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Darebin Appropriate Development Association Charter (November, 2022)   Since 2005 Darebin Appropriate Development Association DADA, is a group of residents of Darebin concerned with inappropriate development. DADA represents and provides assistance to residents who might feel unheard and powerless when development is happening near them. DADA acts to preserve the nature and character of our welcoming community and influence planning at all levels of government to ensure appropriate … Read More.. about About DADA

Meeting Notes: October 8th, 2014

Dear DADA folk,

Please find attached the meeting notes from the last DADA meeting.

Happy reading!

Maria

DADA

Meeting Notes: 8th of October, 2014

Present: Laara Eames, Marion Coffey, Keith Coffey, Craig Walters, Chris Erlandson, Maria Poletti, Sally Mendes, Stuart Midgley
Apologies: James Manners, Susan Rennie

1. Business Arising:
a. Ask for a report of the expenditure of the developers contribution levy.
Action: Bo will ask a question at council.
b. Action: Reminder to push for a much better planning register. When budget time comes up we should go in and bat on behalf of the planning department.
c. Send Robin Scott the panel submissions for information. Action: Maria
d. New Zoning wash-up:
Action: Follow up on the Planning Panels Victoria and Standing Committee reports. Go to council meeting, and ask a question, 21st of July. Chris, Craig and Keith to formulate and put question. Action: Keith to ask Darren Rudd where the reports. Keith asked Darren Rudd and got a brush off. He said the reports are coming and we would know but as yet those who presented to Planning Panels Vistoria haven’t received feedback though the local paper reports that the rezoning has been signed off on by the state government. Reports are apparently on-line. Looks like 40% protected under the NRZ. In most cases it looks like the panel agreed with the council. Action: Visit to Robin Scott Report; Robin Scott said he would follow up at council, he was going to get in touch with Brian Tees and indicate our concerns and then get back to us. Keith will follow up. DADA reps raised the unfairness of the new zoning. Next step is to make direct contact with Brian Tees. Letter from DADA, introduction, indicating we would like to meet, before the election to discuss planning and development issues – Action: Maria
e. Action: Maria to ask Brian if he can tell us how many hits we get on the website. Figures circulated. So far in October the DADA website has had 108 unique visitors. Hits per month are between 4500 and 9000. We get good traffic and need to make more use of this aspect.
f. Golden Guys seem a popular idea but not at the moment, perhaps another time. Chris has suggested we go to council with the idea of an award for best sustainability practice Action: Chris to research other councils and bring back ideas to us to then take to council. Scrap book idea for our web site where people can send in photos of poor development, before and after shots, basic details like address, developers names, details of faults, what is planned.etc. Action: Maria
g. Meeting of Wednesday, September 10th didn’t happen, only 2 attended.

2. New Business:
a. Draft Amendment C147 – Residential Growth Zones, letter from council circulated, mostly
affecting Reservoir, allowing 3 and 4 story developments. Concern about the protection of creek area due to indigenous history. Could revamp old submission for new proposal. Action: Maria Stuart, Chris, Marion and Keith will make a submission
b. Save our Street Trees, Community Meeting, Saturday at 2pm, corner Dean Street and
Sylvester Grove. A very curt letter received from Phil Tulk in reply to a question of conflict of interest when the same arborist assess street trees and then get the job of removing them. This matter has apparently been rectified.

3. Correspondence:
a. SOS updates – circulated and attached to minutes Action: Maria to follow up with Ian ask him
what sort of support he needs. Maria to bring back to DADA meeting a copy of questions in SOS Survey

4. Council Report:
a. 9 items went to in-camera in councils last meeting, including the CEO’s wage.
b. CEO contract up for renewal, think he has been offered over 400 thousand dollars: the progress association has sent numerous letters to councilors but not had much response. Our CEO is the second highest earner of CEO’s in Victoria behind Melbourne City Council. Steve Hamilton, replaced the CEO while recently on leave
c. Amendments C122 and C127 debated at last council meeting, no provision for recreation in area. Tim Laurance the only council who voted against it. 6 items needed more clarification.
d. New Council website, have a look.
e. Tyler Street/Plenty Road precinct, council looking for volunteers to look after planter boxes to make the area look a bit greener. Streetscape Improvements 2014/15: Consultation Drop-in Session
f. Information relating to the new website in last agenda, still can’t get planning applications off the website. More changes to be done in November.

