COUNCILLOR DIVISION NO RECORD IN MINUTES
COUNCILLORS WHO REFUSED TO SUPPORT TRAFFIC STUDY SOUTH OF DONCASTER RD
Councillor Gough, despite the childish interruptions from one particular Councillor, a cheer leader for the administration, and challenges to its relevance while speaking to his motion, was still able to obtain a majority vote determining that the Manningham Infrastructure Services Unit immediately undertake:
1. A new vehicle movement and parking study; and 2. An open space and community amenity study in the area of Doncaster Hill south of Doncaster Road and east of Tram Road. (Precinct 2.)
A division was called by Councillor Gough (pictured left) in relation to the supplementary motion, those Councillors voting for the motion being Councillors Chen, Zafiropoulos, Haynes, Gough and Conlon and those voting against the motion being Councillors McLeish, Kleinert, Galbally and Piccinini.
The division was
not recorded in the minutes of the council meeting held on the 28 of May. Council acknowledged the omission from the minutes of the ordinary meeting held on 28 May 2019 and officially confirmed them at the ordinary meeting held on 23 July 2019. See 1.47. o9 of video below.
This area on the south of Doncaster Road, between Tram Road and Whittens Lane (precinct 2), which has limited access and no parallel cross streets (east/west) due to topography of the area, was expected to provide access to approximately 1,600 high rise apartments along the south side of Doncaster Road plus the increase in high density apartments as per the reformed residential zones, (11 metres and three storeys) that are planned below it.
Frank St no longer a Collector Rd
Coherence have been informed that the current access route to the area at Frank Street from Eildon Street, after leaving the eastern freeway at Elgar Road, will not be permitted by VicRoads. Traffic will now be directed north along Tram Road to U-turn or turn right at Merlin Street where traffic lights are to be installed. This was to minimise congestion on the Doncaster Road, by accessing these main road developments through the residential street network.
The original GTA study of the Doncaster Hill Strategy in 2002, which did not include the Golf Links Estate residential development, the proposed extension to Westfield and the giant Bunnings development which includes the Bunning Store, two apartment towers and an eight storey hotel, had warned council of the need to accept a lower development density if travel behaviour is not changed.
Pedestrian and Cycling Plan Abandoned in 2009 due to safety and legal issues.
Now, 17 years later, car dependency has mushroomed. Measures to encourage a mode shift for users, away from private vehicle and onto alternate transport modes (public transport, walking and cycling) on Doncaster Hill have been a complete failure and waste of money as the 2016 Census has shown.. Hundreds of thousand dollars were spent on the shared Cycling and Pedestrian circuit plan (above), which had been promoted from 2003 to 2009, was cancelled due safety concerns and legal issues.
GTA Traffic Modelling September 2002
10.6.1 Existing Travel Patterns In Future Years (Scenarios A & B)
The extension of the eastern Freeway to Springvale Road in November 1997
significantly reduced traffic volumes along Doncaster Road, and provided an
opportunity to accommodate future growth in and around Doncaster. However, a strategy based largely on car dependency (or existing travel patterns) to service future development is likely to return back to pre-1997 congestion levels on main roads through the study area. However, the performance of these scenarios is unsatisfactory in the critical PM Peak periods and as such demonstrates the need to accept a lower development density if travel behaviour is not changed.
6 Comments
Koonung Ward, where 80% of developments are being proposed, is represented by only three of the nine Manningham Councillors which normally provides a saloon passage for dodgy proposals unless two councillors from other Wards, who might not be wanting to curry favor with planning officers, are willing to vote with the Koonung Councillors. Regrettably the ignorant individual who kept interrupting does not appear to fit into this category.
There is always room for sycophants on the Manningham council. They are tuppence a dozen and get no respect from the council executives. They might get their photos in councill promotions etc as a reward for their “loyalty” but in reality they are there to be exploited.
There are other ways in which to access developments on the south side of Doncaster Road other than by the Boyd/Eildon/Frank St route, from which I understand, can only turn left into Tram Road..
One method would be via the streets off Elgar Road just north of the eastern freeway in Box Hill and enter Tram Road at Woodhouse Street and then a regulation turn right into Frank Street.
Another alternative route could be from East Doncaster by leaving the freeway at Middleborough Road and then a simple left hand turn into the apartment towers in Doncaster Road.
The way they squirmed and wriggled and challenged its relevance and wanted it included later in a traffic movement study on the entire area of the Hill, you can’t help but think that south of Doncaster Road will be a huge problem.
The GTA 2002 traffic modelling document has warned, that if car dependency was not reduced, a lower scale of development would be required if travel behavior is not changed.
This study was based on a much smaller development consisting of 3,500 dwellings not the currently estimated 5,400 in the Doncaster Hill Strategy and not including the redevelopment of the Eastern Golf Course, the two major extensions of Westfield and the giant Bunnings development.
With 67% of Doncaster residents fully employed in areas outside of Manningham council it is unlikely that car dependency can be reduced while such a lack of employment exists within the boundaries of Manningham Council.
If these developments proceed there will be employment opportunities in the retail, commercial and hospitality areas, though a good deal of them will be part time. This won’t alter the fact that the majority of full time workers will still have to travel outside of Manningham to their place of work, one of the many reasons why we are so car dependent.