Dear DADA Folk,
We have been meeting more often to plan for the council elections in October. Notes outlining strategies are attached.
If you can help with protesting or letterbox dropping in your area please get in touch.
We are not the only community organization who are working for better representation on Council.
A group of interested residents would like to rebirth the Ratepayers Association on Darebin. They are meeting on Saturday the 20th of August at 10am at St Mary’s Church Hall in Thornbury. We are planning to attend, please go if you can.
Cheers, Maria
Darebin Appropriate Development Association: Protect Your Community
Inc. No. A0094111Q
Web: www.darebinada.org
Meeting Notes: 9th of August, 2016
Present: Sally Mendes, Craig Walters, Susan Davies, Chris Erlandsen, Maria Poletti, Anne Laver, Meryl Waugh
Apologies: Stewart Midgley, Mandy Baird
1. 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. Meeting with the Mayor, CEO, Manager of Finances and Manager of Planning on the 21st of April. Meeting discussed. Suggested that council prepare a checklist so that we can more easily see what the application holds. An example for feedback was circulated. Meryl has started a spread sheet to help breakdown planning applications so we can more easily assess planning applications.
c. Paypal account: Action: Craig will set up Paypal account and link it to the bank account.
d. Data from minutes of Planning Committee Meetings: Action: Mandy will have data finished by next meeting. Nearly Done: There are some patterns appearing and more data to come.
e. DADA how to vote Cards; Maria presented changes from last meeting. Discussion of details for the back of the card. Actions: Maria to make changes and bring back to next meeting. Mandy to send Maria the final data and Sally and Maria to double check that it is correct. Maria to make final changes as suggested and photocopy. Maria to check if needs registering Done, No registration needed but lawyer check suggested and adding the inc. number.
f. $30 in the bank. Action: Craig to find and deposit missing funds ($50)
g. Election strategies: Plan circulated and names attached. Action: Maria to send signs for printing to Mandy. Done
h. 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
i. Questions to Council. Does the developer’s contribution cover the cost, in full, of council processing planning applications or are ratepayers funds spent on processing planning applications? What percentage of the costs of processing planning applications is paid by ratepayers? What is council doing to ensure that developers cover these costs? Deferred further discussion to next meeting. Action: Chris to write out questions for next meeting. Sally suggests we notify the paper of our questions ahead of time. Done
j. 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. 2. Letter to the local council ombudsman. Chris to write and send letter. Done Phone call from Ombudsman; does not deal with councilor behavior issues more content. We need to point out what we see is unreasonable. Exhaust council process first and then proceed. We need to point out who was involved in preparing the report ie. Which council officers. 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.
k. Meeting Melissa Thyer, Action: Sally and Chris meeting Melissa. Done Council would like us to participate in strategic planning area. Community consultation about neighbourhood character. Back to C152 in 18 months or so. Melissa spoke about her community work. A bit of a feeling of it being a distraction. Interesting that Greg was there to moderate. We were invited to participate in another meeting, Sally and Chris happy to follow up on that. Giving us an opportunity at the table but really just ticking boxes. Both council officers seemed surprised to hear the extent of what DADA does.
l. The Age, July 13th, Access to housing is a basic human right. Dr Matthew Beard, Sydney. Writes for The Conversation on Ethical development. Action: Maria to do more research in this field.
2. New Business:
a. DADA objecting criteria. In the light of the council DADA rule can we go to supporting any member who objects and would like our support? A new member has asked for support on a duel occupancy application. Invite the new member to a meeting to bring plans to discuss with us but do not bulk object to duel occupancy applications.
b. Election Strategies, document circulated and discussed. Action: Maria to make changes
c. Letter box maps, document circulated and discussed add a year 2015/16 to how to vote form. And incorporation number at bottom. Action: Sally to contact Jane from DCAN to ask if we can join forces to letterbox.
d. Tim Laurence flyer, Maria to put on DADA blog with tag. “No time for Tim’s tall stories” Suggested a complaint on code of conduct and to have him deregistered by the ALP.
e. New VCAT fees and Statement of Grounds: It costs $19.50 to be a party and speak at a hearing. Still possible to put in the Statement of Grounds and ask somebody to speak on your behalf. $19.50 is the full fee but it is still possible to apply for reduction. The new Statement of Grounds form allows lodging on others behalf.
f. Anne Laver from Northcote Rate Payers Association to start in Darebin. They are organizing a meeting on Saturday the 20th of August at St Mary’s School Hall at 10am. Progress Association would be a good contact. Anne, to ask questions at council meeting regarding issues arising from audit report. Action: Maria to add note on DADA network email.
3. From the papers:
d. The Age, Thursday August the 4th. By Clay Lucas, planning crackdown hits wall. Moreland using own better apartments criteria, Council says it needs better planning laws for better design but Minister for Planning does not want Councils to proceed without Government authority which seems to be taking forever.
4. Finances:
a. $270.22, $50 owing from Craig. Rudy Anders made a donation and sent a great compliment. Action: Maria ask Rudy if we can use his comments on our website. Also add how folk can join sending a cheque in the snail mail.
5. Objector Updates:
a. 425 Plenty Road, Interim ruling, involves a process new to DADA.
b. 99 Helen Street, straight to VCAT.
6. Other Business:
Next Meetings: 7.00pm, Tuesday the 23rd August, then Tuesday the 27th of September at 33 Dean Street, Preston.