5. Other:
a. Craig suggested we should become incorporated for our own protection. Action: Craig will organize papers for next meeting.

6. Press:

7. Objector Updates:
a. 60 Mansfield Street, objection sent out, unfortunately it was read only. Action:Maria to check next time.
b. Mansfield Street has 29 new dwellings planned on 5 different sites. All have applied for parking exemptions.
c. 112 Collins Street at planning committee on Monday night the 13th at 5.30pm at council chambers. Action: Laara to put something together for Maria to speak to.
d. 10 and 12 Don Street, round 2 applications, knocked back at VCAT in March. Similar proposal but this time the developer has poisoned the neighbours trees along the boundary fence.
e. 3 Harold street, again! A new proposal, this time for 13 flats and the ‘piece de resistance’ a car stacker to accommodate all the cars that won’t fit because of the magnitude of the overdevelopment! As a street we mobilised to get objections in and will now wait to see what council does. From Susan Rennie
f. VCAT knocked back an application in Miranda Road.

8. Strategy Ideas
a. Presenting Council with a bill for work done by objectors that should have been covered by planning department
b. DADA awards for the ‘best’ Darebin planning decisions, the Golden Guy award for development monstrosities in Darebin 2014. Start collecting photos of nominations now.
c. Suggest we start thinking strategically about the state election and making links with the
ALP Shadow Minister for Planning Brian Tee, MLC. Phone: 03 9850 8600 Email Address: brian.tee@parliament.vic.gov.au
d. Suggested we keep a list of issues of incompetence by council planning officers. Maybe something on the website that people fill in and at budget time we send it to the CEO.

Next Meeting: 7.00pm, Wednesday, November 12th at 33 Dean Street, Preston.

Melaleuca Tree Protest | Meeting

Many of you will already know that a group of us in East Preston have been working to stop Darebin Council from removing significant numbers of our Melaleuca street trees (flyer below).

ico-noshadeNo Shade For A Decade?

A meeting is planned with Daniel Freer, the boss of the tree choppers, next Saturday the 11th of October, at 2pm on the corner of Dean Street and Sylvester Grove, Preston East.

Please come along if you would like to support our cause.

In the meantime the next DADA meeting is this coming Wednesday the 8th of October, 7pm, 33 Dean Street.

Agenda items include current objections, a report on the meeting with Robyn Scott, local ALP candidate and an other issues you bring along.

Hope to see you soon.
Cheers, Maria
DADA

UPDATE

6-11-2014

Dear DADA Folk,

A number of the regulars asked a few questions of council last night and managed to elicit one more meeting to resolve the issue surrounding the removal of Melaleucas in East Preston and  the rest of Darebin.

This link to the Leader article is where you can help by adding a supportive comment.

Please take a little time to add your voice on the issue.

I will print comments to take to the next meeting with the mayor and council reps.

Thank you,

Maria

DADA

Next Meeting: Wednesday, October 8th 2014

The next DADA meeting is this coming Wednesday the 8th of October, 7pm, 33 Dean Street.

Agenda items include current objections, a report on the meeting with Robyn Scott, local ALP candidate and an other issues you bring along.

Hope to see you soon.
Cheers, Maria
DADA

Mansfield Street Objection

Please help out the people of Mansfield Street by adding your name and address to the attached objection form and sending it off to Darebin before the 8th of October.
Email:townplanning@darebin.vic.gov.au
Post: PO Box 91, PRESTON, 3072.
Thanks for your support.
Maria
DADA

People for Preston Market

We live here, we shop here and we vote here!

