$280k spent on Overseas Travel report

The Herald Sun has reported that the Melbourne City Council has spent in-excess of $280,000 on overseas junkets.


Melbourne City Council Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, "No more Junkets, has been on more junkets in his current term of office then previous years.

The council going so far as to restructure the payment of reimbursement to avoid listing overseas expenses on the Councillors expense register. Staff overseas and interstate travel no longer lists the department and inbound travel is now anonymous with allegation that  the Council has picked up the tab of others visiting the city in a reciprocal exchange for sponsorship of councillors trips, You scratch my6 back and I will scratch your" thus avoiding disclosure. In some cases the reciprocal trips are sponsored by subsidiary third party organisations that are closely associated or funded by the Council shifting the costs of travel from one account to another.  All councillor expenses are supposed to be reported in the Councillor expense registry but this no longer lists overseas travel which is only reported in the Council's travel register. Creative accounting at best.

Whats worst is the Council is using the tax expense deductions as a means of setting and determining a "per deim allowance".  Many Councillors trips costing rate payers in excess of  $2,000 to $7,000 a day with the Lord Mayor and councillors travelling business class at a premium rate no expenses spared.

Changing Plans: The slight of hand amendments to planning documents adopted by the City of Melbourne

The City of Melbourne stands accused of altering the draft Residential planning zones outside of meeting with one version presented and adopted by council and another published as the final report by Council

The report has altered with at least one additional schedule slipped in to the mix. . 

It is unclear what else if anything has been altered from the report presented and adopted by Council

This raises serious concerns as to the process and administration of planning.  How many other reports have been doctored and changed from that adopted by the Council that we have not been told about. Can we rely on the reports tabled and presented to Council?

Confidence in Council Planning in serious decline

Following on from the City of Melbourne's disastrous haphazard careless approach to the implementation of the State Government new Commercial 1 planning zones in which the City Council failed to fully assess or consider the impact of the new planning zones, the Council has once again ignored ratepayers concerns and opinion in the adoption of new Residential Planning zones.

In the Commercial One Zones (CZ1the City Council failed to address residents' concerns related to protecting residential amenity and the need to stem the tide of loss of residential retail shopping and the proliferation of licensed premises and cafe's in local residential shopping strips. An issue that took the City Council months to acknowledge and even then they still have not adequately addressed.  Incompetence or deliberate deceit on behalf of the city planning department is any ones guess..


The process of implementing the new residential planning zones has been not much better. Unlike the the implementation of the Commercial/Business zones the City Council did embark on a pretense of consultation, but the process has left a sour and bitter taste in minds of the local community groups.

The extent of dismay and frustration can be seen in the response provided by the Melbourne South Yarra residents Group president, Michael Butcher  to Melbourne CEO Dr Kathy Alexander

Micheal Butcher in his letter stated a number of concerns that are shared by numerous resident and community groups throughout Melbourne

The handling of this process has in our view been disgraceful and it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that from the outset  council decided they did not want any change or restrictions upon development and that this process would ensure that outcome. Ratepayers were given only eight days to consider the final and only substantive report with no opportunity to discuss it or to have any input.

The motion to adopt the unfettered recommendation was passed by a resolution of six councillors for: (Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Deputy Lord Mayor Susan Riley, Crs Arron Wood, Kevin Louey. Beverly Pinder-Mortimer and Steven Mayne)  and five against: (Crs Richard Foster, Jackie Watts, Rohan Leppert, Cathy Oake and Ken Ong)

Copies of the audio and minutes of the June 3 meeting can be accessed on the City of Melbourne's web site.

SMIDNSY. The need for a more comprehensive City road strategy plan.

Melbourne's motorcycle safety advocates has been slow in seeking reform and a better safer road environment. One of the best advocates for motorcyclist and Scooter riders is Steve Bardsley. Whilst the City of Melbourne had promised to develop a rad safety strategy plan and consider motorcyclist/scooter riders when considering traffic management it has failed to date to deliver on its undertaking  The City must stop wasting money and resources on Copenhagen style bike lanes and develop a more cost and safety effective alternative design such as the Clarendon Street, East Melbourne solution and utilizing smaller alternative bike paths.  Bicycle lanes in the inner city along major routes should be shared with motorcyclists and scooter riders.

