The City Council's failure to plan for Melbourne

It is often said that the City Council should be given back its planning powers? But should it?  The Council should not be judge jury and legislator.

The Council should be the administrator and have planning authority to determine the strategic plans for a city but it should not the the decider or interpreter of the planning scheme.  May councils do not have the skill or professionalism to determine what is good and what is bad.  Any limitation and restrictions should be spelt out in the planning scheme. A scheme which the City Council should have limited control over.

The Council should be an advocate on a planning decision but not the judge. To this extent the idea of decisions being made by professional planning authorities is a good one.  But the authority MUST consider and interpret the planning scheme in force correctly.  It the scheme is failing to address issues of broad community concern then it should be amended and the deciding body must reflect on those controls.

All too often we see the City Council itself ignore their won rules and guidelines like the time when Steven Mayne, Deputy Chair for the Planning portfolio ties to circumvent and ignore height limits that have been in force in the city for decades.  Planning on the run at a whim must be avoided at all costs

More often than not we also see the City Council pt up a pretense to fight an application when in fact they do not oppose it but do so for a variety of reasons one being community political pressure.

Ron Adams and Geoff Lawler are classic examples of administrators that ignore the planning scheme when it suits them.  The City Council has failed to incorporate policies designed it protect Melbourne Victorian Verandahs with Rob Adams actively seeking to allow balconies projecting over the foot path destroying the historic street scrapes.  his is an area where the City Council has absolute control as the building projects over public space,

Concerned at the loss of heritage and the impact it has on the Victorian Street Scape the City of Melbourne commissioned, be it reluctantly a document on Lygon Street verandahs. A policy that has been forgotten and not included in the latest planning review.

Anther example of slight of hand is the failure of the City Council, Geoff Lawler in particular to act to protect the amenity in Domain Rd. South Yarra.  The changes in State planning  that have been forced on the City Council means that the Domain Road precinct has now been classified as a Commercial One Zone (C1Z)  "Upgraded: from a Business one zone (B1Z).  The new C1Z planning zones come with an as of right use for licensed premises where the former planning

The Domain Rd precinct was designed to facilitate the needs to the adjoining residential precinct.but over the years the amenity of this precinct has been allowed to deteriorate, with the Council doing noting to protect its use and development.   Under the old planning scheme licensed premises needed a planning permit.  Under the new C1Z scheme retail premises no longer need a planning permit ad has a as of right use.  Licensed premises falls under the definition of retail premises and such such they too do not need a planning permit.  Night clubs tavern and the like where restricted before the amendment now they can be established without the need to even apply for a planning permit

Clem Newton Brown has been called on to act and to have licensed premises removed from the definition of retail premises. Something that Clem has failed to act on,  His inability to represent the local residents is an issue that is of considerable concern and one that has not gone unnoticed.  Residents in South Yarra have indicated they will campaign against him should he not address this issue

But it is not just Clem's issue, The City of Melbourne also has responsibility for this issue and they have done nothing. Geoff :Lawler was oblivious of the changes which effect not only South Yarra but North Melbourne, Carlton, East Melbourne and a host of other prec9incts that now fall under the provision of the new planning zones.


The City Council has placed in the too hard basket planning South of the Yarra, .South Bank has no provision for servicing residential amenity and South Yarra is in decline. It is just not of any interest to the City Planners who are looking to be engaged in newer more challenging developments such as Docklands and the Fisherman's bend precincts.  South Yarra dd not even get a mention in the City Council's five year plan and budget.

I would not hold my breath thinking that the ALP will address these issues either.  They have been  absent form the community debate for decades and have done nothing.  

Underutilised, Poor Urban Design and Planning South of the Yarra

The Age has published two articles by Jason Dowling and Clay Lucas that highlight problems with City of Melbourne planning and urban design.  Issues that the the City has failed to tackle.

Ask any resident in South bank or South Yarra and they will tell you that the lack of basic amenity and infrastructure is the main drawback of inner city living south of the Yarra 

There is no central focus for daily shopping in South Bank   The City Council has allowed the Domain Road precinct to deteriorate to the point where it no longer fulfills its intended use. 

