The Outcome from Our Monash Groups Meeting

MEDIA RELEASE
30 March 2007

THE MONASH LIVEABILITY COALITION

KEEP MONASH LIVEABLE

(SPACES AND PLACES FOR PEOPLE)

Residents, Theatre & Sporting Groups from various suburbs within the City of
Monash area met last night to discuss their concerns at the loss of Open Space
created by the closure of schools in the area, and the development of their sites as
medium to high density housing.

The meeting heard Dr Bob Birrell from the Monash School of Social Inquiry explain
his concerns about the Victorian Government’s failure to provide living and
recreational space to meet the needs of suburbs with rapidly rising populations.
The meeting also discussed other issues relating to the increased density of
population within Monash, including traffic congestion and potential water shortages.
The Residents’ Groups represented at the meeting decided to form a Coalition to
address all of these issues within the Monash context.

It was also agreed that all Groups support Councillor Gerry Koteck’s decision to
oppose the re-zoning of the Notting Hill Primary School Site in light of the multiple
school closures and lack of future planning within the Westerfield Estate - Notting Hill.
They are planning petitions to both the City Council and the Victorian Parliament
concerning public use of land and facilities, and a Working Group will meet in May to
plan a large Public Meeting ‘To Make Monash More Liveable’.

Should you or any members of your Group wish to participate in this united Coalition,
please contact your local Residents Action Group, Rate Payers Association or Marion
Quartly (NHCA) Ph: 9561 3975 or Melinda Ashton (NHCA) Ph: 9561 5131
Notting Hill Community Association

More open space push - Local Newspaper

The Waverley Leader Newspaper publishes this:

More open space push
Andrew Miller
27Mar07
THE State Government and Monash Council should share the blame for the city's woeful record on open space and spend the millions reaped in developer contributions to secure more land, campaigners say.
The Notting Hill and Brandon Park resident action groups have questioned the council's decision to spend $4.3 million gathered from mandatory developer contributions in the past four years on upgrading parks, reserves and recreational facilities.
Notting Hill Action Group spokeswoman Melinda Ashton said the council should have used the money to buy more land.''Once again, the population is increasing and there has been nothing set aside,'' she said.Australian Research Centre for Urban Ecology figures show Monash has only 7.4 hectares of public open space for every 1000 residents one of the lowest ratios in Melbourne.
The Government is expected to this year sell land from five Monash schools, four of which have closed, and open space campaigners want up to 10 per cent set aside for parks.Council can take 5 per cent of the value of the land being developed or ask that 5 per cent be set aside for recreational use.Brandon Park Residents' Action Group convener John Shrives said the council should pressure the Government to set aside more land.
``The State Government is making a windfall from all these sales of land they bought for very little money,'' Mr Shrives said.''Council should certainly be working hard to encourage greater support from the Government before the land is subdivided, so the developers don't just give a little bit here and a little bit there.''
Mayor Tom Morrissey said the council had opted to spend the $4 million on park upgrades rather than buying more space because the land parcels offered were in unsuitable areas.

Couple of points of clarification from your blogger

The land was not necessarily purchased in the past - It was public land and used for schools - it always has been public land. All land began as Crown land in Victoria and remains so until sold off to private interests. This has been a preoccupation of Government in Victoria since 1830 after the Crown declared all the land as Crown land.

Not all residents think 10 per cent retained as public land for public use is sufficient. In the schools for sale much of the areas are already open space - formerly playgrounds and ovals. These areas have been used as recreational areas for children and residents and are now being sold off. The ten per cent figure is being promoted by councilors as a compromise - that is we are entitled to get 5 per cent back but we can be tough and get 10 per cent back.
Not everyone thinks this is good enough.

Update on Community Garden

The response to our recent leaflet on the community garden proposal has been gratifying. More than 20 residents have expressed a written interest and another dozen a verbal interest.
I think we can acknowledge that there is support to start a community garden in Notting Hill.
I will be contact with all those who did respond and keep them up to date.
A first move has been to seek the support of Monash Council for the proposal and to this end I have written to the Mayor and local councillors and said:

Recently residents in Notting Hill met and offered support for the concept of a community run garden in Notting Hill.
Following this:
· a survey of all residents was undertaken;
· a leaflet explaining the concept of a community garden was placed in all the letterboxes in the suburb;
· the leaflet invited responses and expressions of interests in becoming a community gardener;
· more than 20 written responses were received; and
· the initiative was also unanimously supported at a public meeting of residents on 14 March 2007.
Community gardens are recognised worldwide as a great way to grow food, improve our health, meet people, and cultivate vibrant communities.
We are proposing to investigate further now and follow through on developing a community garden project for the Notting Hill community.
We realise that establishing a community garden will not be easy but require a level of commitment and efforts of many before it becomes a reality.
Therefore we request your support and advice on this useful community initiative.

We await a response.

Recently the Age ran a piece about community gardens. It’s at:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/health/backyard-bliss/2007/03/20/1174153120432.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2

Meeting to Consider Government Provision of Community Green Space from Sales of Public Land

People are invited to a meeting of residents of the City of Monash who are affected by the closure of public schools and the threatened loss of community green space and facilities.