 

C1Zone: CoM confirms our concerns about forced Planning Changes

The Melbourne City Council has responded in part of our concerns in relation to the forced changed to Melbourne's Planning Zones.  The Council no longer has the means and tools to regulate and protect residential amenity in local shopping strips. Effectively making Melbourne's Planning scheme defunct.

Earlier Melbourne's Chair of Planning, Cr Ken Ong, denied that there was an impact.

The decison of VCAT hearing on an application for a Licensed premises/Night Club at 157-159   highlighted the impact of the  recent changes. Under the new C1Z zones Licensed premises no longer require a planning permit for use.


The proliferation of restaurants and licensed premises only serves to undermine the stated aim and objective of the Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS), Clause 21.08, Economic Development states:

There is a need to support the provision of local shops to serve the residential and working communities in local centres. A proliferation of eating and entertainment uses should not undermine the character and range of services offered in these local centres.

An objective is to support the Central City and local retail uses. A related strategy is:

Ensure that a proliferation of eating and entertainment establishments in local centres does not undermine the viability of their convenience retailing.

We would like to draw your attention to item 27 of the VACT determination which states: (Emphasis added)

A significant difficulty in implementing this strategy is the fact that the use of the land for a restaurant is not subject to a planning permit, given the Commercial 1 zoning of the land.
Under the provisions of the previously existing Business 1 zoning, there existed the ability to specify in the Schedule land upon which a restaurant use could not be established without a permit.
The Council had not nominated any land within the municipality in the Schedule.
With the change of zone, the ability to include this requirement has disappeared.  As no permit is required for the use, it is difficult to understand how the strategy relating to the ‘proliferation’ of eating establishments can be implemented in a land use sense. 
The regulatory tools necessary to give effect to the Council’s aspirations for this centre, as expressed in this specific strategy, do not form part of the suite of controls which apply in this case.

Q-Vic Market land grab on the rise

The proposal for the redevelopment of the Queen Victoria Market site released today is more or less the same as before. No alteration.

Whilst the Council claims it is undertaking community consultation the fact is they are pushing ahead with their preferred option, funded by a developer land grab

The proposed hiving off of land and the extension of Franklin Street is huge mistake and short term thinking. They just wasted 3 million dollars destroying La Trobe street now they want to redirect that traffic past the market's southern edge, along Franklin Street and past the City Baths causing a major traffic problem at the intersection of Franklin and Victoria Streets. (The area of Franklin Street, between Swanston Street and Victoria Street, should be closed off and handed over to RMIT to develop as outdoor urban community space.)

The reduction in available land on the southern side of the market is also a lost opportunity.  This site could accommodate low-rise lane shopping development and a stepped roof-top outdoor plaza with coffee shops and community entertainment spaces and an underground car park that would enhance the market precinct and allow for staged development.
 
The development of a high rise tower block on the southern end will loom over the market and limit its potential as a real vibrant community space,

If they need Money for the project than ask the State Government to payback the $50 Million that Jeff Kennett acquired from the Council  for the Federation Square project,  the value of which no longer appears on the council assets register.

Engineering Congestion: La Trobe Street Bike Path Risk to Public Safety

The City of Melbourne has published a post Implementation report on the La Trobe Street "Copenhagen" style bike lane.

The report shows a 25% reduction on vehicular traffic throughput since La Trobe Street has been reduced to a single lane road. Congestion in the city has increased and public safety has declined with the number of bicycle accidents on the rise.   

The independent report on road safety, which normally is undertaken prior to implementation, has highlighted a number of deficiencies in the City Engineering Services and Traffic Management departments

Engineering services failed to undertake a survey of business and residents effected by  La Trobe Street proposal.  This has further undermined confidence in the Councils consultation review process, which Councillors Leppert and Oak claim to have been extensive.  Well it would be of you consider holding a serious of discussion of forums in coffee shops with bicycle users to constitute consultation.  

