Dear DADA Folk,
We met last night and talked until late. The notes are attached.
Happy reading.
Voting in the Council Election continues. We have done as much as we can to get a better council. Please use you vote wisely.
Follow the link for election information on the DADA website; https://www.darebinada.org/category/election
Cheers, Maria
Darebin Appropriate Development Association: Protect Your Community
Inc. No. A0094111Q
Web: https://www.darebinada.org
Meeting Notes: 11th of October, 2016
Present: Chris Erlandsen, Sally Mendes, Maria Poletti, Mandy Baird, Craig Walters, Meryl Waugh, Amy Stubberfield, Maria Drossos, Maria Xenitopoulos,
Apologies: Stewart Midgley, Susan Davies, Aurora Tonini,
Business Arising:
a. Sally suggested we go to town planner courses and ask if final year students will do pro-bono work on behalf of objectors. Action: Sally
b. Paypal account: Action: Craig will set up Paypal account and link it to the bank account.
c. Planning Backlash Bill of Rights support with Fiona Patten. Circulated and discussed. Action: Maria to invite Fiona Patten to a meeting and keep in mind the bill of rights to talk to. Action: Maria to notify Mary Drost of decision. Done
d. Darebin Councils move to reject DADA objections as a trigger for planning applications to go for review at Planning Committee. The DADA rule. Action: 1. Complaint; re the Councilor Code of Conduct. Maria to take to council and pay. Reimbursement to be decided later. Done, no cost, 2-4 weeks before we hear. Pathetic response from council discussed. We should have known. 2. Letter to the local council ombudsman. 3. Letter to Minister for local government. 4. Calling in on radio. Mandy to check how to submit to 3AW council watch. 5. Facebook users to respond to posts that ask questions. Further Action: Meryl and Sally and Susan to try and record the video of the meeting. Attempted but not possible.
e. Reply from council on the Code of Conduct complaint re change to planning committee charter. Discussed a lawyer’s letter to council given the motion is illegal under the Planning and Environment Act. Nicole will talk to Maria regarding lawyer support. Maria to ask Mark Tregonning if he might give us some pro-bono work. Leave until after the election. .
1. New Business
a. Save Preston Market Community Meeting feedback: Meeting organized by Darebin Progress Assoc, Darebin Network, DADA. Around 120 people a full venue. Marion Harper main organizer. Attended by Robin Scott, David Feanie, Mangers of Preston Market, Rod Quantock MC, Mani Spetteri; representing the stall holders. Chris spoke on behalf of DADA, his notes were attached to the last meeting notes. The managers of the market were invited to respond but they wouldn’t. Possibly because they were new. People really appreciated knowing what is going on though not all the detail is yet advertised At the moment the focus is on the upgrade. Next stage three buildings essentially along Murray Road at 8, 10 and 12 stories. There will be a cut in the parking. There was a meeting following the public meeting, on Monday, to plan for a meeting with Richard Wynne, the Planning Minister. The aim is to ask the Minister to call in the planning proposal. Idea to invite John Faine, to broadcast from the Preston Market. Another public meeting is planned at Preston Neighbourhood House to report back on the meeting with the Minister. Action: Maria to go back to find what is on advertising. Action: To push council to review the structure plan. Who?
b. Car parking at Preston Market: Council has taken over the car parking at the market and folk seem to be saying that it is difficult to understand. Shoppers need to know their car’s registration and add other personal details at the metres. No tickets issued. There appeared to be no warning of the change and little thought of folk who can’t speak English. It was reported that some staff were on site to help out on the first Saturday morning.
c. Election Strategy Debrief: Leaflets; How to Votes; Protests, my apology re; Cazaly ward typo not picked up in final proof from the printer. Collect election flyers for the record. Debrief held over to next meeting.
d. Second Code of Conduct complaint. Letter reply from the acting CEO circulated. Follow up to be considered post election. Held over for next meeting to discuss, but not let it drop.
e. Defamation threat from Councilor Laurence. Letter circulated. Agreed on further action.
f. Left over DADA signs shared and distributed.
g. More data mining: What else can we collect and how will we use it? Discussed trying to find officer approvals/refusals of planning applications.
h. Cancelled Planning Committee Meeting last night. Next one will be with the new council and on a new meeting schedule.
i. David Redfern email circulated: Reply discussed. Action: Maria to send soon.
j. Vince Fontana’s letter. Copies circulated. Discussion held over to next meeting.
2. From the papers:
a. Domain features Preston in a neighbourhood look. Examples of a single family home at $990,000 and three apartments at 910 thousand. This is the newly built ‘affordable’ housing.
b. Folk lamenting the demise of the old deco and Edwardian apartments. c. A number of articles on the amount of congestion relating to the amount of cars on the road. d. Architect, Maynard, responsible for nightingale development. New idea is to build on a ‘right of way/laneways’ e. Mr. Bowen, agrees with DADA that there is a crisis in housing for families. f. Nightingale, Sydney Road, relies on car share. g. More discussion of what good design is. h. Threat to zoning in east and south east Melbourne re: forced new infill in those protected under the NRZ. Infrastructure Victoria report.
3. Objector Updates:
a.
4. Other Business:
Next Meeting: 7.00pm, Tuesday the 8th of November at 33 Dean Street, Preston | Post