In the latest in our series on population boom and development in Bayside, Marnie Reid speaks to the Planning Minister
DEVELOPMENT is becoming a dirty word in some parts of Bayside. Between July 1, 2010, and May 17, 2011, developers had appealed to the state planning tribunal 64 proposed developments that were for various reasons denied by Bayside Council.
Andrew Esplan wants a more thorough planning procedure.
Fighting what it deems unsuitable development proposals has cost the council more than $300,000 in legal fees for the past financial year alone.
In December last year, the tribunal approved Bayside’s biggest and most controversial development to date, despite more than 1000 objections.
The site of 220-228 Bay Rd, Sandringham, will become a 453-apartment precinct, eight storeys at its highest, with 900 car spaces, a medical centre and shops.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy has been in the job for six months. Mr Guy told the Leader the Liberal Government planned to clean up and rewrite the Metropolitan Planning Policy.
This would provide greater clarity to councils on building in activity centres like the increasingly congested Hampton St.
"(We need) one policy that is drawn from grassroots up, part of the planning scheme," he said.
"Then developers, councils and communities know exactly what can be built, and where, and those applications can occur much quicker," he said.
He said the Government would release a new residential zones package in the "near future", in collaboration with councils.
He said the package would "give councils the ability to protect the areas they believe are important to protect."
"Also I think there will be (contructive) debate around what and where can be residential growth," he said. Hampton resident Andrew Esplan, who lives near a proposed 28-unit development in Crisp St, said everyone should support an ongoing Bayside population increase.
"More thorough planning is required before we do this. At the moment, the process appears to be mainly driven by the developers’ motivation to maximise their profits," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment