Launch of the Save Knoxfield Website

I am pleased to announce that the Save Knoxfield Website is up and running.

From time to time it will be enhanced.

Meeting with Justice Bell - VCAT

Several residents from Knoxfield are joining with the Marvellous Melbourne organization to discuss VCAT procedures. Recently we have attended VCAT on 5 occasions and believe we have a good knowledge now of the VCAT procedures. We are very concerned with many of these procedures which definitely favour the developer over local residents.

 

1. Procedure of Hearings. The applicant ought to address the hearing first, followed by council and then other submissions. The applicant could have a right of reply at the end of the hearing. This would bring the hearings into line with the legal system.
2. The weight given to the evidence provided by “Expert Witnesses”. These witnesses are in the employ of the applicant and should be treated as such. At one hearing we attended, the applicant organized the expert witnesses over the lunch break to present new evidence to counter everything we said. Our evidence proved that of the expert witnesses to be false. This new evidence was accepted and the chair passed the application unchanged as she accepted the evidence of the expert witnesses over the local residents.
3. The low weight applied to retaining indigenous vegetation, especially in areas protected by a Vegetation protection Overlay 3.
4. The low weight applied to the planning regulations like the Rescodes, in favour of Melbourne’s 2030 Policy and the desired future outcomes.

 

Many other issues are also of concern, which we hope to address at the meeting on July 14.

 

 

From Today's Age

 How to sell a planning decision

Jason Dowling

June 22, 2009

IT READS like a script from the ABC's political satire The Hollowmen — "preferred slogans", "communications challenges" — but it is in fact taxpayer-funded advice to the State Government on how to sell controversial planning decisions.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment commissioned the advice from Auspoll in January 2007 and the Greens obtained it through freedom of information.

Auspoll's research showed the public thought "the State Government was performing poorly on planning", the Victorian planning tribunal VCAT "does not allow people to object effectively" and "few people were aware of (the State Government's planning blueprint) Melbourne 2030".

There was also advice on how to sell planning decisions.

"Where there is controversy surrounding the rejection of an application the core communication messages should be based on the following themes:

■ Developments which are not sympathetic towards the existing character of the neighbourhood will not get approval.

■ We are protecting the lifestyles and streetscapes of people living in the area.

■ Developers can't expect to get whatever they want just because they have money (i.e. to build and/or appeal decisions)."

The research showed it was harder to sell a controversial development approval to the public than reject a development application.

"When it comes to approving development applications arguments based around limiting urban sprawl and/or improving the availability of commercial services are unlikely to prove effective," the Auspoll advice said.

"Urban sprawl is simply not on the radar for ordinary people. Further, most people are happy with the commercial services in and around their area and feel that everything they need is close at hand."

Greens MP Greg Barber said the Government had fought hard to withhold the Auspoll advice. "It is politically based market research conducted in marginal seats paid for by the taxpayer," he said.

A spokeswoman for Planning Minister Justin Madden said: "Planning language can be complicated and technical. It is important effective strategies are in place to make it accessible to the community."

 

10 Valetta Cres - Sale - VCAT

By now you would have received notification that the development at 10 Valetta Cres has gone to VCAT. You may also notice that there is a “For Sale” notice on the property. The L J Hooker website describes the property as:

DEVELOPMENT SITE

$900,000+

Superb level site of 2350sqm approx. Situated in a nice court location there is a current council application for 8 units (STCA). The current existing 3 bedroom residence would command a rental of $250 p.w. This site is convenient to public transport, schools and only a short bus ride trip to Knox City.

You may also have attended the council meeting when this development WAS REFUSED.

Is it just me or am I imagining that improvements are made to the streets just before development applications are made, especially by Planning Vision. The round-a-bout at the intersection of Kathryn-Anne Roads was improved before No 61 Kathryn - 72 Anne Road was submitted and now Valetta Cress has been improved with new kerbing and sealing of the road. Is there any coincidence that the native street trees have been removed and replaced with deciduous maple trees, thus urbanizing the environment, especially when one of our arguments is to save the 100 year old trees on this property?

