10 September Newsletter Friends of Eaglemont Village
State Government to Evict Local Government from Planning Role?
The State Government is understood to be determined to wrest planning controls from local councils.
The State Government claims it's move is to prevent repeats of the Casey Council situation where a developer is alleged to have bribed his way to development approvals.
Other observers believe the State Government wants to dig itself out of a hole of its own making - the failure to bring to fruition several public housing projects already approved on State Government land and "shovel ready".
Some are incredulous that this State Government believes it is on some moral high ground as it wags an admonishing finger at local government.
This change, if indeed the State Government proceeds with it, will make vulnerable those Government M.P.s in the "leafy inner and middle suburbs" where residents will rebel against having neighbourhood character and population densities ruined by medium and high density developments being imposed on them.
Remember that to seduce private developers to spend private money (i.e. money not on the government's debt ledger) to include a component of 10% social housing in projects, the State Government wants to throw out existing building height limits and resident appeal rights.
The developer walks away grinning with bulging pockets while the neighbours are left lamenting the over-looking, the over-shadowing, the loss of views, the loss of suburban quiet, the parking and traffic jams.
Nine private dwellings will appear stacked 5 stories high for every public housing dwelling achieved.
Nine "market priced" dwellings for every one dwelling subsidised by the State to make it affordable - affordable to those for whom 80% of the market rental is affordable.
In suburbs with high land and property values "80% of the market rate" will not help the the down-trodden and out-of-luck - it will allow people in employment and comfortably off to live cheaper than they otherwise would.
The suburban dream becomes a nightmare.
There is ample housing stock available - whether it is affordable, and if not why not, is a different matter.
Having created its own budgetary mess the State Government seems determined to avoid the expenditure necessary to provide public infrastructure in new developments.
Forcing developers to put in all the roads, drainage, power, sewerage and public spaces infrastructure to new developments up front is one of the big drivers of "unaffordable housing".
The State Government has been welching on promises to put new schools into new suburbs & projects.
The next "pea & thimble" trick is to increase the population of the inner & middle suburbs without spending necessary money on schools, water supply, sewerage systems etc.
Kelly Gang Film Article Updated
Thanks to Nilss we have more information - better news indeed - on the world's first feature film, shot right here in Eaglemont.
The original article posted has been updated.
Another Corporate Working Bee - FofEV Volunteers Needed
On Friday October 6th FofEV will be hosting another landcare & planting working bee here in Eaglemont for a company in Kew.
We plan to do a general tidy up before planting out over 200 trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses and groundcovers along Alandale Road.
Volunteers are needed to generally assist and supervise this group.
Please advise John if you are available to assist.
Mentions in Despatches
Honorable mentions:
Martin H for a stint of grass mowing down in the hollow between Sherwood Road and the railway line,
Richard L for several assaults on the mulch heap, spreading the good woodchips on the far side of the swale drain,
Bron, with Stephen & Jen C for weeding the Studley Road nature strip,
Liz D & Holly for planting out wildflowers at Ashby Grove.
Former Aniseed building leased
The "For Sale" sign overlaid with its Sold banner, and the For Lease sign have disappeared off the former Aniseed Cafe building.
Rumour has it that another hospitality business is about to open there.
FofEV is supported by Bendigo Bank Heidelberg Branch
Your silver-platter delivery of the past week's posts:
Member discussion