AN UNEXPECTED ALLIANCE - PLANNING BACKLASH & CCC

Just received this from Mary Drost. Maree and I certainly are not protest attenders but this is so important for our futures, we have decided to participate.

Maree and Ian

 

 

THIS IS MY PERSONAL  PLEA TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO SUPPORT ME IN THIS NEW VENTURE

 

Today Sunday, I was called to a meeting of Mayors.    They have formed a Coalition of Concerned Councillors (CCC) and are right now writing to all councillors across Victoria asking them to become part of the Coalition.

 

This Coalition asked PLANNING BACKLASH to form a joint venture with them in their strong opposition to Brumbys high handed takeover of Planning and Development, so eliminating residents and councils from having any say in what happens in their areas.   Hard won resident rights have been removed with the stroke of a pen.     This is the end to resident rights and in effect – democracy.  

 

A decision was taken today to start this campaign on the Steps of Parliament on  Wednesday 10^th June  at 1 pm  and invite parliamentarians out to hear our position.

 

Much planning is still be done, but this public statement must be made while the media is still interested in the subject.     Did you see the letters in the Age on  Saturday including one from me?

 

Getting  together with the Coalition of Concerned Councillors (CCC) is a first and will get media interest.       However,  the CCC is  relying on us to get residents there and to run it.  They will help with resources.  

 

It is vital that we have a huge crowd at the rally so that the Government recognizes our determination to reclaim and retain our democratic rights.

 

So please, please, don’t let me down.   Be there and bring others.  Tell your members and neighbours and friends and family.  

This is an incredible opportunity, unprecendented, but without YOU it will be a flop.   

 

in all sincerity

Mary       

  

 

 

VCAT Hearing for No 32 Kathryn Road

 Fortunately things went much better yesterday, as the Knox City Council consultant town planner, performed excellently and was well briefed by the Planning Department. Maybe my stirring after the last VCAT hearing did some good. One downside though was that VCAT did not have all sets of plans relevant to this hearing. Whether this was the fault of Knox’s Planning Dept or VCATs I have no idea, but it did not place Knox City Council’s Planning Department in a very good light again. Three sets of plans have been submitted by the developer, the first in April ’08, amended plans in Sept ’08 and finally amended plans in April ’09. VCAT only had the plans for April ’08.

The issues addressed by the Knox Consultant town planner and objectors included

·    overdevelopment,

·    the impact of the visual bulk of two storey buildings,

·    two storey townhouses do not meet with the surrounding neighborhood character,

·    impact of the buildings, especially for the neighbors in No 30 Kathryn Road,

·    Heat bank affect of these buildings during summer,

·    The value of trees, even exotics, to the community and the desire to retain the cypress trees and photinia hedge at the rear of the property,

·    The impact of all developments on the infrastructure, traffic and safety of school children and residents,

·    Traffic danger imposed by the Laura, Kathryn Road intersection, bus routes and the problem of rubbish bin collection.

Initially at the hearing the developer had provided amended plans, reducing one dwelling to a single storey, and an hour’s discussion ensured around accepting this change. This then put the process behind time and enough time was not left for the developer to make a presentation. The hearing was then adjourned until Thursday next week at 2.15pm. I’m unsure whether this is in our favour, as the developer now has a week to counter our objections. The council town planner’s opinion is that the chair wished to allow sufficient time for the developer’s presentation as we’d presented quite a formidable case against this development. Time will tell!

Many thanks to the six residents that attended the hearing.

Ian Simpson

 

Vandalism to No 75 kathryn Road

This evening, I was shocked to learn about $10,000 worth of vandalism to the No 75 Kathryn Road development and I was even more outraged to find the Knox Leader newspaper rang me to ask if I knew anything about it. Apparently someone graffitied fresh concrete and windows of the buildings with slogans about trees.

I explained that we are a loose group of residents concerned with the development in Knoxfield, come from a professional background and certainly do not condone such unwanted vandalism on the district. After expressing my horror at the vandalism, I explained how the footpath outside my house was graffitied after the path was replaced last year.

One only has to look at the graffiti around Knoxfield, the smashed bus rest station at the Knoxfield shops and smashed mailboxes to realize that vandalism is a problem in our district.

I am sending this to you in case someone may mention to you that our opposition to development has caused this problem, so you will be able to respond positively.

Ian Simpson