Dear DADA folk,
Please find attached the meeting notes from the last DADA meeting.
Happy reading!
Maria
DADA
Meeting Notes: 8th of October, 2014
Present: Laara Eames, Marion Coffey, Keith Coffey, Craig Walters, Chris Erlandson, Maria Poletti, Sally Mendes, Stuart Midgley
Apologies: James Manners, Susan Rennie
1. Business Arising:
a. Ask for a report of the expenditure of the developers contribution levy.
Action: Bo will ask a question at council.
b. Action: Reminder to push for a much better planning register. When budget time comes up we should go in and bat on behalf of the planning department.
c. Send Robin Scott the panel submissions for information. Action: Maria
d. New Zoning wash-up:
Action: Follow up on the Planning Panels Victoria and Standing Committee reports. Go to council meeting, and ask a question, 21st of July. Chris, Craig and Keith to formulate and put question. Action: Keith to ask Darren Rudd where the reports. Keith asked Darren Rudd and got a brush off. He said the reports are coming and we would know but as yet those who presented to Planning Panels Vistoria haven’t received feedback though the local paper reports that the rezoning has been signed off on by the state government. Reports are apparently on-line. Looks like 40% protected under the NRZ. In most cases it looks like the panel agreed with the council. Action: Visit to Robin Scott Report; Robin Scott said he would follow up at council, he was going to get in touch with Brian Tees and indicate our concerns and then get back to us. Keith will follow up. DADA reps raised the unfairness of the new zoning. Next step is to make direct contact with Brian Tees. Letter from DADA, introduction, indicating we would like to meet, before the election to discuss planning and development issues – Action: Maria
e. Action: Maria to ask Brian if he can tell us how many hits we get on the website. Figures circulated. So far in October the DADA website has had 108 unique visitors. Hits per month are between 4500 and 9000. We get good traffic and need to make more use of this aspect.
f. Golden Guys seem a popular idea but not at the moment, perhaps another time. Chris has suggested we go to council with the idea of an award for best sustainability practice Action: Chris to research other councils and bring back ideas to us to then take to council. Scrap book idea for our web site where people can send in photos of poor development, before and after shots, basic details like address, developers names, details of faults, what is planned.etc. Action: Maria
g. Meeting of Wednesday, September 10th didn’t happen, only 2 attended.
2. New Business:
a. Draft Amendment C147 – Residential Growth Zones, letter from council circulated, mostly
affecting Reservoir, allowing 3 and 4 story developments. Concern about the protection of creek area due to indigenous history. Could revamp old submission for new proposal. Action: Maria Stuart, Chris, Marion and Keith will make a submission
b. Save our Street Trees, Community Meeting, Saturday at 2pm, corner Dean Street and
Sylvester Grove. A very curt letter received from Phil Tulk in reply to a question of conflict of interest when the same arborist assess street trees and then get the job of removing them. This matter has apparently been rectified.
3. Correspondence:
a. SOS updates – circulated and attached to minutes Action: Maria to follow up with Ian ask him
what sort of support he needs. Maria to bring back to DADA meeting a copy of questions in SOS Survey
4. Council Report:
a. 9 items went to in-camera in councils last meeting, including the CEO’s wage.
b. CEO contract up for renewal, think he has been offered over 400 thousand dollars: the progress association has sent numerous letters to councilors but not had much response. Our CEO is the second highest earner of CEO’s in Victoria behind Melbourne City Council. Steve Hamilton, replaced the CEO while recently on leave
c. Amendments C122 and C127 debated at last council meeting, no provision for recreation in area. Tim Laurance the only council who voted against it. 6 items needed more clarification.
d. New Council website, have a look.
e. Tyler Street/Plenty Road precinct, council looking for volunteers to look after planter boxes to make the area look a bit greener. Streetscape Improvements 2014/15: Consultation Drop-in Session
f. Information relating to the new website in last agenda, still can’t get planning applications off the website. More changes to be done in November.
5. Other:
a. Craig suggested we should become incorporated for our own protection. Action: Craig will organize papers for next meeting.
6. Press:
7. Objector Updates:
a. 60 Mansfield Street, objection sent out, unfortunately it was read only. Action:Maria to check next time.
b. Mansfield Street has 29 new dwellings planned on 5 different sites. All have applied for parking exemptions.
c. 112 Collins Street at planning committee on Monday night the 13th at 5.30pm at council chambers. Action: Laara to put something together for Maria to speak to.
d. 10 and 12 Don Street, round 2 applications, knocked back at VCAT in March. Similar proposal but this time the developer has poisoned the neighbours trees along the boundary fence.
e. 3 Harold street, again! A new proposal, this time for 13 flats and the ‘piece de resistance’ a car stacker to accommodate all the cars that won’t fit because of the magnitude of the overdevelopment! As a street we mobilised to get objections in and will now wait to see what council does. From Susan Rennie
f. VCAT knocked back an application in Miranda Road.
8. Strategy Ideas
a. Presenting Council with a bill for work done by objectors that should have been covered by planning department
b. DADA awards for the ‘best’ Darebin planning decisions, the Golden Guy award for development monstrosities in Darebin 2014. Start collecting photos of nominations now.
c. Suggest we start thinking strategically about the state election and making links with the
ALP Shadow Minister for Planning Brian Tee, MLC. Phone: 03 9850 8600 Email Address: brian.tee@parliament.vic.gov.au
d. Suggested we keep a list of issues of incompetence by council planning officers. Maybe something on the website that people fill in and at budget time we send it to the CEO.
Next Meeting: 7.00pm, Wednesday, November 12th at 33 Dean Street, Preston.