The planning., design and implementation of Melbourne's Bike paths has been subject to ongoing criticism that the City of Melbourne is Engineering Congestion and had failed to give due and proper consideration to alternatives designs.  Instead of constructing over priced Copenhagen style separated bike lanes the Council should have developed bike lanes that utilized less congested streets that provide a higher degree of cyclist safety

The La Tobe Street bike lane has proved to be complete disaster in planning, design and implementation and is a serious public safety risk for motorists and cyclist alike. Commuters parked along  La Trobe Street are at risk with little room for passengers to alight from vehicles run the risk of collision with cyclists, The disabled, elderly and families the most disadvantaged.

With the reduction of traffic lanes and poorly designed interfaces at intersections cyclist safety is at greater risk. The number of serious accidents involving cyclists has increased since the new bike lane has been installed. up from 36 accidents over a five-year period with 9 recorded in the sevcn months since the bike lane was installed. An increase of 200% up from a ratio of 0.6 to 1.2 accidents a month.
 
Mr Geoff Robinson, Manager of Engineering Services, was unable to say where the reduction in traffic volumes has been displaced. When questioned by Deputy Lord Mayor, Susan Riley, Mr Robinson confessed that his department had not surveyed or consulted residents and businesses in La Trobe Street as part of the review

Earlier last year the City Council rejected a proposal by Crs Richard Foster and Jackie Watts to undertake a comprehensive review of the design and implementation of the Copenhagen Bike lanes, The Lord Mayor Robert Doyle claiming that La Trobe Street was a success despite evidence to the contrary.

Council may have to face facts and either pull out the bike path or remove car parking in La Trobe Street so as to allow for two lanes of traffic.

Melbourne-Saint Petersburg Sister City Relationship saved

Melbourne City Council tonight voted overwhelming to maintain the Melbourne-Saint Petersburg, Russia Sister City Relationship

Councillor Rohan Leppert, who originally championed the cancellation or suspension of the Sister City relationship,  was forced to back down in the face of opposition from not only the Melbourne and Australian Community but also the Russian LGBTI Community.

Councillor Leppert had jumped on the bandwagon of the gay lobby group who called for the City Council to cancel its relations for what they claimed were human rights abuses in Russia. 

Councillor Leppert failed to recognize that the Russian legislation that was the focus of his attention was aimed at banning promotion of gay sex involving children.  "Pedophilia Tourism" is a major concern in Russia, with cashed up Westerners traveling to Russia looking to pay for child sex. that even those in Western democracies would find abhorrent and offensive. The Russian legislation made it illegal to promote such activities. something the Western media failed to mention or down played when they reported on this issue 

Members of the Russian LGBTI community wrote to the City of Melbourne urging them to not cancel the Sister City Relationship as it would not be in their best interest .  It was reported during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic in an interview with a gay club in Sochi that the only harassment they had experienced was from the Western Media seeking interviews.


Better to be inside the tent then outside

Thanks to Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle and other City Councillors, common sense prevailed and the Leppert/Greens motion was thwarted.

Melbourne is the only city in the Southern hemisphere that has a Sister City agreement with Saint Petersburg. This relationship is more valuable to us then it is to Russia.  Had Melbourne sought to suspend the relationship Russia would have cancelled it, and rightfully so,

Discussion with the department of Foreign Affairs and Trade highlighted the inappropriateness for Melbourne to suspend the relationship. Melbourne Sister City relationship is a vehicle to promote cultural and economic exchange It is not there to push Geo-political issues or to lecture St Petersburg what they should and should not do or for us to push our values on another State.

Leppert's sincerity brought into question.

If Rohan Leppert and others were sincere about their concern of alleged Human Rights abuse against the LGBTI community, why single out St Petersburg?  Arizona and Kansas in the United States have more direct discriminatory legislation in place and yet we do not hear Rohan Leppert calling for the suspension or cancellation of Melbourne-Boston Sister City Relationship or the relationship with China as a result of Human Rights abuse in Tibet or Japan for hunting Wales in the antarctic region.

