Views of the Knoxfield Residents and Visitors to the Area

Well the Petition is finished. Early this morning, for the first time for ages, I heard a lone Kookaburra laughing.

One of the main complaints from the residents of Knoxfield is the lack of wildlife and birds in the last few years. Kookaburras and back yellow-tailed cockatoos were the main birds that are missing.

Many teenagers are passionate about the old canopy trees and the wildlife they protect and often they were the driving force in the parents signing. I was often badgered to let them sign as well, which I didn’t of course. In some households the male signed for the rest but in others all lined up to sign.

Some of the addresses are not Knoxfield but pretty well all these people have some connection with the area. They either grew up here or were back in the neighbourhood shopping or were visiting grown up children who now live here. Others were visiting aunts, cousins or friends; some were house sitting. It was very surprising how many people still shop here even though they have moved out of the area.

Comments were mostly about Kathryn Rd. Many will not park on it as it is viewed as very dangerous now. Others thought the treed part was where they wished they could have lived but now, with all the development, they were glad they didn’t. The next preferred address was Foster Cres.

Some who bought into the area a few years ago were lead to believe it was a low-density area but now find that it is rapidly changing. They are not amused to put it politely.

Some have already moved out because too much is going on but still shop here. They were sad this had to be the case. One man who has a house just over the fence from him is now able to sleep because it has new less noisy occupants. Others could not work at home because of noise from neighbours; others couldn’t hear their TV at times because of traffic on Kathryn Rd. Many had had their driveways blocked by cars after parties. Privacy was a big issue.

All were very concerned about over-development and canopy tree loss. Many asked don’t they realize trees bring rain and provide shade?

One person explained about the size of the sewerage pipes (he saw them being installed) and said they will not be able to cope with all this development.

Some didn’t sign although they agreed with the issues. They wanted individual letters to be sent. One “tradie” said he wanted the work so he didn’t care how much development went on but the government should plant trees in the catchment areas so it rains there, then we could have plenty of water here.

Some couldn’t see without their glasses to sign, some couldn’t write and wished they could sign.

Others looking for houses in the area said they did not want to live in someone’s backyard and they wanted more space.

Pretty well each time I was wished luck. It was a very humbling experience. I think that I am learning a lot about the environment but some of the information I was given and things I was shown absolutely amazed me.

What a great community with so much knowledge about this area.

Last EDO VCAT Workshop for 2008

EDO workshop – VCAT Planning & Environment Appeals


At Carlton Tuesday 9th December 2008, 5.30-7.30pm.

The 60L Green Building, 60 Leicester Street Carlton

Visit our website for details EDO Victoria

Registrations essential: call the EDO on 8341 3100 to register.

Council Elections

I've been informed on very good advice that ANDREW WALTER has been elected as the councillor for FRIBERG Ward. We look forward to working with Andrew for the betterment of Knoxfield and to ensure that any developments in Knoxfield meet with Knox City Council's policies and planning rules. And more importantly are appropriate to our suburb.
Congratulations to Andrew Walter, a resident of Knoxfield.
Ian

More success at Council

Last night was a most successful meeting at council for us, as all the lobbying paid off with three developments around Knox being refused. Our next door neighbor emailed all councillors about one development in Bayswater, which was a three storey development which did not fit the character of the area, open space provisions and height requirements, and her email was read into the motion of refusal.

The lobbying for No 32 Kathryn Road was also successful with our councillor, Debbie Field, moving a motion of refusal which was also enthusiastically supported by other councillors.

No 40 Kathryn Road was refused too, so overall a very successful night. We are making a difference,but we must ensure that council policy is adhered to with all planning applications. Councillors are directing their residents to us for advice, so our influence is spreading. Most developments though have gone to VCAT, where our fight will continue.

Our next battle is 10 Valetta Cres, where vegetation is planned to be removed for 8 double storey townhouses. 17 of these indigenous, canopy trees are 80 years or more in age. How can the planning department even consider advertising such a development in times of climate change and destruction of the few remaining wildlife corridors in our district. Neighbors behind this planned development have noted 32 different birds, some very rare to our suburb, that visit their property. Get an objection form today and submit your objections to this senseless development.