Most notably is the lack of quality delicatessens or small supermarkets.   There are numerous seven elevens and a few small convenience stores that provide milk and basics.  Residents of South Bank and South Yarra are forced to either travel to South Melbourne or Prahran to buy daily produce South Bank lacks a residential amenity commercial precinct or square.  What business there are cater for the office workers not residents. This lack of amenity and planning has an impost and cost on inner city living.

The decline in Domain Road and other inner city residential commercial precincts are expected to further deteriorate as a result of inactivity and failure to act in behalf of the City Council. The changes to planning schemes introduced by the Minister in July 2013 will only exacerbate the decline further .  The shift from Business 1 zones to Commercial 1 zones will remove controls over planning and development designed to inner city residential development.

It comes as no surprise that the article in the Age reports that up to 8% of houses surveyed are empty.

The CIty Council has wiped its hands freom responsibility to plan or develop South of the Yarra.  the recent budget and 4 year plan has no projects or expenditure spent on South of the Yarra.  The Council Urban design team and planners have abandond this poart of teh city for the new precincts and new projects. Projects such as Docklands and Gishermans Bend that are also doomed to fail in the same way as South bank has.  As long as property hold and increase their value the Council will ontinue ti hide in the shadow of inactivity and complacently and Inner City remain captive to the car as a node of transport.  Eff9rts by the City Council to lock down the city by exempting developers from car p0arking requirements without a fee will not help.   Money collected from a car0-parking levy could and should be used to encourage more development of amenity and supporting residential use.

Rob Adams and Geoff Lawler and the City Urban Design and Planning departments turning a blind eye and ignoring the problems will not make it any better.  Part of the problem is the organisational disconnect between the two departments.

In Honour of Professor Miles Lewis

The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) today awarded Professor Miles Lewis Honorary Life Membership.  Michael Peck's citation in nominating Mile's for what is the highest award and recognition stated.  An honour long overdue and well deserved.

Honorary Membership Professor Miles Lewis AM

Miles Lewis has had a profound influence on the development of the National Trust in Victoria. He has been involved since his early years, when his father Professor Brian Lewis was the first Chairman of the National Trust in Victoria in 1957, and President in the early 1960s.

At that time Brian was also the founding Professor of architecture at Melbourne University. Miles’ mother Hilary, an architect, was working in the faculty and Miles and his sister, Claire, were studying architecture.

From this strong and influential architectural background Miles proceeded to provide five decades of service to the Trust in Victoria and to the Heritage movement both here in Australia and overseas.

Throughout that time he has made an unbroken contribution to the Trust’s work by volunteering his time and services to Board and to committee work. He has applied his profound architectural knowledge to the editing and writing of Trust publications, to report writing and expert witness appearances at Planning Panels, VCAT and the Heritage Council. 

At various times Professor Lewis has been:

• a member of Trust Council, member of the Executive,
• founding Chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee,
• founding Chairman of the Maldon Committee,
• Chairman of the Churches Committee, and
• member of a number of other expert and advisory groups, most notably the Buildings Committee.

Miles is the foremost architectural historian in Australia; he is Professor in the Faculty of Architecture, Building & Planning at the University of Melbourne. His outstanding intellect provided rigour and academic discipline to the Trust’s classification work, and he has provided thousands of hours of expert advice on the acquisition and conservation of Trust properties.

Miles is editor and principal author of Architectura: Elements of Architectural Style published in London and New York in 2008; he is also author of key heritage and planning texts including

• Victorian Primitive,
• The Essential Maldon,
• Two Hundred Years of Concrete in Australia,
• Victorian Churches, (which he edited on behalf of the Trust)
• Melbourne: the City's History, and
• Suburban Backlash.

Additionally Miles has published numerous academic articles and papers on architectural and building history, urban conservation, urban renewal and housing policy, as well as the invaluable Australian Architectural Index now available online.

Either alone or with others Miles has written for the National Trust the following:

• Exterior Paint Colours: a guide to exterior colours for buildings of the Victorian period
• The Collins Street Report (1978);
• The National Trust Research Manual (2004);
• ‘Philosophy of Restoration’, in Heritage and Conservation: the Challenges in the Pacific Basin published by the Australian Council of National Trusts in 1990.

