Darebin Appropriate Development Association

Meeting Notes: December 18, 2013 Present: Laara Eames, Sally Mendes, Craig Walters, Marion Coffey, Keith Coffey, Maria Poletti, Nola Brown, Stewart Midgley, Apologies:
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. Use of East Preston PS site discussed for consultation with Ed Dept, Sustainability Street and Darebin.
Action: Craig to take to Sus. Street, talk to Josie and send a motion to Bo.
c. VCAT has approved the Grandview application for pokies. Susan suggested a study on what happens to the local shops and impact on neighborhood character.
Action: Susan to talk to Bo Li
d. State Government; Plan Melbourne, Metropolitan Planning Strategy
Action: Nola and Chris to work on a letter to the auditor general.
e. Darebin Strategic Statement, suggested an open letter, letter to the editor, to councilors
Action: Maria to talk to Julia Erwin. Action: Craig, Robin Scott letter to ask question in parliament.
f. Action: Maria to draft a letter asking councilors to ensure that our third party objector rights are not removed in the schedules.
g. Action: put it to Darren Rudd Action: ask Ian Wood for his model
h. Translation of DADA letter into other languages:
Action: Sally to ask Roger for Chinese Action: Laara to ask for Italian, Action: Chris to ask for Greek and Italian, Action: Sally might ask Kate for Hindi.
2. New Business:
a. Meeting with Council Officers from the planning department, Darren Rudd and Leah Mosel, on Monday 18 November attended by Sally, Craig, Chris, Marion, Keith, Nola and Maria.
Action: Reminder to push for a much better planning registar. When budget time comes up we should go in and bat on behalf of the planning department.
b. Meeting with Philip Tulk re Melaleucas, Thursday 28th attended by Sally and Maria. Report attached. Still concerned about a conflict of interest if the arbourist cutting down the tree is the same arbourist making the decision to remove the tree. Having paid the protection fees can developers do what they like to the trees, more research on the fees how those fees are used needs to be done.
c. Save Our Suburbs: AGM, Craig and Maria attended. Guest Speaker: Assoc. Professor Carolyn Whitzman (Urban Planning, University of Melbourne). Action: Maria to write a report
3. Correspondence:
a. Emails from CEO saying deleted email without reading
Action: Maria follow up with CEO and Mayor
b. Emails Stewart Midgley re Plenty Road plan Amendment C 137
c. Mel Roberts and Bill Birney re Amendment C 136, Oakover Village
d. Press, calls from Leader and Melbourne Times, articles circulated
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4. Council Report:
a. Craig and Chris attended a council meeting with a question about the fees paid to independent planners by objectors. The response from council was that objectors will get a better outcome if they pay a planner themselves to check the work done by Darebin’s Planners. Why isn’t Darebin planning doing it’s job? Craig followed up with a book donation. 46 Murphy Grove has no shutters on windows as per approved plans, Craig has sent a letter but no reply yet from planning yet a follow up email to come. Action: Craig to contact Keith for George’s phone number.
5. Other:
6. Objector Updates:
a. 48 Murphy Grove, round 2, Straight to VCAT; worked to prevent it going on the short cases list ensuring submissions take more than 2 hours.
Action: Nola and Maria wrote letters about some points of fairness of the process, Nola and Maria to follow up.
b. 83 Collins Street, Planning Committee Meeting, Monday 23rd.
Action: Maria to email network about support at meeting. A verbal submission will be made.
c. 660 Plenty Road, for planning meeting Monday night, 2 x 2 storey units with a managers residence at the front.
d. 1012 Don Street is heading to VCAT
7. Strategy Ideas;
a. Presenting Council with a bill for work done by objectors that should have been covered by planning department
b. DADA on-line petition and in hard copy, Maria to send Nola a hard copy for printing as well as developing the on-line petition.
8. Next Meeting: 7.00pm, Wednesday, February 12th at 33 Dean Street, Preston

• Read PDF
• Report from Meeting with Philip Tulk , Manager Parks and Vegetation – Thursday 28th September

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