In December 2017 (see: https://gleneira.blog/2017/12/03/beware-be-alarmed/)we first warned residents of council’s hidden agenda regarding the expansion of our activity centre borders. Thus far we have proven to be correct with the doubling in size of Bentleigh, Carnegie and Elsternwick (when it’s finally done).
A recent council document (below) shows clearly that 80% – 85% at least of Glen Eira will now be ‘activity centre’ land.
Questions abound:
- Why double the size of these centres? We can only think of one reason why this would be done – to facilitate more and more development and the rezoning of countless properties to achieve this end.
- Where is the strategic justification for this change? – especially since development is far outstripping population growth in this municipality?
- What is the strategic justification for 12 storeys in Carnegie & Elsternwick? Why not 6 storeys? 8 storeys?
- What is the strategic justification for the ‘upgrading’ of South Caulfield and East Bentleigh within the space of a few months to ‘large neighbourhood centres’? What does this mean for potential rezoning and height limits?
Right from the start of this entire process residents have been led up the garden path. ‘Study areas’ have morphed into permanent activity centre borders. Promises of ‘neighbourhood character’ statements have gone out the window. Promised changes to the schedules (ie. Increase permeability standards, site coverage, etc.) have not materialized. Neighbourhood centres have been abandoned. Heritage review, parking precinct plans, developer levies, open space levy, winter solstice overshadowing – all of these have been put back years and years. Instead we’ve had thousands of pages of documents released that reveal bugger all and certainly don’t provide one iota of valid justification for anything that has thus far been done! In our view, this has been deliberate, with the intention of ensuring that further development is the chief priority. Everything else has been window dressing and public relations bullshit. When residents aren’t provided with real information, or asked the correct questions in order to ascertain their views, then council is guilty of lying by omission.
Just on three years down the track from the planning scheme review, residents are still to be told the truth about council’s plans!
Glen Eira Debates 
March 5, 2019 at 2:48 PM
More lying propaganda. They’ve got a smaller circle in the East Village square. That’s 100 dwellings according to the legend. Sure is a lot less than the confirmed minimum of 3000. My message to council and its consultant henchmen – start telling the truth and stop wasting my money on crap like this.
March 5, 2019 at 3:30 PM
Same goes for Ormond. Down for 220 dwellings at the North road station site. Great map and figment of someone’s imagination.
March 5, 2019 at 4:30 PM
I can hear the weasel words now–“not to scale”, “artist’s impression”, “only a proposal at this stage”, “people can have their say when it is exhibited”. Interesting that Rippon Lea estate is now an activity centre. That’s consistent with state and federal governments ripping land off an elderly lady for commercial benefit when they had viable alternatives. Back page of latest Glen Eira News repeats one of Council’s most egregious lies–that ABS predicts a further 16.27% growth for 2019-2026. Instead Council should explain why it has acquiesced to State Government demands that we be denser and increase our density faster than our neighbours with less amenity in compensation.
March 5, 2019 at 5:50 PM
The table that also appears on the back page of the latest Glen Eira news and purports to be “net new dwellings by development type and LGA” is also cut from the same cloth – ie deliberately vague and misleading data. No definitions are provided as to the meaning of ‘urban development’, ‘high density infill’, etc. Does high density infill refer to permits of more than 20 apartments, 50 apartments or simply 5 apartments? What is the source of this data? And is ‘infill’ only those permits in nrz, or also grz zones? Are these planning permits granted? building permits granted? completed dwellings? Or as council so deviously practised in the past when they spent ratepayers money to send out a doctored letter to each residents and simply forgot to mention that their table consisted only of apartments in buildings of 4 or more storeys! Are we seeing history repeating?
March 5, 2019 at 6:07 PM
The money is flowing and wheels are being greased
March 5, 2019 at 6:59 PM
Council could quite easily allay resident fears by answering these questions.
1. Will council give a categorical undertaking that no land that is currently zoned nrz in its remaining activity centres will be rezoned as either grz or rgz?
2. Will council give an undertaking that no land currently zoned commercial or mixed use in its neighbourhood centres will have a height limit imposed of greater than 4 storeys?
3. Will council give an undertaking that it will insert new standards into its zoning schedules that increase permeability across the board as well as decrease site coverage in the rgz and grz zones?
4. Will council give an undertaking to ensure that overshadowing standards also include what happens at the winter solstice and that this be included as an amendment immediately?
5. Will council commit to spending 75% of the open space levy exclusively for the purchase of new open space?
March 5, 2019 at 9:47 PM
D Evans, your questions are spot on, but there seems to be no appetite at the Council to enact – or even to try to enact, these resident supported needs. Does the council not want or need the support of Glen Eira residents?
March 6, 2019 at 9:58 AM
A perfect example of a planing disaster with no consideration to the major stakeholders – residents. We are now officially living in a dictatorship with the only focus being self interest.