Rohan Leppart has an obligation to represent all of Melbourne and not just his own personal sectional interests.

What was also telling was that Green Councillors Rohan Leppert and Cathy Oak failed to consult or consider the impact of their proposal on the Melbourne Russian speaking community who are very proud of the relationship between the two cities and who want to help foster greater understanding and cultural ties.  Nowhere in Rohan Leppert thinking did he consider their needs or aspirations.

The City of Melbourne is celebrating 25 years since the signing of the Melbourne Sister City Relationship. Instead of helping develop and fostering the relationship Rohan Leppert was quick to discard it and embark on another round of cold war, anti-Russian, Geo-political chest beating, so he can grab a few cheap headlines and pander to what he perceives is he is constituency. Cr Leppert forgets that his obligations, as an elected councillor, is to represent the interests for Melbourne as a whole.

Please do not rain on our Parade and City Pride

Thank god common sense prevailed and Rohan Leppert failed to receive the support he once thought he had. Instead of raining on the parade we can now embrace Melbourne St Petersburg 25 year Sister City relationship and learn from each other without sexual politics interfering.



Facts ignored by Rohan Leppert

Is being gay a crime in Russia?
No. Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1993.
But why are homosexuals being punished?
A law was passed earlier this summer that levies a fine of up to 50,000 rubles (about $1,500 dollars) on any individuals, and  up to 1 million rubles (about $30,000) on any organizations engaged in “propaganda of non-traditional relationships to minors”.

The City of Melbourne Planning Scheme is in tatters. A fire brigade without a hose or a truck

The City of Melbourne has failed its first major test before the Victorian Civil Appeals Tribunal with the advice given to Council by officers proven to be false and the Council left dumfounded and embarrassed by not paying due and proper attention to this issue well before now

Recent Ministerial changes to the State Planing Scheme made by Matthew Guy have resulted in the City of Melbourne no longer able to control development within the city boundaries instead we have a free for all where the market is allowed to rage unchecked and out of control

The decision of VCAT to grant a planning permit for the establishment of a licenced cafe and restaurant at 157-159 Domain Road, South Yarra. - PERMIT APPLICATION NO. TP-2012-388 had demonstrated that the Council Strategic Statement is worthless.
Background

Recent amendments to the Victorian Planning Scheme have resulted in licenced premises (Taverns, Pubs Restaurants and Pokie venues) which fall under the board definition of Retail Premises, no longer requiring a planning permit for use in a Commercial 1 Zone. (CZ1).  The City of Melbourne and a host of other inner city municipalities have been caught out by the changes which have a detrimental impact on inner city residential amenity.

 A commercial business premises now has an "as of right' use to establish a night club. Tavern. Bar or licenced restaurant within a CZ1 zone without a planning permit regulating its use.

The recommendation to remove licened premises from the definition of Retail premises, if adopted and implemented. would subject all licenced premises to a proper planning process and help restore public confidence.


The City of Melbourne needs to consider a Supreme Court challenge of the ruling of the Victorian Administrative Appeals Tribunal (VCAT)

The proposed development in Domian Road undermines the terms and provisions of the Melbourne Planning Scheme

Clause 21.08, “Economic Development”. states: There is a need to support the provision of local shops to serve the residential and working communities in local centres. A proliferation of eating and entertainment uses should not undermine the character and range of services offered in these local centres.

