Public Forum Topic
Sustainability Developments in Monash Neighbourhoods. What is the Future for our Community? (See the end of this page for latest progress update)
The Purpose
Getting local planning right BY the People and FOR the People!
Community Engagement Forums
When & Where?
Wed 20 Oct 2010 @ 7:30 pm, in the Good Shepherd Church Hall in 34 Academy Avenue, Wheelers Hill.
Guest Speakers
Accepted:
- Australian Labour Party (ALP): None accepted
- Democratic Labour Party: Des Kelly
- Liberal Party: Justin Scott (candidate for Clayton); Inga Peulich (MLC): Matthew Guy (MLC, Shadow Planning Minister – by proxy representation)
- Greens Party:Colin Long (SE Metro Upper House candidate)
- Council: None accepted
- Experts: Dr Bob Birrell
Declined:
- ALP: Minister Gavin Jennings (MLC, Environment & Climate Change, and Innovation); Robert Smith (MLC); Minister Daniel Andrews MP (Health); Hong Lim MP (Clayton)
- Liberal Party: Courtney Mann (candidate for Mulgave)
- Greens Party: None
- Council: Council Planning Director: Paul Kearsley; Mulgave Councillors – Mayor Charlotte Baines, Micaela Drieberg (advised prior engagement & will follow-up discussions) and Paul Klisaris; Clayton Councillors – Denise McGill (advised prior engagement & will follow-up discussions); Stephen Dimopoulos and Stefanie Perri
No Reply
- ALP: Adem Somyurek (MLC)
- Liberal Party: Gordon Rich-Phillips (MLC)
Forum Questions
- Will you commit to social and environment responsibility and share your policy in these matters?
- Will you be accountable and measurable in terms of your policy execution?
- Who is considered more important: local residents or big developers?
- What planning changes you will advocate to increase effective community engagement in setting local standards for planning and sustainable development?
Background Information
The Brandon Park Action Group and the Notting Hill Community Association represent local residents who are concerning about sustainability issues arising from inappropriate developments in their neighbourhoods.
We are seeking surety support from socially responsible Governments who will take the resolve to work with us to put right high density development and activity centre planning, and pave the path for delivering the new Monash community and city vision.
We know and have long experienced many difficulties in planning and development disputes. Moving forward is our priority to find and deliver sustainable solutions and engaging with socially responsible government representatives who are committed to getting planning back on track in Monash.
- For Brandon Park residents, this means Council heartedly and effectively engaging with residents to improve the Structural Plan that is in desperate need of update. Working together means understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the impact of the improved structural plan, and innovating solutions, agreeing standards and risk management to ensure sustainable outcomes and liveability impact measures.
- For Notting Hill residents, this means Council braving to deflate mono architecture style housing developments for achieving real diversity and affordable housing for more than just students accommodation, and architecturally pleasing developments that deliver sustainable and lifestyle living to a diversity of individuals and families, and more importantly contribute to the reconstruction and increase of open public space facilities that are presently severely lacking, compromised if not avoided in planning.
- For residents affected by the Ashwood and Chadstone Gateway Developments, they can bring forth their local planning issues and concerns that are being tactfully ignored by both State and Local Governments for the sake of pursuing political and economic brownie points over social and environment sustainability.
- For residents affected by other Monash High rise development, they will see how common are their liveability issues and risks impact by high density developments in their area, and exactly what our leaders are and are not doing.
The forum is fostering effective engagement and dialogue between residents, Council and future State Government leaders to share information and understand the future direction of planning policies and the resolve of our local and state leaders to change responsibly and be committed to planning that truly benefits present and future residents.
The community resolve is to seek support from future state leaders for action by Monash Council to formally work with residents affected by high density development and to set up an effective community engagement structure for consolidating and resolving local planning issues and risks in Monash neighbourhoods.
Come to the public forum and let your views be known to present and future Government leaders. They saying no or taking no position at least confirms our understanding of no support for fixing planning deficiencies in Monash, and helps you decide the will of our leaders and their resolve in making local city planning right again for the local people. They saying yes is signals the resolve to collaborate and change for the better.
Brandon Park Residents Action Group 
Interesting reading about this event: http://www.monashweekly.com.au/news/local/news/general/monash-forum-organisers-blast-noshow-councillors/1971373.aspx
About 150 residents from Brandon Park, Notting Hill, Wheelers Hill, Mt Waverley, Oakleigh and Ashburton came. A lot of the residents were aghast to learn that they have to read the local papers to discover that their elected Councillors had other and more pressing engagements than to attend this important public forum. The common themes of discussions and questions related to the disengagement of elected representatives with the community, the lack of social and environmental responsibility in planning, and the complete absence of any investment in improving local infrastructures, public amenities, and public transport systems, etc.
Representatives of the Liberals, Greens and Democratic Labour parties all agreed that improvements are needed in planning and community engagement. They offered varying views of how this might be achieved. The hot discussion topic was VC 71, a state planning amendment that empowers State Government to disempower communities and override Councils to fast-track along public transport routes, and in designated activity centres.
Residents unanimously supported two motions:
1. One called for Monash Councillors to bring to the State planning authorities residents’ concerns about the over-riding of local planning controls by VC71, and to seek legal advice on the constitutionality of VC71.
2. The second authorised the organisers to make public and in particular to take to our elected councillors the issues raised by the meeting.
All participating political parties agreed to provide the organisers with written responses to the questions raised by the forum. These responses will be made public to enable Monash residents make an informed decision in electing future leaders who will have the resolve to (1) ensure effective engagement with residents in planning and (2) be accountable and measureable (at both state and local levels) for implementing sustainable and appropriate developments that will enhance neighbourhood character and sustainability.
NEXT STEP: The forum organisers are following up to arrange a meeting with Councillors to discuss these motions and report other discussion highlights.
Even the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) calls for improving the State Planning system and maintaining community input rights – see http://www.mav.asn.au/stateelection2010