The article presented below comes from Sunday’s Age. We feature this for several reasons:
- At least some Kingston councillors are not averse to saying enough is enough. Contrast this with our councillors where not a single word has been said about the rate of (over)development in Glen Eira.
- Density has never been mentioned in Glen Eira. Yet we are already the most dense municipality behind Melbourne, Port Phillip, and Stonnington. And these three councils of course have got special circumstances that account for their densities ie zoning of Capital City, tourist areas, and much larger commercial zones than Glen Eira. Exacerbating the issue is that Glen Eira has the least amount of public open space per population in the state! Another reason why density becomes even more important.
- If council’s stated population growth target of approx 180,000 residents by 2036 eventuates, then our density will climb to well over 4,600 residents per square km. That figure rivals, and surpasses many other major world cities. Unsustainable of course given our aged infrastructure.
The take home message for residents is that it is high time that our councillors stopped being lap dogs to the Department and Government and actually stood up for residents and said ‘enough is enough’ as Kingston has done!
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Glen Eira Debates 
August 19, 2019 at 2:03 PM
Population density is much higher than quoted if you remove parks and roads and concentrated exclusively on land that can be built on. My guess is that we would be approaching an average of 7000 people per square kilometre if the calculation was done this way. I’m assuming that council wouldn’t be selling off any of its parks, but with past history to go on nothing is a certainty. Car parks are about to be turned into residential in Bentleigh and Carnegie and Elsternwick. That makes it even higher density than I’ve proposed.
August 19, 2019 at 3:22 PM
All this may be OK macca, if Council could cope with the issues attending this growth, but both elected councillors and the bureaucrats under the CEO aren’t, and seem incapable of doing so.
Our streets are lined with discarded household rubbish, the traffic is getting more problematic in numbers and tailpipe emissions and noise.The number trucks to bring consumer goods to everyone is also swelling.
Our open space is be worn-down by the people competing to use that quickly shrinking space. Schools are overcrowded and their outdoor areas are vanishing under the new infrastructure trying to cope.
Our tree canopy cover is decreasing and I’m betting the urban forest strategy will be delayed and delayed, because the bureaucrats in the know, know there just isn’t the space to plant the trees needed to cope with the heat island effect caused by all this hard surfacing. Permeability percentages levels are falling under this relentless regime of concreting on both private and in public open space, welcome to flash flooding land of Glen Eira.
So what’s the plan – a sustainable living strategy that may look into these issues – no not a hope the CEO has just had her stamp of approval from her sycophantic nine, it’s business as usual.
August 19, 2019 at 11:41 PM
Speak of flash flooding and calculate the implication of adverse conditions, heavy rain in the Elster Creek catchment area, any one or many of the 21 suburbs it drains into the tiny attractive Elwood Canal. The floodwaters will be staggering as so much more of the Elster Creek “flood plain” area is now in areas with multi storey building on them. Unfortunately, creeks are pretentious , not flowing for many a year, and then to become a raging torrent after heavy rain. We may be ready for “Noah’s Elster Creek Flood” especially if the wind blows water from the bay towards the beach and the canal cannot empty.
August 20, 2019 at 9:30 AM
Absolutely correct the water will have to go someplace, and if the experts are correct there is going to be a lot more of it. Let’s hope no one loses their life.