A stated objective under the Melbourne Planning Scheme is to support the Central City and local retail uses. A related strategy is: Ensure that a proliferation of eating and entertainment establishments in local centres does not undermine the viability of their convenience retailing

The South Yarra Domain Road precinct is listed as area of stability with minimal potential for new development, and notes that residential amenity to date has been maintained and the area’s historic character and features have been preserved

The Melbourne Strategic Statement aims to ensure Domain Road shopping area maintains its role for convenience shopping, neighbourhood facilities and as a neighbourhood focus

The City of Melbourne policy framework identifies the Domain Road shopping area as one of the municipality’s local centres. Policy seeks to have this centre maintain its role for convenience shopping and as a neighbourhood focus. Policy also seeks to ensure that a proliferation of eating and entertainment establishments does not undermine the viability of the centre’s convenience retailing

A significant difficulty in implementing this strategy is the fact that the use of the land for a restaurant is no longer subject to a planning permit, given the Commercial 1 zoning of the land. Under the provisions of the previously existing Business 1 zoning, there existed the ability to specify in the Schedule land upon which a restaurant use could not be established without a permit. The Council had not nominated any land within the municipality in the Schedule. With the change of zone, the ability to include this requirement has disappeared.

As no permit is required for the use, it is difficult to understand how the strategy relating to the ‘proliferation’ of eating establishments can be implemented in a land use sense. The regulatory tools necessary to give effect to the Council’s aspirations for this centre, as expressed in this specific strategy, do not form part of the suite of controls which apply in this case.

The granting of the permit pursuant to the revised planning scheme undermines public confidence in the administration and implementation of planning with-in the City of Melbourne

Changes to the Planning Scheme required to wind back the Guy amendments

The City of Melbourne need to as a matter of urgency review the current zoning of the Domain Road, South Yarra precinct with the view of having it rezoned as a “Mixed Use" Zone in which case licenced premises and restaurants and taverns can once again be subject to proper planning controls


- The Melbourne South Yarra Group has invited the Labor Candidate or the State seat of Melbourne Neil Pharaoh to address residents concerns on planning within the City of Melbourne at its Annual General Meetings scheduled for March 2014

Engineering and Planning Disaster for the Domain

The City of Melbourne Engineering Services and Planning continue to demonstrate their incometance.

VCAT had overturned the City Council refusal to grant a planning permit to 157-159 Domain Road

Domain Road retail precinct is supposed to service tegh need of the local residential community yet it is under pressure by developers who which to push out local retail and establish restaurants. night clubs and cafes.   The proposed development on Domain Road, where the former post office and news agent were located, is for three story building with cafe on the ground floor and two restaurants, one on each floor above the cafe, The proposed developed is expected to generate demand for over 160 car parking spots

Engineering Services Manager, Geoff Robinson, recommended that car parking provisions be waived for the development, A proposal that was overturned by the elected council,  There is barley a car park free in the area as it is, let alone the ability to meet demand imposed by the new development.  Surveys undertaken by residents on a Friday night showed their was 7 car parking spots available on Birwood Avenue  some 3-400 meters from the Domain site.

How Engineering Services came up with this recommendation is anyone's guess.  The recommendation by Engineering Services to waive car parking influenced the VCAT determination.

Questions are being asked about the integrity of the City's Engineering Services branch.

Adding to residents s the recent changes to teh Planning Scheme that re-classified the Domain Road precinct from Business one zone to Commercial one Zone.  Under the new Zone a licenced premises does not need a planning permit for its use. 

Geoff Lawler, Director of Planning was oblivious to the impact of the changes until questions were raised by residents.   It has been proven that the changes are having a negative impact as VCAT decision granting a planning was based on the new planning zone changes undermines the objectives of the Melbourne Planning Scheme.

The only saving grace is that the project as it stands is economically not viable.  The owner hoes to attract in excess of $800,000 per year in rent. Something that is highly unlikely to see a return for any investor   There are a number of conditions on the planning permit that impact on its use most notably the above ground restaurants can only sell alcohol between 5PM and 11,30PM

The maximum noise level as measured from the center of the external court and balconies can not be allowed to exceed 3Db nor will the be allowed to serve drinks on the footpath  no restaurant or cafe could remain viable under these conditions let alone command such a high rent.  The owner will without doubt be back seeking a review and remove of these constrictions. But this time they will  not be incumbered with issues of use and planning thanks to the State Governments planning scheme revisions and the failure of the City of Melbourne to object to the reclassification of this precinct to Commercial one zone.