McMANSIONS & FOREIGN INVESTORS

We have been inundated with residents concerned at the number of houses being demolished and replaced by fake "Georgian" & French Provincial" McMansions in Boroondara changing the local neighbourhood character. Many of these are built by foreign nationals using private Building Surveyors with some never occupied.

We have attached information on how this comes about detailing the requirements for foreign investors and how the rules have been rorted using private Building Surveyors.

See the attached items above for the full story. Two pages- 1. McMansions 2. Building Surveyors.

INTENSIFYING MELBOURNE

A new report from Professor Kim Dovey & Ian Woodcock, University of Melbourne, argues for INTENSIFYING MELBOURNE to cope with our fast and ever increasing rate of population growth. ( See post below on Immigration numbers 2000-2014)

The report contains input from Rob Adams, City of Melbourne planner, Universities of Monash & Western Australia, State Government Departments of Planning & Transport as well as three councils.

It follows on from an earlier paper from Dovey & Woodcock "The Character of Urban Intensification" published in 2010, which also pushed intensification in some detail. Dovey & Woodcock made the point then that "population targets could be achieved at heights of four or five storeys". 

That means four or five storeys of apartment blocks in our residential areas, which is what we residents have been fighting against over the last 10 years or so. As a result of our lobbying, the last Coalition Government legislated for the new Residential Zones,as part of it's "Plan Melbourne",  which aims to protect our residential neighbourhoods against such over-development in our local streets. We have fought hard to get this protection but, now, it looks like the battle will start all over again.

Both reports are too large to attach to this item but can be downloaded by Googling - "The Character of Urban Intensification" and "Intensifyng Melbourne".

It will be interesting to see just how the new Labor Government reacts  and we should not forget that the planning profession largely relies upon the development industry for its income, so we should not be too surprised at this latest report from Dovey and Co.

Australia's Immigration Intakes 2000 - 2014

Australia's rate of population growth is 1.8% which compares with the world rate of only 1.1%. with Canada at 1.2%, US 0.7%. UK 0.6%, New Zealand & France at 0.5%.

Victoria's rate is 2.2%, so we are leading in the race to grow our population, which is placing real pressure on our infrastructure, public transport, gridlocked roads, schools, hospitals, water and power supplies, etc.  

MELBOURNE IS SET TO DOUBLE ITS POPULATION IN 30-35 YEARS TO OVER 8 MILLION.  ASK YOURSELF JUST WHO BENEFITS FROM THIS GROWTH?

The Productivity Commission says it is not the existing residents but the new arrivals who gain the benefits, and we add its is also the the development industry and the supporting businesses that supply all the furniture & fittings, white goods etc to fill the apartments and dwellings being built to house these new arrivals. Build more and more then bring in more and more to enable them to build more and more. Its just a great big Ponzi scheme.

Australia's immigration intakes since 2000 have steadily risen from 80.000pa to double that in 2009 and last year it was around the 250,000 Prior to 2000 it was a steady 70,000 to 80,000 pa.which enabled us to manage the growth.

if we return the rate to around the 70.000 to 80,000pa we could stabilize our population growth to a more manageable level but our governments, both State and Federal, are all for growth because,as Callum Pickering said, in the Business Spectator of 22 April 2014, "THE BIG AUSTRALIAN ILLUSION - its creating an illusion of (economic) growth while hoping we don't realize the reality.  (see attachment above).

We say it is time we all had a serious discussion on this rate of growth.What about a referendum on Australia's population growth? If we do nothing where will it all end? THE BIG AUSTRALIAN CRASH?

AT LAST, REFORMED ZONES APPROVED FOR BOROONDARA

Boroondara Council has announced that the Minister has approved the new zones under Amendment C190. However, the Minister did not approve the zones as submitted (details attached above)

Council's proposed minimum lot sizes, site coverage, setbacks and open space proposals have not been approved, reducing the benefits of the proposed zoning. We suggest this is the result of heavy lobbying from the development industry and residents who want to subdivide and re-develop their properties.

