December 9, 2014
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A few points on the following image:
1. If the MRC claims that the recent Union Picnic was a Major Event, then where was their traffic management plan? Where were the street closures? Where were the information sheets distributed to residents?
2. Did Council know? Were they informed? Did they give tacit approval? Or was it a case of only officers knowing and councillors kept in the dark?
December 8, 2014
487 Neerim Road just will not go away. Instead, this site epitomises everything that is wrong with planning in Glen Eira and how this council bends over backwards to accommodate developers.
Here’s a very quick history in order to refresh readers’ minds:
Now, two months later we suddenly find there is a new application in which reads –
Development and use of a child care centre, construction of a side fence in the Design and Development Overlay (DDO), removal of a tree in the Neighbourhood Character Overlay (NCO), and buildings and works in the Special Building Overlay (SBO)
Questions galore arise as a consequence:
And as the final insult to injury, remembering that this land could have been purchased and added to the open space network of this municipality, we present the destruction of trees that have occurred on this site in the past 5 years. Remember that Glen Eira does not have any tree protection policy that is worth a cracker! Saving trees is certainly not in the interests of developers!
December 4, 2014
What is troubling racing at Caulfield? Why is a prominent trainer like Rick Hore-Lacy packing up his swag and walking? Rick is a brilliant trainer, and a real gentleman. He is still a young man; surely he doesn’t desperately need the $585,361. Wither thou goest Mr. Hore-Lacy?
Rick’ loss to Caulfield will leave an immense hole in training that will be very hard, nigh impossible, to fill.
The question remains — what exactly is for sale? Land Victoria indicates 20 Booran Road, Caulfield East, is a large allotment immediately south of the land given to the Crown in exchange for the infamous “triangle”, which was part of Queen Victoria’s Crown Grant, but which is now set aside for the MRC’s high-density commercial development on the corner of Station Street and Normandy Road – directly over the road from the Caulfield Railway Station. (Worth a damn lot more than Rick’s stable complex).
The Victorian Land’s Department also seems to think his stables are within the land controlled by the Caulfield Racecourse Reserve Trustees. It’s my opinion that the land to the east of Kambrook and Booran Roads is freehold, and includes what was originally an extended Bond Street.
You can see the Land’s Victoria map:
However 20 Booran Road it is further south than indicated on the Government’s map. It can be positioned by a sign on the fence indicating that it is a “Community Stable Complex — 20 Booran Road”. Furthermore there are seven letterboxes in the fence, so exactly what did Rick Hore-Lacy’s “Australia-wide firm of valuers” value? It can’t be his goodwill, because that would have only a negligible value after he departs.
It seems Rick Hore-Lacy’s departure is yet another sign that we are watching the slow, painful death of racing at Caulfield. The MRC is now too embarrassed to publish crowd numbers, even for the Caulfield Cup. Please don’t go Rick, Caulfield needs you.
A rich and magnificent 150 year history of racing and sharing with the public is slowly being desecrated by an incompetent and avaricious Racing Club, while the inept Trustees waffle about the 65 hectares of “public recreation ground and public park” which they, in theory only, hold in trust for all members of the public.
December 3, 2014
What is really going on at the Racecourse and what is Council and the Trustees doing about anything? There are countless questions that need asking and answering. Here’s some of them –
And questions on another issue involve the Santa events at the centre. We have been informed that it appears as if those involved in running the show have set up caravans on site and are using these as accommodation for the duration of the event which goes for a month at least. Council’s Local Law states –
Section 310
Pitching a tent, erecting any temporary or permanent shelter or placing and occupying a caravan, campervan or shipping container on any, Council Land, public or private land for the purpose of camping or living. This law does not apply to the erection (with the land owner’s consent) of a temporary shelter to facilitate the preparation of meals associated with a religious practice or festival for a period not exceeding twenty-one days.
We therefore ask:
November 25, 2014
November 24, 2014
Evidence is steadily mounting that the rate of over development is directly attributable to the introduction of the new residential zones. Council can continue bleating its ridiculous claims that all was possible before. The facts tell a different storey. Certain things may have been ‘possible’ before, but they didn’t occur except on the very rare occasion and generally in Carnegie. Now, with the introduction of the new zones this represents an open invitation to developers to ‘go for it’!
The latest evidence of this comes from 332 Neerim Road, Carnegie. An application went in on the 19/4/2013 – well before the zones were gazetted – for a THREE STOREY BUILDING AND 9 APARTMENTS. The permit was granted. Then on the 18/11/2013 (after the new zones) there is this new application –
Construction of a four (4) storey building comprising twenty six (26) dwellings above a basement car park; Reduction of the requirement for visitor parking; and Alteration of access to a Road Zone Category 1
The land is roughly 1100 square metres and of course a permit was granted.
