Home Alert for Knoxfield

 

 

Hi Folks,

I think we may have a fight on our hands again. No 52 Kathryn must be preserved as a site of local significance. This is probably the only remnant bushland set amongst residential houses in Knoxfield, No 52 also has been designated as a "Site of Biological Significance" by the City of Knox and the advert has no notice of this fact, but advertises it as a site suitable for development. You can find the Knox web page devoted to this site at the above web page. No 48 Kathryn Road is also advertised for sale too.

 

The scenario we presented to VCAT when we attended to fight numbers 40 and 44 Kathryn Road is now presenting itself. That is six acre blocks with 10 to 12 apartments on each. We already have four of those blocks either built on or pending. This is the massacre of Knoxfield we feared.

 

At all costs we must save No 52 Kathryn Road from the developers. What a wonderful idea it would be if the City of Knox, the State Government  and Knox Environment Society could work out a scheme to preserve this site of remnant bushland.

 

 

 

 

Planning the main headache for Melbourne and Yarra residents - put a comment

It is not only Knoxfield residents that are concerned with planning. Read the article below for an explanation.

 

A walk down Kathryn Road makes one wonder whether we live in the inner or outer suburbs. Look at the gardens in these latest developments, an absolute disgrace to residents that have pride in their suburb. Whatever happened to those magnificent gardens that were presented and articulated in VCAT? Whatever happened to the advanced canopy trees that were to be planted? Most have simply died as they were planted in water logged clay.

 

This is just as we expected, without constant supervision from Knox City Council the developers get away with the cheapest option.

 

Here’s the article from the Melbourne Leader.

 

Melbourne Leader Article

 

Planning the main headache for Melbourne and Yarra residents

 

THE threat of skyscrapers destroying the character of their neighbourhoods causes Melbourne Leader readers to lose sleep at night.

A Leader survey has found residents in the Melbourne and Yarra municipalities are the most prone to worrying about planning and development matters.

Respondents were asked to rate their concerns across a number of issues, ranging between zero (not at all concernced) and 10 (extremely concerned).

Local readers' mean score on planning matters was 7, compared with 6.3 across the metropolitan area.

Former lord mayor Kevin Chamberlin, now chairman of the North and West Melbourne Association, said he wasn't surprised by the results.

"I think it's a very informed response. It's clear that planning was out of control under (former Planning Minister) Justin Madden and the Labor Party, and it has resulted in a lot of inappropriate developments being approved," Mr Chamberlin said.

Melbourne and Yarra residents were also more concerned than average about crowding on public transport (mean score of 7.8), climate change (7.6) and urban density (6.2).

But Melbourne and Yarra readers were less concerned about urban sprawl (5.8), access to the city (4.4), access to schools (3.5), water shortage (6.9) and petrol prices (5.5).

The results were from Leader's 2010 Cash for Comment. Readers told us what matters to them, what makes them happy and what bothers them.

Some lucky readers shared in the $10,000 cash prizes offered by Leader.

>>What needs to be done to alleviate residents' concerns about planning and development? Have your say below

http://melbourne-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/planning-is-a-local-headache/#comment-form

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McDonald's Win - Leader Newspaper publicity

All Knoxfield residents that participated in having the McDonald’s Restaurant overturned in VCAT are invited to a photoshoot by the Knox Leader newspaper on the McDonald’s site at 9.30am tomorrow (Thursday 10^th Feb)

McDonald's VCAT decision

 

Some great VCAT news for Knoxfield.

 

At last we’ve had a win. The McDonald’s review against Knox City Council’s decision not to approve the restaurant on Ferntree Gully Road, Knoxfield was won by the council and residents.

 

The main reasoning was that it was considered to be an inappropriate activity in a Residential 3 Zone and residents’ concerns with traffic management.

 

This is a wonderful result for the power of the little people and excellent representation by Knox City Council at VCAT.

 

So after eight visits to VCAT we have had a win and I must say the most important win as a McDonald’s restaurant would have had a major detrimental impact on Knoxfield.

 

What a pity some of the other VCAT visits did not have the same result!