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Council Expenditure, Council Rates, Manningham Council 4 comments

COUNCIL EXEC WAGES ROSE 1O.8% IN TWO YEARS

By Barbara Carlisle on May 5th, 2016

The total wage bill for Manningham CEO and four executives had increased by $119,796, from $1,106,771 at June 2013 to $1,226,567 effective as at the 30th of June 2015. This was equal to an increase on total wages of nearly 11% in the space of two years! A reliable source within Council expects this year’s annual report to reveal a further rise of 4.7% in the current financial year.

Exec Officers Wages 2013
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Exec Officers Wages 2014
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Exec Officers Wages 2015
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Executives have Continue reading COUNCIL EXEC WAGES ROSE 1O.8% IN TWO YEARS →

Apartments, High Density developments, Manningham Council, VicRoads, Walking 8 comments

COUNCIL BANS SHOPPING TROLLEYS AT HIGH RISE

By Barbara Carlisle on April 26th, 2016

“If Manningham council are serious about a behavior change and want to encourage more people to walk on Doncaster Hill, they should provide areas near high rise apartments where shopping trolleys could be stationed and collected after use instead of shoppers having to wheel them all the way back, via unfriendly pedestrian crossings, 300 metres to Westfield shops”.writes Pinnacle resident Judith C.

Pinnacle Apts
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Manningham Council want residents to return shopping trolleys to stores instead of leaving them in the street outside apartment buildings. The number of complaints about trolley dumping has risen to such an extent that Council have now been forced to impose penalties.

“The Pinnacle apartment building might only be sixty metres from Westfield Shopping Centre but the nearest access is around 300 metres away in Williamsons Road, hardly close proximity when your pushing a fully laden shopping trolley up the slope in Doncaster Road”.

Continue reading COUNCIL BANS SHOPPING TROLLEYS AT HIGH RISE →

Apartments, High Density developments, Manningham Council, Vic State Government 10 comments

LOWER RISE APARTMENT HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE

By Doris Tran on April 11th, 2016

“In any urban area, no matter how dense, keep the majority of buildings to four storeys or less. It is possible that certain buildings should exceed this limit, but they should never be buildings for human habitation. High rise living takes people away from the ground and away from the casual, everyday society that occurs on the sidewalks and streets and on the grounds and porches. It leaves them alone in their apartments. The decision to go out for some public life becomes formal and awkward; and unless there is some specific task which brings people out in the world, the tendency is to stay home, alone”. Pattern Language Christopher Alexander world renowned architect.

Daniel Ilic Place Manager
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Pinnacle Apartments
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The government’s policy to have high rise apartment towers cater for Melbourne’s rapid population growth had not considered the impact of crime and domestic violence associated with the cramped vertical living. The Building Manager of the 160 apartment Pinnacle on Doncaster Hill, Daniel Ilic, says; “Problems are fewer in high rise towers when place management is established but they still remain high compared to low rise buildings. We have closed circuit television monitors Continue reading LOWER RISE APARTMENT HIGHER QUALITY OF LIFE →

High Density DD08 Zoning, Manningham Council, VCAT, Vic State Government 19 comments

VCAT COULD DETERMINE FUTURE OF TWO STOREY

By Barbara Carlisle on April 5th, 2016

The Council decision NOT to issue permit for 51 Beverley Street could be overturned at VCAT and spell the end of two storey development anywhere in the growth zones. While the proponent may agree to a plan revision to remove the roof feature and make the building less bulky etc., the developer is unlikely to agree to reduce the building to two storey because the 10 metre height, according to a previous Vcat decision, “can readily accommodate a three storey building” and “there is nothing in the schedule that effectively prohibits a building higher than two storeys”.

3 Storey 97 Whittens Ln height 8.84 metres
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Lance Keegan wrote; “If we are to establish some certainty in the building schedule and save all these VCAT appeals, which have cost the community a small fortune, we need to prescribe a realistic height for two storeys otherwise developers will continue to exploit the 10 metre height limit. I would not want a 10 metre high building next door to me if less than 8 metres is required for a two storey building”

“Boroondara Council specify a height of 8 metres for two storeys in their centres which they say is adequate for all contingencies. The 10 metre heiight looks more out of whack when you consider that both Boroondara and Manningham councils specify a 11 metre height for three storeys. No developer is going to waste money building a two storey contemporary building up to 10 metres if it could be achieved within 6.5 metres unless you allow them an extra storey” Bayside Council mandate storeys and heights next page Continue reading VCAT COULD DETERMINE FUTURE OF TWO STOREY →

High Density DD08 Zoning, Manningham Council, Town House Style Development 14 comments

THREE STOREY BUILDING OKAY FOR BEVERLEY ST ?