We repeat – development and overdevelopment has everything to do with the generosity of this council to developers and its indifference to residents living in GRZ, RGZ zones.
November 23, 2014
Anger is mounting over the Glen Eira Council’s planning scheme with homeowners worried about the future of the suburb. Picture: Chris Eastman
GLEN Eira residents angry at the pace and density of residential development in their streets are demanding the council review the planning scheme.
Residents used a planning forum in Bentleigh to slam the city’s reformed residential zones and council’s lack of community consultation.
They now want councillors to review and amend the planning scheme.
To amend the residential zones the council must approach Victoria’s planning minister.
The four councillors who attended the forum, among them new mayor Jim Magee, were told the State Government and Glen Eira Council’s claims the zones would offer a new era of protection were a farce for those in the higher density General Residential Zone and Residential Growth Zone.
Others in the protected Neighbourhood Residential Zone said they were still adversely affected by three and four-storey developments just doors away.
“Why has Glen Eira Council identified areas even 1km away from transport corridors for this increased density?’’ a resident asked.
A Bentleigh resident of more than 30 years and traffic engineer said: “I can’t see streets coping with traffic and parking levels’’.
Concerns were raised for packed schools and others accused the council of siding with developers.
Cr Magee argued height limits were brought in to protect the city from inappropriate development and was heckled when he said the zones were not to blame for the pace of development in areas such as Carnegie, McKinnon and Bentleigh.
And last week Baysiders blasted their council’s management of residential growth at a special meeting.
About 120 people packed the Brighton chambers to voice concern over residential growth zones. The meeting was held to discuss a recent State Government about-face on zoning of parts of Highett, Cheltenham, Hampton East and Brighton East.
The Liberals have said they would now not demand the council include quiet residential streets such as Major St in Highett as areas for intense development. Labor plans to rejig the whole zoning system if they win power next week.
Kingston council has yet to adopt the new zones.
The Glen Eira Residents Association is petitioning the council for change at geresidents.wordpress.com
November 20, 2014
Last night’s GERA’s forum was illuminating for several reasons:
We’ve uploaded the audio of the Q and A session and ask that you listen carefully to the ‘answers’ provided by councillors.
PS: BAYSIDE CITY COUNCIL THROWS OUT ITS RESIDENTIAL GROWTH ZONES. WATCH THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING AND RESIDENTS ADDRESSING COUNCIL AT – http://stream.bayside.vic.gov.au/archive/video14-1118-1.php#placeholder
Also refreshing to hear councillors apologising to their community for inadequate consultation. Pity it doesn’t happen from too many councillors in Glen Eira!
November 19, 2014
The following table illustrates like nothing else can, exactly what is happening throughout metropolitan Melbourne, and particularly in Glen Eira. This council can now adopt the mantle of ‘Leggo Land of the South’. The zones have been in for 15 months. Council admits to 1713 net new dwellings in the last financial year. Thus far (ie 4 months) another 1002 new dwellings have received permits. (Source: Planning Permit Activity – http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/planning/planning-applications/planning-permit-activity-in-victoria)
Prior to the introduction of the new zones, council’s ‘average’ number of new dwellings per year was stated as roughly 500 to 600. This figure has now tripled! By the end of the current financial year, if this trend continues, then residents should look forward to over 3000 new dwellings in one year! And yet, we are still assailed with the nonsense that this has got absolutely nothing to do with the introduction of the new zones and the open arms approach to development by Glen Eira.
On July 1st 2014, the new zones came in everywhere. If councils had not as yet finalised their amendments, then the General Residential Zones were applied automatically to all areas previously zones Residential. The Age has run articles on how political the process has been, when western suburb and/or Labor dominated municipalities had their amendments knocked back by the Minister’s Standing Residential Zones Committee. Darebin, Moreland, and Kingston were the ‘victims’ of this process. Darebin and Moreland are still awaiting approval of their amendments. The upshot is that these two councils have now huge swathes of their municipalities zoned as General Residential Zones instead of Neighbourhood Residential Zones as they intended. It is no coincidence that they are the only two councils whose net new dwellings surpass Glen Eira’s.
There are other concerns too. Of these 1002 net new dwellings we have to ask:
Residents deserve answers to each and every one of these questions. The bigger question is whether councillors will dare to even ask them!
November 18, 2014
Changes have been happening in the Mornington Peninsula Shire as shown below. We invite residents to contemplate the following questions:
Glen Eira Debates 