I was asked to comment for an article in the Melbourne Times/Weekly about Darebin dropping a feedback survey.

I am concerned that the council seem to be pulling back from their promises of a more transparent, responsive and consultative council.

If you are also concerned and want to have a say, here is the article, and links below:

Darebin council dumps resident satisfaction survey

The council voted last Monday to opt out of next year’s survey, which is conducted by JWS Research through telephone interviews with residents.

In 2013, the council scored no higher than 68 out of 100 in the range of categories surveyed and ranked in the bottom half of the Inner Melbourne Metropolitan section, which includes councils Yarra, Moreland, Banyule, Boroondara and Melbourne.

Darebin hired La Trobe Business School Associate Professor Kevin Brown to review the survey and its methodology. Professor Brown determined that the survey was unrepresentative of the municipality, with renters, younger residents and those from cultural and linguistic diverse communities less likely to be interviewed.

The 2013 survey was the first conducted since the council was swamped by allegations of conflicts of interest and was the focus of a report by the Victorian Ombudsman.

Although his report was never publicly released, Ombudsman George Brouwer published some of the findings in his annual report, tabled in August. It revealed the former council was fractured and some councillors had misused entitlements including mobile phones, taxi vouchers and IT equipment.

Darebin Appropriate Development Association spokeswoman Maria Poletti slammed the council’s decision to opt out of the satisfaction survey. “All they’re doing is saying we don’t want to take notice of the feedback,” she said. “When we voted this council in, there was a lot of talk about transparency. And in light of this, I don’t know whether that is happening.”

Corporate and planning services director Paul Crapper said at least one other council has also dropped out of next year’s survey and some others are undecided. “We can obtain the same performance data from other existing sources, such as the annual Darebin Community Survey. Some of this data is benchmarked against other municipalities.”

The department of planning and community development commissions the survey, which covered 71 out of 79 of the state’s municipal councils this year.

The survey is designed to measure resident satisfaction in council services and programs. It revealed the most important issues in Darebin were elderly support services and traffic management.

Comments can be left below or at the weekly review web site..

Source: theweeklyreviewmelbournetimes.com.au By Alana Schetzer | 14:25:PM 20/11/2013

It was reported in TheAge newspaper on Wednesday 18th September 2013, that objections to the Smorgy’s Restaurant site had been settled and that planning authorities had approved 378 units  in five buildings for the 1091 Plenty Road, Bundoora.

Smorgysbord of objections now settled

A large five-tower apartment development gained final planning approval to replace a derelict Smorgy’s restaurant in suburban Bundoora three days before the distinctive eatery was incinerated in a suspicious overnight blaze last week.

The heavily vandalised Smorgy’s restaurant was branded a fire hazard after sitting vacant for several years. Police are still investigating the cause of last week’s inferno including a Facebook posting claiming responsibility.

Planning authorities have approved 378 units in five buildings for the 1091 Plenty Road Smorgy’s site, reducing the height of the buildings and the number of apartments originally proposed by developer Park Rise Australia.

Fairfax Media has been unable to contact Park Rise Australia.

The mysterious developer has never made public comment about the proposal and its business address is listed at a Richmond development site.

The original controversial 474-unit proposal lodged in May 2011 attracted strong opposition from residents and Darebin Council, including 700-odd objections.

It generated ‘‘ passionate debate about the intensity of built form that should be allowed on the site’’ , the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal said in its ruling.

‘‘ There have been many versions of the development but what we are now approving represents a significant reduction in scale both in built form and in the number of dwellings,’’ VCAT determined.

Opponents were concerned about parking , road access and the building imposing on nearby parkland.

The site has a mix of native and exotic trees that will be cut down to make way for the new buildings but VCAT ordered a treeroot exclusion zone to protect mature trees nearby.

‘‘ At least two of the trees near the site predate European settlement and must be protected ,” Darebin’s mayor Tim Laurence said.

The approved development has five buildings between four and eight storeys that include two levels of basement car parking for 491 cars and two retail premises up to 1000 square metres in size.

Previously the developers applied for buildings up to 10 storeys tall.

The apartments will face on to the popular Bundoora Park, which contains indigenous River Red Gum woodlands, a children’s farm, golf course and heritage village.

On the other side of Plenty Road the former Larundel psychiatric hospital is undergoing significant residential redevelopment.

The former Smorgy’s site at 1091 Plenty Road, Bundoora. Photo: Craig Abraham

 Source: TheAge | Simon Johanson

 

 

 

 

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May 2012 – Save Bundoora Park