C60 amendment adopted -

Last Thursday night 28th April the Caulfield Racecourse Precinct Special Committee adopted the C60 amendment with changes to restrict height , student housing and improve on-site car parking- text below from the speech I gave in support-

Item 5.1 amendment C60-
Moved Cr. Neil Pilling 28/04/2011
I propose to move motion 5.1 as printed with the addition of the following words at the end of recommendation 3: "and implementation of the agreement relating to the centre of the reserve approved by Council on 27 April 2011".

In considering this motion I along with the rest of the committee have carefully analysed all the key issues and the implications for this scale of potential development on the C60 site.

This rezoning amendment does not authorise any construction. Development will be dependant on Council approval of the following plans on environmental management, integrated transport ,car parking management ,drainage management ,landscape plan and waste and recycling management.

There has been an extensive consultation process over an extended period of time that has allowed for community input and discussion during which time the special committee has listened to the concerns and issues raised. I would certainly like to thank everyone for their input.
Consultation on C60 has included
-exhibition of the amendment 19 November – 21 December 2009
-the planning conference of 8 February 2010
-six days of hearings before the independent panel in May 2010
-public release of the panel’s report, July 2010.
-public consultation meeting on 4 April 2011.

The C60 site is a large unique parcel of land situated immediately next to a major suburban railway station at the intersection of the two main railway lines that service South-East Melbourne. It is close to main roads, retail outlets, education facilities and without the level crossings found in other areas of Glen Eira. A large proportion of the site at the eastern end does not abut residential properties.

In all aspects this is a site that encourages urban consolidation and the use of public transport - a site that I believe is suitable for a large scale development that will encourage and provide increased housing in Melbourne’s middle suburban belt whilst reducing the pressure for endless suburban sprawl on the cities fringes

Melbourne cannot continue to grow randomly and endlessly – In a world fast moving towards peak oil and the need to reduce our carbon footprint in limiting the effects of climate change, consolidating and intensifying housing in appropriate areas becomes a necessity – this view is supported and is evident in our current State planning laws.

As outlned for each precinct in the incorporated plan "a sustaintable design response will be required in all buildings, where orientation, sun-shading, ventilation, sustainable material specification and/or environmental systems are employed to meet sustainabilty objectives".

Height limits will be imposed on all areas contained in C60.
The proposal would be scaled from two to three stories with setbacks at the residential Kambrook Rd end through the range of three to eight stories in the middle precincts to a limit of upto twenty stories in the Smith St precinct next to the Caulfield Railway Station.

The Section 173 (infrastructure agreement) lists seven key projects that the MRC must provide for. These are worth approx $7-9m and include three infrastructure projects that are outside C60; the signalisation of a reconfigured underpass intersection, a safe pedestrian link between C60 and the station and an upgrade of the Kambrook Rd-Station St intersection.

There will be an Open Space contribution requirement across all of the C60 site, including non-residential land uses. Four per cent will apply to the residential precinct and Five per cent to the mixed use and Smith St precincts. The five per cent requirement for the commercial precincts is higher than what VCAT normally applies for commercial developments and was inserted upon Councils request. As I understand these rates are higher than for other recent developments in Glen Eira

The residential parking provisions anticipated are in accordance with and are consistant with Res-Code requirements- As well the parking rates for the retail outlets are generous in comparison to other recent developments such as the ten storey bldg in Rippon Grove Elsternwick recently approved by VCAT. In addition, car parking restrictions will be established in surrounding residential streets in consultation with residents and at the cost of the C60 applicant

Traffic ie car congestion already exists throughout much of our municipality including the Caulfield area and will continue to be so regardless of C60- the solution lies in better providing for improved transport and traffic options.
An approach that restricts and handicap developments based on past outmoded transport practices misses the point and opportunity to create future urban improvements.

In summary- In considering carefully this decision, I believe the C60 amendment and the proposed development that may follow is an appropriate usage for this site.
With the inclusion of the extra height limit and the student housing permit conditions in the recommendations plus the other aspects outlined above, I feel the potential impacts and issues that have been raised during the consultation process have been reasonably addressed and satisfied. Thank you