In 1968 Miles was inaugural Chair of the Trust’s Maldon Committee. Its task was to influence the Town and Country Planning Board in preservation of the town. 

The Trust’s subsequent report Proposal for the Conservation of Maldon led to an Interim Development Order in 1970 to prevent adverse development and to the classification of Maldon as the first Notable Town. 

Miles was a founding member in 1976 of the Australian National Committee of International Council on Monuments and Sites, and subsequently its Chairman, and Miles substantially contributed to the writing of the Australian ICOMOS Burra Charter.

More broadly we can say of Miles that he was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and Melbourne University; won a University of Melbourne Special Award 1966-1969; and was appointed full-time at Melbourne University from 1970. 

Miles was joint recipient of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Robin Boyd Environment Award in 1973, won the Walter Burley Griffin Award in 1982; Royal Australian Planning Institute [Victoria] Award for Excellence in 1994; Royal Australian Planning Institute [National] Occasional Special Award in 1995; he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2002; was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2003 for service to Australian society and the humanities, and made Honorary Life Member of the Comité International d'Architecture Vernaculaire in 2005.

The Citation for his Member of Australia Order reads as follows:

For service to architectural history, heritage protection and urban planning, particularly through policy development and professional organisations.

In the same spirit as that citation, that I am delighted to support the Board recommendation that Prof. Miles Lewis be made an Honorary Member of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).

Carried by acclamation. 

Engineering Congestion: Public Confidence in the slow lane

Public Confidence in the City of Melbourne Traffic Engineering is at an all time low.

Councillor Oake who chairs the Transport portfolio has placed the needs and interests of cyclist ahead of the needs of the City as a whole.

Melbourne City Council's latest proposal in its war against cars is to reduce the inner city speed limit to 30Km per hour but refuses to apply a 10KM speed limit on cyclists.

A proposal put forward by the City Council bicycle forum chaired by Greens; Councillor Cathy Oake has proposed  further measure to cause congestion within the City of Melbourne.Councillor.

Whilst the City Council claim they have consulted widely the fact is most of the consultation was meeting with select interest groups with the Council officers meetings with Cyclists and the Cyclist lobby groups in coffee shop style meetings.

Council refused to publish Public Submissions unless $25 FOI application fee paid

The City Council has refused to make public copies of submissions relied on in the formation of the City Council's transport strategy plan. Only executive summary is available. Requests to make copies of all submissions freely available were rejected by the Lord Mayor with Council staff stating that in order to obtain copies of submissions members of the public would have to make an FOI application. 

Public review of Bicycle Lanes rejected

In August this year the City Council rjected a proposal put forward by Crs Foster and Watts to undertake a review of the City Councils' bicycle network including the La Trobe Street Copenhargen style Bicycle lane  the City Council claiming that the La Trobe Street lane was a success and that they needed to push ahead and continue implementing the City's transport strategy. The City Council voted agsainst the motion for a review, gagging public debate.

Motorcyclist complain on Safety issues.

In June this year the City Council was forced to defer the adoption of the City Council's Pedestrian, Cyclist and Motorcyclist Road Safety Plan when Motorcyclist complained that that they were not consulated

The City Council engineers met with representqaives of the Motorcyclist community who are vulnerable road users and in doing so gavce a number of undertaking to consider fuirther the needs of motorcyclist in the City Council's transport plan. The Council undrtook to develope a Motorcycle Strategy plan  and include motorcyclists needs in the formation and review of future planning reviews.

The Council has yet to deliver on its promises. 

Last month's Council meeting failed to list Motorcyclist in the Council's review of the Princes Bridge Lane trial review.

Motorcyclist want the City Council to provide  and facilitate lane filtration, where motor cyclists can move to the front of the queue at intersections as is current afforded to cyclist.  They also want consideration to be given to the sharing of bicycle lanes where possible. Every time the City Council installs a bicycle lane motorcycle safety is ignored and placed at risk

Selective Consultation

The City Council failed to consult with Emergency service providers such as Ambulance Victoria., or the Metropolitan Firebridge in its Transport Safety plan.