We understand that the Advisory Committee reviewing the proposals for additional Growth Zones under Amendment C199 has submitted it's report to the Minister but he has not yet announced his decision. 

Update on the additional Growth Zones Hearing

The panel hearing commenced on Monday the 5th May with council presenting to the three panel members for most of the day. Council's Lawyer argued against the Amendment C199.

BRAG presented the next day for one & a half hours also arguing against  Amendment C199 which identifies additional growth zones as "requested" by the Minister for Planning. Our thanks to all our Members who came to the hearing to support us, much appreciated.

There were 665  written submissions lodged with the Residential Zones Standing Advisory Committee (RZSAC) of which 130 opted to present personally to the Panel. All submissions are read and considered. Presenting personally to the Panel allows for submitters to make additional points or expand upon their submission. 

A copy of our Update email to BRAG Members on the hearing is attached above which provides more detail.

Alert - Changes to Boroondara's Residential Zones - More Growth

An Advisory Committee has been appointed to consider changes to the new residential zones which comprise  extensions to provide more Growth Zones following a request from Planning Minister Matthew Guy.

Many of the new Growth Zones are around Boroondara's neighbourhood shopping centres but some have been applied to main roads such as Canterbury Rd., Camberwell Rd., Studley Park Rd., etc.

Further details with a map showing the new Residential Growth Zones (RGZ)are attached -see above- click on "skip to content" and for the map go to the download - C199 Areas subject to amendment)

Residents in the affected areas have been notified by Council but these changes will also affect residents adjoining or nearby the RGZ because this zone allows for four storeys ( a mandatory height limit of13.5 metres)  which will result in overlooking, will affect the local ambiance and there will be overflow parking in nearby streets etc.

The Residential Growth Zones under a draft amendment C199  are in addition to the Growth Zones already identified under amendment C190. Applicants for development proposals in the RGZ will be required to demonstrate  compliance with neighbourhood character local planning policy and the relevant Boroondara Neighbourhood Character Precinct Statement and Guidelines.

Brag understands that there will be no ability to appeal to VCAT to exceed the mandatory height limit but appeals to VCATwill be possible in regards to disagreements with assessment criteria for neighbourhood character precincts. However, BRAG has reservations about appeals to VCAT as these are yet to be tested. We say that developers have pushed their rights to appeal to VCAT to the limit in the past and that we do not expect any change in their attitude. Would you trust VCAT to do right by the residents, they haven't in the past have they?

Council says it has chosen these new RGZ's because it considers them to have the capacity to absorb change and transition to a denser character based on proximity to large Activity Centres, proximity to shopping centres and commercial corridors, location along key transport routes. an emerging change in character or development potential based on allotment size. This is nothing short of just following the concepts in the discredited Melbourne 2030. We thought M2030 was dead but obviously it is not yet buried.

What Action Can you Take ?

Make an online submission to the Residential Zones Committee at www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/residential-zones-advisory-committee by 16th April 2014. You will be able to appear before the panel if you wish to further push your arguments against the changes and perhaps you can ask the members hearing the presentations to take off their planner's hat and ask them to pretend that they are a resident affected by these changes and think carefully how they would react. We are pretty sure that if they are honest they will react just like you and argue against these ridiculous changes. The hearing starts 5th May in the Hawthorn Town Hall at 10am. Come along even if you aren't presenting to show support for those who are.

Suggestions to help you to prepare your submission are set out in the following post

Go ahead and make a submission, BRAG can't do this for you, it is up to individual householders who will be adversely affected to tell the Panel (and the Minister) to approve the council's original proposal without these changes.

Suggestions for submissions to the Growth Zones Advisory Committee

Many Residents have sought assistance in preparing their submission to the Advisory Committee so we have complied a list of suggestions.

Click on  the attachment above.

Please use these as a guide and make your submission in your own words.Do not just copy as the Committee will disregard any submission that appears to be pro-forma.