update GESAC/Bailey Reserve carpark extension approved

In a disappointing decision at last night's meeting Councillors voted 5/2 to approve the proposed $450k GESAC(glen eira sports aquatic centre)car park extension into Bailey Reserve Bentleigh resulting in the loss of approx 1400m2(two house blocks)of public open space and the relocation of the present childrens playground.

I spoke of the need for a new Open Space strategy in Glen Eira (see prev post) that would define, value and plan for public open space- and would hopefully prevent ad hoc decisions like this where at the 11th hour and before a facility is even opened a demand is placed on our parkland.

Last year Council purchased two house blocks in Packer Park to improve, expand and complete the park frontage on Oakleigh rd.
Cr Tang correctly identified that this extension would break up Bailey Reserve in two and was at odds with the reasoning behind Council's previous decision in Packer Park.

Open Space vs extra GESAC car parking

At this Tuesday night's meeting Councillors will vote on whether to extend further the new GESAC car park into Bailey Reserve with the relocating of the present playground.

Item 9.10 (under links bottom right) lists two carpark options - the first being a multi-level complex on the present planned carpark - to my mind a trojan horse option.

I have requested details of the amount of public open space that will be lost by the proposed extension-

GESAC is yet to open and its success quantified- nothing has changed since the amount of carparking was determined as an appropriate balance between the new facilty and surrounding open space. At the eleventh hour to make such changes I feel is poor policy and in line with my previous posting on the need for a new Public Open Space strategy in Glen Eira

Public Open Space in Glen Eira - new strategy needed

packer park
The last public open space strategy in Glen Eira was undertaken way back in 1998-

Much has changed since then!

An increasing population, planning scheme changes, higher density developments and the effects of climate change all have contributed to place greater pressures on our public open space. A new strategy that takes account of these and future changes is urgently needed and I raised this recently at an environment advisory committee meeting on behalf of the local Glen Eira Environment Group.

A thorough upto date strategy is essential especially in Glen Eira's case which is widely acknowledged as having the lowest amount of public open space of any metropolitan municipality-This was documented in the Victorian Evironmental Assesment committee (VEAC) report and findings in 2010.

There are many issues that a new strategy would consider including how to spend the open space contibution levy from new developments- whether this to be used to acquire new open space or simply maintain existing parks, the 1998 strategy suggested a 50/50 split that wasn't acted on.Precisely defining public open space as opposed to park infrustructure is another issue.

As we have seen in recent times on issues like the former Mckinnon bowling club site in Packer Park, Council I feel is making decisions on public open space in an ad hoc manner-and would be better served by a modern strategy that outlines present and future plans for all our open space.