JOIN CAG

SmithStreet.org « CAG « Media Releases « Community outrage at Yarra Council Mtg

Community outrage at Yarra Council meeting debacle

In a sensational turn of events at Yarra Council’s last meeting before November’s local government elections, a request by Councilors for Council to refuse the massive Smith Street development proposal was subverted.

Collingwood Action Group (CAG) spokesperson Ms Cliodhna Rae said the meeting and events in the lead up made Council appear secretive and incompetent.

Council has had the application from developers Banco for a high-rise mixed use development on Smith Street, Collingwood, since April. The City of Yarra attracted a record 1500 objections to the planning application, but failed to make a decision within the prescribed 60 day period.

Yarra held a series of meetings with the developer and CAG to explore possibilities to revise the plans, under Council imposed confidentiality provisions. This prevented CAG from including its members and the community in the process. In October CAG advised that while Banco’s schematic drawings were ‘moving in the right direction’ they did not address key concerns raised by the community and in the independent panel report Inner urban conservation and redevelopment, and the plans were too vague and hazy to form a position.

Councilor Deborah Di Natale had requested an officer’s report be prepared for Council to refuse the planning application at its November Council meeting. As recently as last week, the local press reported Mayor Kay Meadows saying Council always indicated it would reject the application, and local member Richard Wynne advised CAG he understood Council was set to refuse the plans.

CAG members present at the Council meeting raised a number of concerns about Yarra’s mismanagement of the issue. These included their failure to place the matter on the agenda on Yarra’s website; the officer’s report only being available as late as one hour before the meeting; the report’s inaccuracies and misleading statements; and questionable legal advice delivered at the meeting. Apparently the advice stated an officer’s report – still not done after eight months – was needed for Council to refuse the application.

‘We were disturbed that on such a significant planning issue for Council and the community that Councilors were expected to make an informed decision based on a report tabled virtually at the meeting. Further, the broader community were denied the opportunity to be consulted and to put a considered view’, said Ms Rae.

Amid great confusion now subject to different interpretations, it appears the resolution was put that Council request the applicant substitute the current application for the schematic drawings presented during the secret meetings. Failure to do so would see Council refuse the application. If the applicant appeals to VCAT Council would then request Ministerial intervention.

Ms Rae also said that CAG’s independent legal advice contradicted Yarra’s claim that an officer’s report was required for Council to refuse a planning application.

‘It defies belief that Council’s planning staff are unaware of the basic requirements under planning law. This planning application has been on Yarra’s books for some eight months. Ample work has been done on why it should be rejected – much of this by CAG and independent experts – and there is wide agreement that it is an ambit claim, a view shared by Council. We are exploring all avenues to remedy this situation and have been advised that we should consider approaching the Ombudsman’.

FOR MEDIA COMMENT
Collingwood Action Group, Cliodhna Rae ph 0414 268 579, or cag@smithstreet.org
Yarra Mackillop Ward Councillors, Deborah Di Natale ph 0418 179 667, Greg Barber ph 0417 343 279