By Barbara Carlisle on March 22nd, 2016

Councillors are expected to endorse council officers recommendation NOT to approve the three storey contemporary building at 51-53 Beverley Street, East Doncaster at next Tuesday’s council meeting on the 29th of March. NOT because of it’s failure to meet the Objectives and Standards of Precinct 2 Sub-Precinct A of Clause 21.05 (Residential) of the Manningham Planning Scheme or that it exceeds the two storey built form, the desired building form sought by Sub-Precinct A where the minimum lot size cannot be met (1,800 sqm), but because officers want only minor changes to plan, known to be acceptable to the applicant and later negotiated in private without scrutiny.

Planning Application PL15 025029 for 51-53 Beverley Street Doncaster East – Report

Planning Application PL15 025029 for 51-53 Beverley Street Doncaster East – Plans

This what you might call a CLAYTON”S, the refusal you give when your not wanting to refuse. Chances are Continue reading THREE STOREY BUILDING OKAY FOR BEVERLEY ST ? →

Climate Change, Public Health, Public Safety, Water Quality 10 comments

BOTTLED WATER SALES A TRIUMPH OVER REASON

By Barbara Carlisle on March 15th, 2016

They were marketing bottled water so they had to be very clever to the extent that it has now become a fashion accessory as much a beverage which is why Australians are spending over $500 million every year for a product they can buy a 1000 times cheaper from the cleanest water supplies in the world.

Bottles Finish in Ocean
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Waterways clogged
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Plastic Bottles Bundled
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When Australia was introduced to bottled water in the late 1980s, we all thought it was a joke. Us Aussies

Continue reading BOTTLED WATER SALES A TRIUMPH OVER REASON →

Apartments, High Density developments, Manningham Council, Pedestrians, Public Safety 4 comments

CRANE JIBS OVERHANGING ADJACENT PROPERTIES

By Barbara Carlisle on March 8th, 2016

The basic principle of law is that a landowner owns rights that stretch from the centre of the planet to the airspace above the land. Legislation has given aircraft the rights to pass above the land without causing any trespass, but the basic principle holds good nearer the ground. This means that the jib of a tower crane swinging across land owned by an adjoining landowner is trespassing.

Load over D’caster house
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Hornsby Crane collapse
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Melbourne Crane on fire
before collapsing
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The use of tower and gantry cranes are now commonplace on building sites able to provide lifting capacity while occupying a minimal footprint on the land. An inevitable consequence of the use of cranes sites is that the jib of the crane will oversail adjacent sites. Even if the Continue reading CRANE JIBS OVERHANGING ADJACENT PROPERTIES →

Apartments, High Density developments, Manningham Council 7 comments

JACKSON CT MIXED USE PROJECT LISTED FOR SALE

By Barbara Carlisle on March 1st, 2016

The Jackson Court Activity Centre looks likely to be revitalised with the construction of a supermarket if a buyer can be found who will pay an estimated $12 to $15 million dollars. However, it may not happen any time soon if the property is sold because the permit expiry conditions are written in such a way they could allow a new owner to delay commencement of construction indefinitely.

Leader Article April 2015
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“I am extremely disappointed to hear that the property is on the market when the owner himself worked so hard to garner support with the petitions he organised and now he wants to flog it off to who Continue reading JACKSON CT MIXED USE PROJECT LISTED FOR SALE →

High Density developments, Manningham Council, Traffic & Parking, Vic State Government, VicRoads 8 comments

EXPERTS DIFFER ON ARTERIAL TRAFFIC VOLUMES

By Doris Tran on February 21st, 2016

The table below left, from a study first conducted in 2001, showed existing traffic volumes along Doncaster Road plus forecast volumes in future years leading up to 2021. Earlier, in November 2000, Manningham Council had released a high-rise strategy plan called Doncaster Hill Strategy 2021

2001 Estimates Doncaster Rd at JJ Tully Drive
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Tram Rd Traffic 2015
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Doncaster Rd 2015.
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Doncaster Rd 2015
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The study forecast Continue reading EXPERTS DIFFER ON ARTERIAL TRAFFIC VOLUMES →

Child Welfare, Manningham Council, Pedestrians, Traffic & Parking, Vic State Government, VicRoads, Walking 6 comments

DONCASTER HILL NOT FRIENDLY TO PEDESTRIANS

By Doris Tran on February 14th, 2016

Doncaster Hill resident John Stanford wrote; “Pedestrians who reside west of Tram Road and wish to travel by Bus to Box Hill and beyond must either risk crossing Tram road to a bus stop opposite or take the safe option and walk up to the Doncaster Road crossing and back to a bus stop on the east side which could be some distance depending on how far south of Doncaster Road the commuter lives”.

Ideal crossing location with Bus stops opposite Click to enlarge

Bus Stops located opposite ideal for pedestrian crossing
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Child Supervision Vital
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Tram Road, a four lane divided arterial road which bisects the Doncaster Hill Activity Centre, presents a hostile environment to walkers because it has no pedestrian crossings to enable safe access points to local zones for local retail and commercial facilities as well as bus stops. Despite all the material published by the Manningham Continue reading DONCASTER HILL NOT FRIENDLY TO PEDESTRIANS →

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