Disabled groups were also not consulted along with a host of other road users and stakeholders.  The City Engineers have ignored concerns expressed by the RACV and other community groups

METRO councils are under fire for spending more than $100 million a year on generous salaries for a small army of senior bureaucrats.

Source:HeraldSun

Melbourne City Council is the top employer with more than 130 senior officers earning at least $130,000 a year, including 18 executives getting $200,000-plus.

The council copped flak earlier this year when it increased CBD on-street parking fees by nearly 40 per cent and introduced a $5 fare for its tourist shuttle bus.

A Herald Sun analysis of 19 metro councils, which have released their annual reports, reveals they have more than 500 staff classed as senior officers earning $130,000-plus salaries.

The revelation comes just weeks after a major State Government survey found that more than 90 per cent of Victorians believed their councils could improve, with low scores given for management of roads, population growth and planning policy.

In 2012-13, the City of Melbourne spent $21.3 million on senior officer salaries, with CEO Kathy Alexander the state's highest-paid municipal executive on a package of about $440,000.
Ratepayers Victoria president Jack Davis said that too much of councils' rates revenue went into administration.

"We have far too many people employed by councils but not many workers," he said.

"There are too many officers whose big salaries can't be justified."

Dr Alexander said that Melbourne was a major council with a budget of $450 million and more than 1200 staff, including senior roles like divisional directors, branch managers and senior project staff.

"The national and international accolades the City of Melbourne has this year received in areas such as city safety, sustainability and climate change adaptation are an indication of the leadership, significant professional and technical expertise and experience of our staff," she said.

Dr Alexander said the number of senior officers had increased by 19 since last year but this was existing staff who had moved into a higher pay scale after an EBA wage rise.

"The figures quoted in the annual report relate to a total employment package that includes salary, superannuation, vehicles and leave loading," she said.

Among other councils, outer south-eastern Casey had 31 officers earning $130,000-plus, including five getting more than $200,000.

Boroondara had 27 staff in the senior officer category, with four people getting at least $200,000, while Port Phillip, Greater Dandenong and Knox had 25 staff on the senior salary package.
Of the councils surveyed, Nillumbik had the least senior officers, with six, including two on $200,000-plus packages.

Council Domain: Non-existent planning leaves South Yarra high and dry

the City of Mlebourhe has still failed to address residents South of the Yarra concerns over planning.

Changes to Melbourne's Planning Scheme was sidelined by Coucnil Staff who were caught out sleeping on the job.  

Previously licenced premises such as a tavern along Domain Road required a planning permit now they are an as of right use.

Domain Road should not be in a C1Z (Commerial 1 Planning Zone)

State member Clem Newton-Brown is yet to address this issue. 

When the zoning changes were gazetted late July Domain Road "strip shopping precinct" should have been moved into a Mixed Use zone but regretfully has been "upgraded" to the new Commercial 1 zones

Information  published on the Council's web site states:

About the changes

On 15 July 2013 the Minister for Planning introduced new commercial zones and modified industrial zones into all planning schemes in Victoria.

Replacement of the Business Zones with new Commercial Zones

The five business zones were consolidated into two new commercial zones:

• the Commercial 1 Zone replaced the Business 1, Business 2 and Business 5 Zones
• the Commercial 2 Zone replaced the Business 3 and Business 4 Zones.

Generally the new commercial zones broaden the range of activities that are allowed, without the need for a planning permit and remove existing floor area restrictions.
The Commercial 1 Zone (PDF, 135kb): 

• Allows tavern, hotel, and gaming premises without a planning permit, unless in a strip shopping centre where gaming premises are prohibited (a permit for a liquor license will however still be required).
• Removes permit requirements for all retail uses (except for adult bookshop)
• Removes permit requirements for all accommodation uses (other than a corrective institution, which is prohibited) subject to satisfying a 2 metre frontage condition
• Exempts buildings and works from notice and appeal rights, unless the land is within 30 metres of a residential zone, a hospital or an education centre.

Melbourne City Council's Show Trial increments up a notch

The Melbourne City Council voted to make the Princes Bridge Bike lane a permanent feature following a report of false and misleading statements by City Engineer Geoff Robertson.

