Permits for:
- 68 Bevis Street, Bentleigh East. 3 storey, 22 dwellings
- 554/556 Inkerman Road, Caulfield Noth. 3 and 4 storey, 24 dwellings
The Inkerman Road application is interesting since the site is zoned GRZ1 (ie supposedly 3 storeys and a 10.5 metre height limit). Since council’s schedules do not specify the number of storeys, and the land slopes, this application for a part 4 storey was deemed to be okay. We point out again that for all of council’s structure planning and quality design guidelines, the schedules largely remain intact. No changes to site coverage, permeability, etc.
Worthy of keeping a close eye on, is the following from the minutes of the Local Law committee. This could be ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ for residents.
For quite a while now, council’s reporting of the open space reserve in the monthly financial report has opted to camouflage what is really happening. This can only be deliberate and is another example of the lack of transparency in Glen Eira. We are supposed to believe that the ‘kitty’ currently contains $20m. Yet, we are not privy to how much of this total has been spent on ‘development’/’upgrade’ of open space. Hence how much is really left in the open space reserve?
By way of contrast and transparency, we highlight how these figures were reported previously and ask why the change?
Finally, here is what we don’t know about the Open space levy:
- Has the levy been insisted upon for every application for 3 or more subdivisions? If not, why not? See one of our earlier posts https://gleneira.blog/2018/06/08/open-space-favours/
- What percentage of the levy has been spent on the acquisition of new open space and what percentage has been spent on ‘development/upgrading’?
- What ‘land contributions’ has council accepted instead of a financial payment and where are these located?
- How much of the following ‘promises’ has council kept and why can’t this be disclosed to the public?
Glen Eira Debates 
April 5, 2019 at 4:03 PM
554/556 Inkerman Rd has the misfortune to be on the Glen Eira side of Orrong Rd rather than the Port Phillip side. While it is 450-650m from the neighbourhood centre, properties only 50m away are zoned NRZ. There is a default restriction of 3 storeys in GRZ but that only applies when Council doesn’t specify a height limit, and in this case Council has specified an 11.5m height limit. Arguably the proposal doesn’t respect the neighbourhood character of the area. Council has proposed its controversial safe cycle path along Inkerman Rd because it doesn’t think it has good access to services and transport.
About time Public Questions was reviewed but I don’t expect improvements. Last time Council couldn’t be bothered to provide any explanation for the need for changes. Those changes so constrained question time that Cr Delahunty sought the current kludge to replace it. They obviously didn’t need the changes because when it has suited them they have violated their own Local Law.
April 5, 2019 at 4:26 PM
This has been said before. What needs to happen with the local law is that all public questions go into the minutes; that public questions are first off the agenda without making people sit through up to three hours of double speak; the public consultation questions also go into the minutes and that they are much longer than 15 minutes. Council might also consider a monthly public forum like some other councils have got where anybody can ask any question they like. There should not be a limit either on the number of public questions someone can ask.
April 6, 2019 at 12:06 AM
Fully agreed. Am so sick of Glen Eira just running roughshod over residents’ concerns. They’ve been running council like their own personal fiefdom for too long! Enough is enough!