It’s going to be difficult to save Knoxfield as we know it, but it will be a fight worth the effort. If you value our suburb’s environment, act today.

EPBC Act review - submissions due 19 December 2008

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts has commissioned an independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), which is required to be reviewed every 10 years. This is the first review of the EPBC Act since its commencement on 16 July 2000. The review will assess the operation of the EPBC Act and the extent to which its objects have been achieved.

Community participation in the review is encouraged through public consultation sessions and opportunity to make submissions.

Public submissions are due 19 December 2008. Further information is available on the review Website, including how to make a submission, terms of reference and the discussion paper.

The Review

The Discussion Paper

The Petition

The Petition that is currently circulating in the Knoxfield area is going very well.

However, if you haven't signed it or would like to collect in your area please email Save Knoxfield for details.

Some of the comments that I have had when collecting are:

"Since trees in Philip Rd have been cut down there are less birds."

"I moved here 15 years ago because I liked the area and now I have units all around me; this is not what I wanted."

From people who moved out because of all the development but still shop in the area.

"I just had to move because everything I cared about in the neighbourhood was going."

"Too much clearing of the native vegetation."

Others who had recently bought houses were concerned at the way the neighbourhood was going. Some wondered if they had made the right decision in moving to the area.

One person who didn't live in the area said why would you want to live here. You can't get anywhere without a car.

All wished us luck and said we are doing the right thing.

Why are we doing this? Well for me this video says most of it. We don't have the solutions to fix climate change yet we keep breaking it. There is a better way.

Severn Suzuki

Questions for Knox City Council Meeting - 28-10-08

Tonight at 5.30pm two questions for tonight’s council meeting were faxed to Knox City Council Offices, but somehow they were lost, misplaced or pigeon-holed due to their controversial nature. The fax machine from which they were sent provided a message stating they had been sent successfully.

These are the questions:

QUESTIONS FOR THE COUNCIL MEETING 28-10-08

1.

Knoxfield residents congratulated council on the action taken in the budget to study the unique character of Knoxfield’s indigenous canopy trees. I’m seriously concerned, though, that if the felling of trees by developers continues as in No 75 Kathryn Road, there will not be any trees left to study.

Eleven indigenous Eucalyptus cephalocarpa (mealy stringybark ) canopy trees were removed. Only one tree was retained a grevillea robusta (native of northern Australia).

A moratorium on granting planning/building permits needs to be instigated immediately to save existing indigenous canopy trees.

Shaun Leane, MP, recently wrote to the CEO, concerning a moratorium and stated,

“I have been advised that in keeping with the Planning Act, the protocol is a formal request in writing from the council is required if council deems it appropriate to involve the Minister.”

A precedent exists for the Minister to grant a moratorium, as witnessed in Seaspray recently,

Therefore, following advice to council by Shaun Leane, MP, does the Knox City Council intend to request the Minister for Planning that a moratorium on granting planning/building permits be imposed in Knoxfield until the study into its unique indigenous canopy trees is completed?

2.

Following my question to the May council meeting requesting traffic count figures for Kathryn Road, I was unhappy with the Director of Engineering and Infrastructure’s response, as he stated that according to traffic counts development had little impact on the most recent traffic count.

I followed this up with correspondence and the Director’s response to Knoxfield residents and to me dated 13^th June 2008, was that the most recent traffic count for 2008 was 2,980 vehicles per day and stated this was a reduction on the previous year of 3,383 vehicles.

This statement inferred that traffic on Kathryn Road was not a problem and could cope with further development.

In actual fact figures provided to Cr Field by the Traffic Engineer indicate the traffic count taken in May had increased by 630 vehicles on the Director’s figures.

Therefore, would the Director of Engineering and Infrastructure explain what the actual traffic count was for Kathryn Road in May this year, as he has stated they were 2980 vehicles, while 3610 vehicles were released by the Traffic Engineer to Cr Field and if these recent figures are correct will the Director agree that development in Knoxfield has an impact on traffic flows on Kathryn Road?

Ian Simpson