Mr Robinson in his report claimed that waiting times for traffic to cross Princes Bridge had increased by only 45 second and that there were no reports of Cyclist accidents due to car dooring.A fact that is not surprising given that cars do not park on Princes Bridge and are not expected to open their doors into mid coming bicycle traffic.

The City Council undertook a select serious of   time testing on Tuesday through to Thursday to determine the impact of the Bike Lane on City Traffic during the morning and afternoon peak periods.  They left off Monday, Friday's and weekend statistics as they would have distorted statistics included in the Council report. Friday being the heaviest traffic day of the week.

Missing from the report was information on traffic volumes before and after the lane closure. 

There number of cars exciting into Flinders Street per traffic light cycle had decreased from 22 down to 17 engineering congestion of 20%.  Whilst the movement of traffic across the bridge may be 45 second to one minute longer this does not include the time spent stuck in quest that are extending back to Dorcus Street during the peak traffic period.

The report also failed to make mention of the other peak traffic periods along St Kilda Road most notably the lunch time period from 12Noon to 2PM and the late night evening peaks on Friday and Saturday Nights. Where traffic crossing Princes Bridge comes to a crawl taking in excess of 10 minutes travel time. What the City Engineers failed to list is that there are no bikes using the Princes Bridge Bike lane at this time.  Congestion without bikes.

Safety issues left out

Geoff Robinson's report failed to list or mention safety concerns about the design of the bike lane at the South-Eastern corner of Flinders Street Station  where traffic de-merges from the single lane into two lanes.  With cyclists failing to dismount  whilst using the adjacent pedestrian crossing and the limited space for cyclists to travel.

This site is an accident waiting to happen.

Council's war on horses

Geoff Robinson in his presentation attacked Melbourne's  award winning Horse and Carriage operators complaining that the horse and carriages were using the bike lane instead of traveling in the single lane set aside for vehicular traffic. Geoff Robinson wants Victoria Police to monitor and fine the horse and carriages for travelling in the bike lane

If the horse and carriages traveled in the main traffic lanes we can expect more congestion and further waiting time delays.  The Horse and Carriages operate from 2PM until midnight most days and in the evening the bike lanes are empty.

On occasions when the horse and carriages stuck to the main traffic lanes frustrated drivers drove into the bike lane to pass the carriages on their left. A situation which would be much more dangerous then allowing the horse and carriages to use the less congested bike lanes.

Motorcyclists and Scooter riders

Earlier in response to Motorcyclist and Scooter riders safety concerns, the City Council gave an undertaking to list and include the impact of motorcyclist  in Councils reports.  Geoff Robinson has reneged on this undertaking and there was not mention or impact of motorcyclists in the published report. Motorcyclists, who are vulnerable road users, also want to be able to use the bike lane to safety pass traffic and consistently have complained that the City of Melbourne has ignored their concerns.

Haig Pulson, Senior City Engineer, previously indicated that the width of the Princes Bride traffic lane would be increased to 4.1 metres allowing room motorcyclists to filter though traffic.  Contrary to the undertaking given the width of the traffic lane has been pegged back to just 3.45 metres which does not allow sufficient room for motorcyclists to safely pass.

 Push for the Southern side to be reduced to a single lane

The City Council is now embarked on a campaign to further engineer congestion  and close down a lane of traffic on the Southern bound side of the bridge so as to be able to remove speeding cyclist from sharing the foot path.  

A lane closure on the Southern bound side of Princes Bridge would be much harder to implement and is opposed by the State Government Vic Roads.  Most of the traffic in Flinders Street turns left into Swanston Street to travel South., To reduce the number of lanes from two to one would  have a rippling effect causing major congestion and gridlock though-out the city.  Before Council can contemplate traffic lane closures they would have to reduce the number of cars traveling along Flinders Street turning left into Swanston Street.  

Alternative Options

The best solution would be to close St Kilda Road/Princes Bridge/Swanston Street to non essential traffic allowing Taxis, Motorbikes, Buses and trams only but there is no viable alternative for cars wishing to travel from the Southern side of the City into and from the City Centre currently in place.