The Notting Hill Community Association will host this meeting at 7.30 on the evening of Thursday 29 March. It will be held at Monash University, in room SG04, one of the Manton rooms on the ground floor of the Menzies Building.

The meeting will consider how the State Government may be persuaded to set aside for public use a portion of all public lands sold for development – most urgently, of public school sites in the City of Monash recently or about to be deemed surplus to requirements by the Department of Education.

It will also consider the decision by City of Monash Councillor Gerry Kottek to vote against the Council’s planned rezoning of the Monash Primary School Site to residential use unless a substantial section of the site is reserved for community use.

The meeting will also consider how the Monash Secondary College Theatrette can best be retained for community use.

If anyone would like further information or assistance on how to get to the meeting up at the campus please contact his website and nottynews@gmail.com

Update to Notting Hills News

The public meeting held last week was a great success with nearly 50 locals attending the meeting in the Pre School on Westerfield Street.

Much interest and support was evident for the work of residents.

A decision and was made to incorporate and association to be know as the Notting Hill Community Association. To date the residents group known as NHAG – the Notting Hill Action Group – has been operating unincorporated.

NHAG will of course still be there to keep representatives honesty.

An election was held and positions determined for a management committee

­ Marian Quartly – President
­ Melinda Ashton – Vice President
­ Vince Leveridge – Treasurer
­ Chan Cheah – Secretary
­ Committe members – Lauren Gates, Michaela Dommisse and Sherry Mayo

President Marian reported on the progress to renovate the pre-school for its use as the neighbourhood house and coming opening.
As reported elsewhere on this site the Governor of Victoria, his Excellency Professor David de Kretser, will open the Notting Hill Community House in a ceremony on the afternoon of 28 July.
Professor de Kretser and his wife Jan lived in Notting Hill during the 1980s' and their children attended the kindergarden in its early years.

Discussion after the meeting has resulted in a project to collect and create a display of photographs and other items reflecting the history of Notting Hill. This exhibition will open with the Neighbourhood House.

Further updates were given on the situation of the Monash Primary School and the activity around the future of the small theatre at the Monash Secondary College.

Local Newspapers buy into the Plight of Notting Hill

We are getting some attention to the plight of Notting Hill in the local media - last week the Monash Journal newspaper ran a piece on the school closures. Although the comment by local member of parliament Hong Lim was not helpful and not well received in the suburb.

From the Waverley Leader newspaper this week

School sale space fear
NOTTING Hill's open space looks certain to shrink after the State Government pushed ahead with plans to put the former Monash Primary School site on the market.
The Government has asked Monash Council to rezone the land to RZ1 residential, making way for the classrooms to be turned into flats, units or houses.Under the Subdivision Act, the developers will be forced to keep at least 5 per cent of the land as open space. But the council will negotiate with developers to possibly save 10 per cent of the site.The rezoning application will not be ready before April.
Plans for the sell-off have prompted an angry response from residents and Oakleigh Ward councillor Gerry Kottek.Cr Kottek said the Government was ``flogging off public assets'' without concern for the community.``They are reducing the amount of open space and not having a meaningful dialogue with the community,'' Cr Kottek said.
The former primary school is one of four closed Monash schools that could be sold to the highest bidder.The Monash Secondary College, Brandon Park Secondary College and Clayton West Primary sites are still in limbo.Cam Scott, a spokesman for Education Minister John Lenders, said the future of all three sites was yet to be determined.
But Mr Scott confirmed the Government had plans to sell Monash Primary School.Notting Hill Residents' Action Group spokeswoman Melinda Ashton said she was worried the school's ovals would be replaced with dozens of high-rise units.``It's certainly not what we need what we need is some open space,'' Ms Ashtonsaid.``If we lose the school, we lose any recreation area we have. It's extremely important we maintain the school's oval.''

Similarly in the Oakliegh Monash Leader newspaper

School sale space fear
NOTTING Hill's open space looks certain to shrink after the State Government pushed ahead with plans to put the former Monash Primary School site on the market.

Link http://www.oakleighmonashleader.com.au/article/2007/03/06/11200_wov_news.html

Governor to Open Notting Hill Community House with Homecoming Visit

In what will signal a new beginning in Notting Hill the Governor of Victoria, his Excellency Professor David de Kretser, will open the Notting Hill Community House in a ceremony on the afternoon of 28 July.

Professor de Kretser and his wife Jan lived in Notting Hill during the 1980s' and their children attended the kindergarden in its early years.

Representatives of Monash University and the Monash City Council will attend this official occasion along with all the folk of the suburb.
It promises to be a big event.

From the latest Notting Hill News - Newsletter of the Notting Hill Action Group - now appearing in your letterbox.

For more information of Professor David de Kreter go to http://www.governor.vic.gov.au/welcome.htm

BIG MEETING IN NOTTING HILL

A number of community issues will reported on and discussed at the Public Meeting planned for Wednesday 14 March 2007

What Do You Want From The
Notting Hill Community House?

• English Languages Classes?
• Computer Classes?
• Yoga Classes?
• Space for a Mothers’ Group?
• Venue for Meetings?

Come to the PUBLIC MEETING

Wednesday 14 March 7:30pm
in the Kindergarten building,

37 Westerfield Drive
AND HAVE YOUR SAY