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Bennett Andrew

Dec 10
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Melbourne Grammar School – Bromby Street

By Planning

Application VHR0019 – Melbourne Grammar School – Bromby Street

Below is a copy of our letter to Heritage Victoria dated 23 July 2014 a copy of which was forwarded to the City of Melbourne at the time.

We were surprised, to say the least, by their approval of a building that in our view fails to comply with many heritage requirements.

We now wish to lodge our strong objection with Council on the ground that the building does not comply with DDO15 as follows.

  1. It exceeds by a considerable margin the maximum height of 12 metres.
    The increased height of the proposed building above the existing building does not “improve the amenity and enhance the urban character of the area”.
  2. The applicant has failed to “demonstrate how the development will continue to achieve the Design Objectives and Built Form Outcomes of this schedule and any local planning policy requirements”, namely “is compatible with the scale and character of the South Yarra area”.

For these and the reasons described in our letter to Heritage Victoria, a building of the
proposed scale offends every requirement to be compatible with and enhance the character of the area and we urge you to oppose the application.

Yours sincerely

Michael Butcher
President

Letter to Heritage Victoria 23.07.14

Nov 28
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Aircraft Noise in the City of Melbourne

By Environment

Source: City of Melbourne

The City of Melbourne has no regulatory control over aircraft in flight within the municipality, other than:

  • helipads – discretionary building height controls in the Planning Scheme for areas around hospitals with helipads and
  • hot air balloons – the State Government Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 was amended in 2011 to provide a licensing role for City of Melbourne as the public land manager of four designated park sites within the municipality where the City of Melbourne may issue a permit for hot air balloons to take off or land.

Some City of Melbourne residents in some suburbs may be adversely affected by aircraft noise.

How to make a complaint about aircraft noise

Airservices Australia manages complaints and enquiries about aircraft noise through its dedicated Noise Complaints and Information Service (NCIS). The NCIS is the Australian aviation industry’s main interface for the community on aircraft noise. Their website states:

‘If you wish to lodge a complaint or make an enquiry you can do this through the Airservices Australia WebTrak by the online form or by telephoning 1800 802 584 (freecall) or 1300 302 240 (local call – Sydney) or fax (02) 9556 6641 or by mail, Noise Complaints and Information Service, PO Box 211, Mascot NSW 1460.’

The Aircraft Noise Ombudsman (ANO) conducts independent administrative reviews of Airservices Australia’s management of aircraft noise-related activities, including:

  • the handling of complaints or enquiries made to Airservices Australia about aircraft noise
  • community consultation processes related to aircraft noise
  • the presentation and distribution of aircraft noise-related information.

If you have a complaint about aircraft noise, you should first lodge it with Airservices Australia’s Noise Complaints and Information Service.

If they are unable to offer a satisfactory solution, you can then lodge a complaint electronically with the ANO, or write to:

Aircraft Noise Ombudsman
GPO Box 1985
Canberra City ACT 2601

The service is free and available to anyone.

Information on aircraft noise

Airservices and Australian Airports Association has comprehensive information on aircraft noise, including the causes of aircraft noise, how the industry is working together to manage it and what people can do to reduce its impact.

Aircraft regulations and guidelines for aircraft operators

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) provides a list of current legislation (from Attorney General’s Comlaw site) and guidance material which applies to the operations of aircraft and aircraft operators. Read about CASA’s Current rules.

CASA also provides an Introduction to aviation legislation which describes how the legislation affecting the aviation industry is structured.

Nov 27
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Residential Re-zoning Outcome

By Planning

MSYRG_logo_bg

We are delighted to inform you that as a consequence of the great deal of work done by the MSYRG the following amendments to the residential zoning of South Yarra were gazetted on 27th November 2014.

It means that a large part of the heritage areas have real protection from inappropriate development.

Those areas are as follows:

  • Both sides of Airlie St
  • West side of Leopold St
  • East side of Park St
  • Part of the east side of Mason St
  • Part of the east side of Millswyn St
  • Both sides of Hope St
  • Part of the east side of Domain St.
Melbourne+C179+znMap11+Approval+Gazetted

All of these properties are now in the Neighbourhood Residential Zone NRZ1 that, most importantly imposes a mandatory height limit of 8 metres.

If the MSYRG had not been active from the beginning of this year and it had been left up to the City of Melbourne strategic planning department:

1. None of South Yarra would have been given the neighbourhood residential zoning under the new legislation; and
2. The height limit would have been 12 metres.

The amendments are contained in a complex set of documents that accompany the Gazette announcement. Detailed information is available on the Planning departments website;

Finally, I must thank profusely our local member of parliament Clem Newton-Brown without whose assistance this outcome would almost certainly not have been possible.

Michael Butcher
President.

Nov 25
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Residential Planning Zones (Update)

By Melbourne City Council, Planning

Dear Madam/Sir,

The Minister for Planning has written to the City of Melbourne advising that he has approved Amendment C179 to the Melbourne Planning Scheme. We wanted to inform you of the Minister’s decision, given you have previously made a submission or shown interest in the application of the new residential zones.

