 2016/17 period up to the present, then we find that in Glen Eira, there have been 4,365 building permits granted for net new dwellings – in the space of 26 months! That’s an average of 2014 net new dwellings per annum! More than triple what VIF 2016 projected and more than double what Plan Melbourne Refresh indicates! Yet council still seems hell bent on more and more development according to its doubling of activity centre areas and believing that 12 storeys in Elsternwick and Carnegie are required. Isn’t it time that council stopped with its propaganda and finally admitted that they see more and more development as their goal and raison d’etre!!!!
Please peruse the following tables carefully. We’ve uploaded the ABS stats HERE
Glen Eira Debates 
October 10, 2018 at 4:15 PM
So we rank number one in approvals since 2011 but what about the fact that Glen Eira is only 38.4 square klm’s in area whilst Boroondara is 60 square Klm’s and Monash is a whopping 81 square Klms. So Glen Eira is developing faster only half the size of Monash and has fewer people 140,875 compared to 167,231. Does that mean our council workers work faster than Monash or do they do it with their eyes closed?
October 10, 2018 at 6:34 PM
Money from rates keeps rolling in and its squandered on more and more staff and consultants hired to do what they’re told to do.
October 11, 2018 at 9:53 AM
Forget 650 kids. It’ll go up to 1100.
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/delivering-a-great-local-school-for-bentleigh-east/
October 11, 2018 at 10:06 AM
And to think that so many areas of GE still haven’t got controls in place is an absolute disgrace.
October 11, 2018 at 5:32 PM
The substantial increase in dwellings is a natural consequence of the amount of land zoned for high density development and the relative ease of obtaining permits in Glen Eira. There are NO controls on rate of change in Planning Schemes other than vague criteria like “not unreasonably exceed capacity”. If you rezone land sufficient to claim “85 years’ supply”, you could instead be engaging in economic vandalism, encouraging development at 8x the rate, with only a fraction of the revenue stream needed to pay for all the infrastructure.
October 12, 2018 at 1:13 AM
Hard to argue against the numbers. We’re double Bayside and land prices can’t excuse all. My bet is that they’ve had a more decent planning scheme for years and fight to preserve neighbourhoods. The opposite to Glen Eira and our lousy planners and gutless coucillors.
October 12, 2018 at 9:03 AM
Worth a read – https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/melbourne-vic/developers-splash-the-most-cash-on-new-units-apartments-and-townhouses-in-glen-eira/news-story/b07634bb11a74987fb790bdb214723ae
October 12, 2018 at 12:03 PM
The numbers are mind boggling and they don’t include what’s going to happen at East Village and the rest of Caulfield Village. Apart from the CBD this council will come close to being the most densely populated in the state but without the necessary will to ameliorate the impacts. We’ve had 15 years of either straight out incompetence or collusion with the development industry all aided and abetted by councillors who don’t have a clue or who are in full support of anything they’re told.