The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has today released its latest figures on building approvals for the period of July 2018 until January 2019. That is 7 months worth of building approvals.

The following two graphs feature two specific periods.

The first is for the period from the 2016/17 financial year up until the present. This is the period that council keeps citing and the need for 16017 net new dwellings by 2036.

Readers should note the following in the above graph. Once building permits for single houses are removed then Glen Eira has had  permits for 4737net new dwellings in a 31 months period. That equates to roughly 1800 net new approvals per year.

The second graph features building approvals over the past 7 and a half years (ie from 2011/12 financial year to the present).

Whilst Monash would appear to have more building permits overall, their percentage of houses to apartments is double that of Glen Eira. From 2016 Monash has had 1313 building permits for houses compared to Glen Eira’s 770 permits. In the period from 2011 until the present, Monash single house number was 4503 whilst Glen Eira’s figure was 2250. In addition, Monash is 80 square km in size and Glen Eira a meagre 38.9sq.km.

The take home message continues to be that this municipality is far outstripping its required housing numbers to cater for projected population growth. Yet, council still insists on more and more high rise development. The above data of course, does not include the 3000 (minimum) that will become Virginia Estate, nor the potential for another 1600 at precinct 3 of Caulfield Village.

Surely it is time that this council answers questions asked again and again

Why do we need 12 storey apartment blocks?

Why do our activity centres have to double in size?

What is ‘capacity’?

What is the ideal density for Glen Eira?

Until such questions are fully answered then residents can have no faith that this council is truly working in the best interests of its residents!