The Minister’s letter states that the approval:

  • introduces three new Schedules to the General Residential Zone and applies them to parts of Kensington, Parkville, Carlton, North Melbourne, East Melbourne and Jolimont;
  • introduces the Residential Growth Zone and applies it to parts of Carlton and Parkville; and,
  • introduces the Neighbourhood Residential Zone and applies it to parts of South Yarra.

The amendment will come into effect when notice of its approval is published in the Victoria Government Gazette.

No detail beyond the information contained in the letter from the Minister is available at this stage.

As more information becomes available, we will continue to provide updates via Participate Melbourne (melbourne.vic.gov.au/participate).

 

Yours sincerely

 

Gisele Pratt

Manager, Strategic Planning

Senior Strategic Planner

Telephone: 03 9658 8654

Email: gispra@melbourne.vic.gov.au

Nov 17
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MSYRG Annual General Meeting

By Association, Meetings
MSYRG_logo_bg

Date:Thursday 27th November 2014
Time: 6:30PM
Location: Senior Citizens Centre – 65 Toorak Road West, South Yarra 3141

 

The Committee hopes you can attend to hear a wrap up of what has been a busy year for the Group.

 

– AGENDA –

1. Welcome

2. Apologies

3. President’s Report

4. Financial Report

5. Election of Office Bearers

6. Other Business

Oct 25
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National Trust: Goodrest site of State significance

By Heritage, Planning

The National Trust have expressed concern on the proposed Goodrest development on the corner of Leopold and 120 Toorak Road West, South Yarra.

Goodrest is classified by the National trust of Australia (Victoria) as being of State Significance.

 Attached below is a copy of the National Trust letter to the City of Melbourne

B1205 2014 10 21 Letter to City of Melbourne re Tree Removal Application

CoM_ETR_120W_Toorak_Rd_Sth_Yarra

Sep 24
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Changes to Residential Zoning

By Planning

Significant changes to the residential zoning has been legislated by the State Government and since March this year we have been making submissions to and involved in discussions with the City of Melbourne about how these zones should be applied in South Yarra. Our particular concern has been to ensure that the heritage streets are protected by the strictest zone which is Neighbourhood Residential.

What the outcome will be is dependent upon a report from the Residential Zones Standing Advisory Committee to the Planning Minister and our written submission to that Committee is on this website.

In addition verbal submissions were made to the Committee last Friday 19 September and most of the day was occupied with submissions concerning South Yarra.

It is unlikely that we will know the outcome for some time as the Committee has 20 days to lodge its report and recommendations with the Minister for Planning and the Minister then has to make the decision.

 

 

Submissions Plan

Sep 11
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Public Meeting – October 2, 2014

By Association, Meetings

MSYRG-Logo-lh

MeetingOct2

Public Meeting

When: Thursday 2nd October 2014.
Time: 6:30 PM
Place: South Yarra Senior Citizens Centre, Fawkner Park, 65 Toorak Road, South Yarra 3141

The meeting will commence at 6:30pm

AGENDA

  1. Welcome
  2. Apologies.
  3. Membership & website.
  4. Residential rezoning report.
  5. Planning issues.
      6.1 Goodrest
      6.2 Bromby St
      6.3 91 Millswyn St.
      6.4 English Language Redevelopement
  6. Council rates and expenditure in South Yarra
  7. Other business.

The residential re-zoning process conducted by the City of Melbourne and the Victorian State Government that will have a material impact on how the heritage nature of our community is to be preserved.

Please put the time in your diary for this important meeting.

We encourage all residents of Melbourne South Yarra precinct to attend whether members of the Group or not – it will be possible to join and support the Group at the meeting.

Aug 24
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Update: 157-159 Domain Road

By Planning

The current position with 157-159 Domain Road is that although a permit to construct a three level building with a coffee shop on the ground floor and two restaurants above was approved by VACT subject to many conditions, no further steps have been notified to the City of Melbourne concerning compliance with any of those conditions.

The rumour is that the applicant is now considering different uses being a delicatessen on the ground floor and studio apartments on the first and second floors although nothing has been notified to Council and we have no other information.

However, it is not surprising, having regard to the issues and problems raised during the course of the contested application that the applicant has had to revise his plans.

You will remember that MSYRG spent a considerable amount of money opposing this application and indications are that it was money well spent as if such a change of use were to be the outcome the adverse impact upon the shopping centre and adjoining residents would be substantially if not wholly removed.

Matthew Guy, Victorian State Planning Minister, has stated that he has applied a cap on Licensed premises in South Yarra. We do not know the full details of the cap, which is a bit of a band-aid approach to planning ,but nevertheless a possible solution if properly applied.

Link to VCAT Ruling: 157-159 Domain Rd, South Yarra

Aug 14
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Millswyn, Domain and Hope Streets, South Yarra Proposed Truck Ban Signage

By Engineering Services, Traffic

UPDATE: This issue has been resolved

 

City of Melbourne Notice

Engineering Services writes to advise the Association of a traffic management
proposal designed to improve general amenity and pedestrian safety in Millswyn
Street, Domain Street and Hope Street to alleviate the unnecessary infiltration of
truck trips into the local street network.

TrafficManagement-14-Aug-2014