Darebin Appropriate Development Association

Dear DADA Folk,
We met last night and talked until late. Were glad, as always, to welcome new folk.
The notes are attached.
Cheers, Maria.

• dada-meeting-notes-20160823

Darebin Appropriate Development Association: Protect Your Community
Inc. No. A0094111Q
Web: https://www.darebinada.org

Meeting Notes: 23rd of August, 2016
Present: Sally Mendes, Craig Walters, Susan Davies, Chris Erlandsen, Maria Poletti, Anne Laver, Mandy Baird, Josephine Knight, John Fleischi, Lori-anne Sharp.
Apologies: Stewart Midgley, Meryl Waugh

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. Done: There are some patterns appearing and more data to come.
e. Action: Craig to find and deposit missing funds ($50) Done
f. 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
g. Questions to Council. Action: Chris to write out questions for next meeting. Sally suggests we notify the paper of our questions ahead of time. Done
h. 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.
i. 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. Done Jane said maybe, but wants to see our slip first. DCAN will not distribute in Latrobe. The idea of amalgamating slips was rejected.
j. 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. Done
k. 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. Done Feedback from meeting: Not many people, but representatives from the Darebin Progress Assoc there & good value. Interested in joining forces on common issues. Only other attendees Greens candidates. In the end, not sure that much was achieved, but Ann is keen & says she’ll be coming to more DADA meetings as she is able.
l. Rudy Anders made a donation and sent a great compliment. Action: Maria ask Rudy if we can use his comments on our website. Done Add information on joining by sending a cheque in the snail mail. Done

2. New Business:
a. Complaint from Melissa Thyer regarding including her and Greg‟s name in the notes. Circulated notes from Darebin Women‟s Committee that lists all present and names of both officers and residents and the work they do in a public document. Decided we need to be very clear from now on that we will not meet under a cloak of confidentiality. DADA does not consider the meeting with Melissa and Greg from Strategic Planning a community consultation and council haven‟t ticked any boxes here. Sally and Chris thought Melissa‟s presentation was excellent but not relevant for DADA. They also felt offended that someone was needed to moderate.
b. New „How to Vote‟ design, many thanks to Harris and Melissa. More changes back to Harris for a final. Printing cheaper at Box Up and they will deliver. Design can be emailed to them. Action: Maria to contact and ask if they also do the cutting.
c. Election Strategy: Forum with DCAN or Politics in the Pub discussed and rejected.
d. Article in Leader on Tim Laurence‟s flyer discussed. Very disappointed that council will only act if there is a complaint. Option of a complaint re code of conduct rejected at this stage.
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 not legal 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.
f. No contact from channel 9, we missed out. Chris wrote something but got response.
g. Better Apartments round two consultations on the draft standards: Chris and Maria have responded as individuals and encourage others to do the same so that our voices are heard as well as the developers and their representatives. Follow the link to respond: http://haveyoursay.delwp.vic.gov.au/better-apartments Action: Chris to respond for DADA.

3. From the papers:
a. Leader newspaper today; Article on Tim Laurence‟s flyer
b. The Age, Making dog boxes more livable, about the draft standards for Better Apartments.
c. Apartments flow to the suburbs outside the CBD, The Age
d. Mildura tops Melbourne in house price growth. The Age.
e. Preston has emerged as Darebin‟s property market to watch, from the Leader
f. The Age article on Vic. Market and the support by Sigrid Thornton. Parallels with Preston Market redevelopment. Discussed engaging Denise Scott to see if she shops there and is willing to be a public face for a fight to save it from over-development.
g. The Age, Pretending to listen is not enough.
h. Big developers say we are in the golden decade for development.
i. Reserve Bank drops interest rates, number of dwellings under construction had increased and those on the waiting list have also increased to an over-supply level.
j. Camberwell Junction development talked up like it is the new Times Square with a super tram stop.

4. Objector Updates:
a. 30 Cramer Street, near St Georges road where the trucks park. Green site as a notice going straight to VCAT.
b. 305 Plenty Road, preparing statement of grounds, Maria to send John two Plenty Road VCAT rulings

5. Other Business:
a. Lori Anne Sharpe – Running as a real independent at council.
c. Josephine Grove has three properties with for sale notices. Two connected and ripe for development.
d. Greg Nichol’s at Darebin Council has been authorizing the cutting down of street trees on request from residents. Council appears to have thrown out their street tree policy.

Next Meeting: 7.00pm, Tuesday the 27th of September at 33 Dean Street, Preston | Post