One option that has not been considered by the Council's Traffic management has been the use of Bateman Avenue near the Tennis Centre  that links up to Exhibition Street. Bateman Avenue is underutilized and and only serves as a exit point for cars wishing to use the toll way to access the Monash Freeway.  It's inbound South North traffic is minimal.

The Council, in consultation with Vic Roads and Trans Urban -City Link who manage the Bateman Ave toll way, should be looking at upgrading the Swan Street Bridge or building a new bridge that crosses the Yarra river allowing traffic to link up with Linithgow Avenue on the Southern side of the river.  Providing an alternative traffic connection would address all concerns and allow for the restricted closure of Swanston Street Princess Bridge connection.

Green's Council Cathy Oake, who chairs the Council Transport Portfolio, indicated last night that the Council had not yet considered this option even though it has been talked about for decades.

Councillors off to China on a junket

Melbourne City Councilors Ken Ong (Liberal) and Richard Foster (ALP) are both off to China in ongoing rounds of overseas Junkets, although Richard Foster, who was elected with the support of RESIDENTS FIRST:STOP THE RATES RIP-OFF!, claims the China Trip is not a Junket.Foster's name was kept secrete from teh original report which listed Cr Ong plus one other City Council. It is unkown if the other was a draw from the hat but the City of Melbourne needed to bring Richard Foster under the spell and umbrella of junkets and overseas in-house trips rewards system.


Lord Mayor Robert Doyle who  recently traveled to London on a $10,000 junket to discuss Policing in Capital Cities (Unlike London Melbourne has no role in policing which is the responsibility of State Government) is off to New York later this month on what is widely seen as another junket and breach of the Lord Mayor's previous electon undertaking to not go on a junket.


Free from this obligation, Robert Doyle claims that the No junkets policy was made in the previous election and does not apply to his election in 2012, Robert Doyle's of the view that he has earned the right to travel around the world at Councils expense.

Melbourne City Council weighs up value of Lord Mayor Robert Doyle's planned US trip

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has been invited to a summit in New York. Source: News Limited

 

Source: Herald Sun

  LORD Mayor Robert Doyle is set to jet off overseas on a ratepayer-funded trip to New York next month.

Melbourne City Council will meet next Tuesday to decide whether or not to give the Lord Mayor the green light for the trip to the United States.

Cr Doyle will be handed a kitty of $3500 for the one-week jaunt if it is given the go-ahead.

The cash will go towards accommodation and expenses, according to council agenda notes.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has invited Cr Doyle to a summit on how to make cities more livable, sustainable and healthy.

Costs for the trip will be met from the existing 2013-2014 annual plan and budget allocation, the notes state.

Cr Doyle famously announced "no junkets'' as his election platform in 2008, which he later clarified to mean he was opposed to trips that showed no benefit to the public.

He did not make the same commitment last year when he was re-elected in a landslide.

The agenda notes state: "This is an unprecedented invitation for the City of Melbourne.

"The Lord Mayor will be in a pivotal position to showcase the city's achievements."
Last month Cr Doyle rubbed shoulders with Boris Johnson when the London Mayor visited Melbourne.

In 2009 Cr Doyle stayed in a $1200-a-night hotel suite while in Copenhagen for global climate talks.

On that occasion city ratepayers paid more than $50,000 for the trip and a stop-off in London.

david.hurley@news.com.au

Developer's hidden link to Cr Doyle

Source The Age: Melissa Fyfe and Royce Millar February 14, 2013
EXCLUSIVE
LORD mayor Robert Doyle received tens of thousands of dollars from donors connected to a property developer with big plans for Melbourne's skyline, yet the official donation list obscures the businessman's links to raising money for Cr Doyle's re-election campaign.