Vision

Preston Market is a unique and treasured place in our community. It has long been a spot where people from Melbourne’s north gather for the pleasures of shopping and eating, a place to enjoy chance encounters with friends and neighbours. It’s looking a little tired and worn but last month’s proposal to build it up to 28 storeys is way over the top. We would like to see the market grow into a vibrant community hub where people come together – not a soul-less windswept shadowland that we avoid. Redevelopment is an opportunity to make Preston Market a showcase site for Darebin – a community space that will attract people from all over Melbourne and beyond. We can make it a meeting place we can be proud of that reflects what we love about our neighbourhood:¬ diversity, inclusiveness, vibrancy, colour and movement.

Who are we?

People for Preston Market is a group of Darebin residents concerned about the plan to increase the building height of the market to 28 storeys – that’s more than 100m!

Membership of the group is open. To join us contact Jim Buckell at jimbuckell@gmail.com or 0415 490 366.

We plan to meet before council meetings (every second Monday) until further notice to lobby councillors and put our ideas on the table.

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/554340934669993/

Background on the developer’s proposal

The application to Darebin Council by the market owner Salta Properties to increase the permitted height of buildings under the planning schedule from 10 to 28 storeys was tabled at council on June 16 2014. Council is expected to consider the application soon, probably in August, when it will open a consultation period for submissions. Details of the Salta proposal can be found in the council minutes here (scroll to page 35).

The proposal includes two large footprints of 28 storeys (about 113 metres) taking up the majority of the site. See image below:

NB: This is not a development application. It is the first step towards a detailed development proposal.

What we would like to see

At our first meeting we set three aims:

1. Keep the existing height limit
To oppose any increase in the existing height limit of 10 storeys. This is three storeys higher than the tallest building in Preston, Bell City on Bell St at the corner of Hotham St at South Preston.

2. To develop and promote our own vision for the market
A place where people in our diverse community can gather for shopping, meeting, for eating and drinking with welcoming, inclusive and accessible facilities including:

  • A market which strengthens and amplifies all the good aspects of the existing space, with ample space for stallholders, shoppers, communal eating and meetings places
  • Green space (critically important with the shift to more medium-density housing)
  • A commitment to sustainability and renewable energy built into the proposal (ie solar panels on the roof like South Melbourne market; rainwater collection; and waste minimisation)
  • Formal and informal meeting places including a neighbourhood centre
  • Play areas for children
  • Performance and art spaces
  • Space for small and micro-businesses to operate
  • Open space such as a plaza
  • Any proposal for residential units to include social housing to protect our diverse community

3. To work with council and other agencies on a visionary market development:
As Preston Market is a unique and treasured place in our community, we would like Council and government agencies to work with all stakeholders ¬– the community, the market traders and the developers ¬– on the development of the site. We would like to take the opportunity of a development proposal to make Preston Market a showcase site for Darebin, a place that will attract people from all over Melbourne, a meeting place we can be proud of that reflects what we love about our neighbourhood. True, the market is looking a bit tired and worn. We’ve been hearing about the idea to transform Preston Central for almost a decade now, and it’s overdue. But we don’t want to risk it becoming a windswept shadowland. We would like to see the market grow into a diverse, vibrant and colourful community hub where people gather to enjoy the pleasures of shopping, food and meeting others. To achieve this, we would like council to consider the following:

• Extending the usual one-month consultation period to six months to consider the application by the developers
• Developing an extensive community consultation program to canvas all stakeholders: residents; shoppers; traders; nearby businesses and workers; commuters; and the developer
• Engage the expertise of experienced placemakers and community planners to assist in this process

Founding members:

Jim Buckell
Thornbury
0415 490 366

Mark Tregonning
Preston
0421 335 775

To join us contact Jim Buckell at: jimbuckell@gmail.com or 0415 490 366