Following on from GERA’s urging residents to attend Monday’s Concept Forum we thought it appropriate to provide some additional information that
- Is applicable to all activity centres in Glen Eira
- highlights the need for residents to “stir from slumber” and become involved.
As per Council’s “Life Cycle” ( bottom right of page) review process – Carnegie is currently at Stage 5 of an 8 stage Structure Planning process. Since stages 7 & 8 relate to Council and Ministerial review and approval, Monday’s Forum (Carnegie 14/8 & Elsternwick 21/8) and October’s Stage 6 (Draft Structure Plans) Forum are the last remaining opportunities for community input.
With the release of the Concept Plans the “nitty gritty” is just beginning to appear.
- The Activity Centres boundaries have expanded
- Some areas have increased height limits, others decreased height limits – overall development opportunities have increased.
Yet, little or no justification has been provided and no assessment of the flow-on impacts has been included. October’s Structure Planning Forum promises to be a “doozey” – a wealth of information with little time to digest.
“A structure plan is a long-term plan that guides important aspects of an activity centre including development, land use, transport and car parking approaches, community facilities, public realm and open spaces and strategic opportunities. Structure plans provide certainty for the way an area will accommodate growth and change as supported by Council and the community.”
Residents, who live in or around a centre or who frequent a centre, owe it to themselves to become informed and express their views at the two remaining forums.
While GERA has a number of major concerns re the Concept Plans, we applaud Council (finally and at Ministerial direction) recognising that
- the boundaries (established in 2003) for Glen Eira Activity Centres were/are inappropriate and did not include appropriate transitions, and
- Within the centres, the 2013 zone implementation is not providing diversity of housing – the extra legwork was not undertaken. Adopting the concept of “right building in right locations” is a positive step towards addressing this issue.
As previously mentioned, our biggest concern is that the current review (coming 4 years after the zone implementation provided 80+ years of housing supply in residential zones, rising to 100+ years supply if commercial zones are included) has resulted in an expansion of boundaries into established residential areas and height variations without
- any justification being provided – there is no comparative analysis on current and projected densities/capacities expected and
- no analysis of pace of development to achieve Government targets (current target 9000 new dwellings by 2031, yet current estimates indicate 2,000 p.a. is being achieved)
- any information on the mechanisms (planning tools) to be used to ensure “right buildings in right locations”
Quite frankly, over half way through the process this is unacceptable and in order to ensure residents are able to make informed comments and decisions, they should be demanding that information
GERA’s CARNEGIE CONCERNS
- GERA believes the review of the Carnegie should include Glen Huntly (flagged to become major activity centre) and Murrumbeena. South of Neerim Road and Dandenong Road, the Carnegie and Murrumbeena centres have merged and with the expansion of the Carnegie boundaries it also merges with Glen Huntly. As yet no details on changes to the boundaries of Murrumbeena or Glen Huntly are available (scheduled for a later Structure Plan exercise), however, residents believe they too will expand. Within the context of a relatively small area, the provision for future development will be huge, as will the flow on impacts (eg. traffic, parking, open space). GERA believes it is inappropriate for these centres not to be reviewed concurrently. Factoring in the future level crossing removal in the 3 centres, adds emphasis to a need for a concurrent review.
Click to enlarge
EXISTING CONDITIONS PLAN – CARNEGIE
- A similar presentation was seriously challenged as being incomplete at the Bentleigh Forum. The map did not reflect “existing conditions” since
- all planning permits granted since 2013 were not included and
- planning permits (for 3 or more stories whether constructed or given extensions) prior to 2013 were excluded
Similar issues are likely to exist for the above – eg the 5 storey building being constructed on the Cnr of Rosstown/Kookaribb, 4 stories on the Cnr Kookaribb/Neerim and the 5 stories Truganini Road (next to the Carnegie Primary School) are not included.
- Questions of accuracy aside – the highlighted permits present a disturbing picture of the past 4 years and, since they will remain for decades, a serious challenge to future Centre development as presented in the Concept Plans.
- The Centre’s boundaries have been extended to include substantial established residential areas. At the Bentleigh Forum, Council advised that these boundaries, which align with the road network, were in line with a 10 minute walk to the train station. Assuming the same applies to Carnegie, it’s likely to involve a much longer walk from south eastern jut (Phillips Avenue) or from the western Seymour bulge (Seymour Avenue).
BUILDING TRANSITION PLAN – CARNEGIE
When reviewing bear in mind, Existing Conditions Map, zones and highlighted building locations.
As previously mentioned, some areas have increased heights others reduced heights. Some selected significant examples are as follows.
- Urban Renewal Development area – between Railway Line and Dandenong Road. Subject to a “preferred” interim height control (DDO9-1) of 7 stories – proposed maximum height limit 8 stories, if includes community benefit 12 stories. Issues related to
- what constitutes “community benefit” and “appropriate transition to be managed within site”.
- Potential dominance of the Chesnut Heritage Area which unfortunately retains a 4 storey height limit along Dandenong Road.
- Commercial and Mixed Zones, Koornang Road from Railway line to Neerim Road. Subject to preferred interim height control (DDO9-2) of 7 stories – proposed maximum height limit reduced to 4.
- Koornang Road south of Neerim Road to Truganini Road currently two stories increased to 3.
- Rosstown Road, from Mimosa to Cosy Gum, currently two stories increased to 4
- Toolambool to Mimosa currently 4 stories reduced to 3.
- Area south of Neerim Road between Ames Ave and Koornang currently classified as 4 and 3 stores reduced, height limit on Neerim Road reduced to 3.
- Neerim Road, northside, between Toolambool and Mimosa currently 3 and 4 stories now 4
Since no justifications have been provided for the height variances or expansion of boundaries or locations of various housing types, we find it difficult to comment further. While GERA welcomes the concepts, without
- data, justifications and the effectiveness of the planning mechanisms to achieve the mixed housing types within the centre
- consideration being given to the merging of Murrubeena and Glen Huntly centres
It is not possible to determine if the best outcome is being achieved – Council needs to provide additional information and residents need to awaken and become involved
Glen Eira Residents' Association Inc 