• All not as it seems on lord mayor's donor list
• Doyle vows to abstain on matters linked to developer Xu

A Fairfax Media investigation of Team Doyle's campaign funding has thrown doubt on a number of donors and revealed apparent breaches of the Local Government Act, with the official donation list containing misleading information, wrong names, wrong addresses and the non-disclosure of the members of a trust.
One of Victoria's most experienced local government lawyers, Terry Bramham, described the Team Doyle official list, or return, as ''curious''.
''You have a number of individuals from far-flung places with no clear connection to the City of Melbourne making substantial donations,'' said Mr Bramham, of Macquarie Lawyers. ''Why would they be doing that?''
Mr Bramham said the questions raised by Fairfax Media were sufficient to justify an official investigation into city council campaign funding last year.
The most notable transparency problem is the connection between Chinese-born Jeff Xu - a developer and entrepreneur who has pushed for the fast-tracking of high-density development in Melbourne - and donors named Yif Yufu and Amy Meng Li.
Neither Mr Xu nor the companies he is publicly associated with are listed on the official return. The five Team Doyle councillors would therefore be unlikely to declare a conflict of interest when voting on applications from his many city business interests.
But Fairfax Media has found that although Yif Yufu appears to be a person, the actual donor of $15,000 to Cr Doyle was Australian Yifu Investment Development Pty Ltd, which Mr Xu part-owns through his company J. Xu Nominees.
Amy Meng Li, who lives in Maribyrnong and confirmed to Fairfax Media that she has no other business interests in the city, gave $8000 to Cr Doyle. She is an accountant for Dahu Nominees, of which Mr Xu is sole director and only shareholder. Ms Li said her donation to Cr Doyle was an individual decision, not on behalf of Dahu. She refused to comment further.
Last year Fairfax Media revealed a property developer's claims that Cr Doyle's No.1 council candidate, Kevin Louey, had asked developers for tens of thousands of dollars in donations in return for access to Town Hall. In the wake of these articles, Mr Xu denied being asked to donate to the Doyle campaign or having promised financial support. The cash-for-access claims are being investigated by the Local Government Investigations and Compliance Inspectorate.
Mr Xu on Wednesday refused to comment when asked if he had donated to city council candidates.
The Fairfax Media investigation also found:
■Thousands of dollars were donated by people living in modest flats in Clayton South, Chadstone, Box Hill and Maribyrnong with no obvious link to the City of Melbourne.
■Donations to Team Doyle from the property industry were more than half - $200,000 - of Cr Doyle's $380,000 declared re-election war chest.
■Despite legal requirements to name the trustees of any donating trust, Team Doyle failed to name the trustees of the Sydney-based Heng Xing Family Trust, which donated $20,000. Council candidates who received this money could be penalised as much as $40,000.
■Team Doyle member Kevin Louey's return listed the Guangdong Association of Australia as donating $1000. But the Guangdong Association of Australia Inc has confirmed it did not donate. The Guangdong Overseas Friendship Association of Australia's secretary, Tony (Yuan Hui) Du, said a member, a woman friendly with Mr Louey, had wanted to hide her donation from her husband. ''She asked if she could use the name of the association,'' said Mr Du.
■Donor David Ting, who gave $2500 to Team Doyle, does not live at the Box Hill address provided on the return.
■Accountant Jian (Ken) Huang and his wife, Samantha To, are listed as contributing $5000. But Mr Huang said he believed their donation was actually $10,000.
Mr Xu is building a Sheraton hotel in Little Collins Street and the Emerald apartments in South Melbourne. He owns the Rainbow entertainment complex in Bourke Street and has an interest in a string of central city restaurants.
In its previous term, the Doyle council supported the 32-level Sheraton project and an extension of Mr Xu's karaoke club's licensing hours from 1 am to 4am. The extension was granted despite a ban on new liquor licences in the city beyond 1am.
Confidential minutes from an internal licensing committee reveals that throughout 2012 Cr Louey attended meetings - not usually attended by councillors - at which Mr Xu's licensing application was considered.
In December Fairfax Media reported that the city council could be denied a say on key city building projects, with a majority of councillors conflicted by donations from active developers.
Cr Doyle spoke to Fairfax Media on Wednesday on several occasions, criticising decisions by Planning Minister Matthew Guy, but did not return numerous calls for this story.
Cr Louey told Fairfax Media that the name Yif Yufu did not ''ring a bell'', nor did he know David Ting. Cr Louey then ended the interview. Team Doyle councillor Arron Wood said he did not know any of the donors. Team Doyle councillors Beverley Pinder and Susan Riley did not return calls.