This property forms an essential part of the Knoxfield Wildlife Corridor, joining the lake with the creeks south of Ferntree Gully Road. To remove these trees and replace them with double storey townhouses is just desecrating our environment. The developer is a smooth talker and performs well in VCAT. He will present arguments that the trees are so old they are dangerous, they are diseased, but will ignore the fact that they are essential for the biodiversity of the area. Further arguments will settle on the changing landscape of Knoxfield with No 7 Valetta also being approved for townhouse development and will show photographs of other double storey houses nearby.

If you are concerned about Knoxfield, especially Valetta Court and saving trees in Knoxfield, you must forward a “Statement of Grounds” to VCAT within 10 days. It is essential to take time to appear at VCAT also and present your arguments, just like you did at council. VCAT is not overpowering and everyone that wishes to speak is given an opportunity. Please give this your serious attention.

REPORT ON RESTORE RESIDENTS RIGHTS RALLY

I attended this Rally when, at the last minute, others could not . Resident Peter also attended.

It was well presented although where I was I could not hear Mary Drost's presentation and only parts of Rosemary West's.

Signs had messages such as get off our democracy but I think this one says it all:




Comments and requests from other presenters were:

Loss of privacy, sunlight and safe places for children to play. The denial of fundamental rights of people to protest.

Give us our rights we demand to be heard.

Strengthen the role of local Government's voice in future planning that affects people's life styles.

If you run rough shot over the people they will come back to bite you.

Consistency in planning decisions.

Give the community a voice and give us planning laws that give us a community.

We have the right to protest about things that matter to us.

We can conform, consume and not be heard. If this happens it leads to disengaged people and possibly depression.

People

There were many councillors and even one from Brimbank apparently! Helen Harris from Whitehorse Council, who I know well so could recognize, was there and others from Banyule, Port Phillip. I didn't see anyone from Knox but I certainly couldn't move around easily because of the crowd.

Matthew Guy, Shadow Minister for Planning made a lively speech and there was a bulldozer that knocked down some paper buildings, a petition presented, and lots of people from Wonthaggi who were protesting about the Wonthaggi Desalination Project.

At a local level I thought about what one resident had said at a PCC Meeting; she wanted to be able to keep the house she had, raise her family and be able to go to her clothes line in her underwear in the privacy of her own backyard.

For me that sums it up very well.

I caught up with both Mary and Rosemary and unfortunately was about to speak to Matthew but he was called away.

A View of the Rally

Rally to restore resident's rights

 RESTORE RESIDENTS RIGHTS

           

            PREMIER BRUMBY IS REMOVING

          RESIDENTS RIGHTS TO OBJECT OR

            APPEAL AGAINST DEVELOPMENT

 

  RESIDENTS & A COALITION OF CONCERNED

    COUNCILLORS JOIN FORCES IN PROTEST

                           AT A RALLY

 

  ON THE STEPS OF PARLIAMENT

  

  WEDNESDAY  10^TH JUNE   AT 1 PM

     

    

 

   Come to the rally to send a message to

                Brumby and Madden    

           

                           

 

See over for more information …………………………..

 

Contact :  Mary Drost  9882 2829   0401 834899

 

                                 

 

YOU COULD GET A MULTI-STOREY APARTMENT COMPLEX NEXT DOOR & YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO DO A THING ABOUT IT !                  

 

• Premier Brumby has announced he is by-passing planning laws to bulldoze our suburbs so he can fast track the building of hundreds of apartment complexes and school extensions without the need for council permits.

 

• He has already moved to take away resident’s rights to

object or appeal against such projects.

 

• This follows his proposal for new residential zones which will effectively change our low scale suburban areas into blocks of three or four or more storeys of apartment complexes.
• He is appointing unelected and unaccountable Development Assessment Committees to take over planning from our councils in Activity Centres to ensure that apartment towers will be built in these centres.

 

• Victoria’s Planning Act is to be reviewed which will formalize these government edicts including property acquisition.

 

• And what’s even worse, Planning Minister Madden is to be entrusted with greater planning powers to “call in” projects or over-ride councils to push high-rise development into the suburbs.

Can he be trusted with these powers? After all he is the Minister who knew nothing about branch stacking and

corrupt practices at Brimbank managed from his own

electoral office.     We don’t think so.

 

If you don’t come to the protest they will think you don’t care