NEWS DESK
Planned parking permit scheme stalled Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au A PLANNED parking permit scheme for Chelsea traders has been put on hold pending further consultation with business owners. Kingston Council was gearing up to introduce a 12-month trial of the parking permit scheme for business owners and staff in and around Chelsea shopping centre. Some traders won’t dare park their cars near their stores - behind Chelsea shopping centre near Woolworths – because they fear being booked by inspectors. Small business owners are often unable to leave their premises to move cars from 2-3 hour spaces, and employees on set shifts can’t leave shops unattended to move cars to avoid parking fines. Cr Tamsin Bearsley said several Chelsea traders had raised concerns about the proposed trial parking permit scheme. “Our Chelsea trader parking scheme has been a work in progress and it’s not over yet,� she said. “After our decision at July’s meeting to implement a pilot scheme, we had a number of traders raise concerns.� Cr Bearsley said she had listened to traders and also spoken to Woolworths, the largest trader affected. The supermarket will require more than the four-permit limit for its staff under the pilot scheme. Traders queried the number of
Plane crash help appreciated CHELSEA police have thanked members of the public for their help and cooperation following this month’s dramatic plane crash near The Strand (‘Plane crash chaos’, The News 15/10/14). Experienced pilot John Stephenson, 77, died when his homemade light aircraft flew into a laneway, hitting the side of a house. No one else was injured. Investigators from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau have visited the site and taken away parts of the aircraft for testing. Examinations could take up to a year and the cause of the accident may be difficult to assess. Acting Senior Sergeant Damien Grange praised public help in putting out a fire that enveloped the plane, in searching for those that may have been injured, and in erecting barricades. “We acknowledge their assistance,� he said.
permits to be issued, the location of allocated spaces and the number of available permits. Council had planned to issue a maximum of just 57 all-day parking permits for the trial - despite there currently being 96 all-day parking spaces in the area (‘Backlash over parking permits’, The News 13/8/14). An annual permit fee of $268 per parking space had been mooted. Dan Wilson, owner of a Chelsea media company, had criticised the council’s initial plan. He said it was “encouraging� that council was now willing to reconsider the proposal and listen to traders’ concerns. “I accept there’s going to be a fee but I’d like to see one or two provided to sole traders at no extra cost since they already pay rates.� Mr Wilson said it also made sense for the permit parking spaces to be available at the northern and southern ends of the car park without restrictions over where to park, since this would ensure anyone with a permit could park their vehicle. Councillors unanimously agreed to discuss the trial parking permit scheme at December’s meeting after consulting with traders.
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Encouraged: Chelsea business owner Dan Wilson hopes Kingston Council can find compromise over a planned parking permit scheme for traders. Picture: Gary Sissons
Green wedges divide parties Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au LABOR has pledged to stop the “plundering� of Melbourne’s green wedges if it wins government at next month’s state election. Opposition planning spokesman Brian Tee addressed the Green Wedges Coalition’s annual general meeting yesterday at Parliament House and promised that Labor would preserve green wedge boundaries if elected. “Green wedges are the lungs that keep our city liveable and only Labor will protect them,� Mr Tee said. “The Liberals have slowly eaten away at our open landscapes and soon there will be nothing left.� In recent months, Planning Minis-
ter Matthew Guy has advised Kingston Council he would consider a proposal to rezone green wedge land between Kingston and Heatherton Rds and Lower Dandenong Rd to a Rural Living Zone with a minimum lot size of 2000 square metres “based on its merits�. Mr Guy’s stance has disappointed environmental groups, such as the Defenders of the South East Green Wedge, who oppose further development in green wedges. A spokesperson for the minister said the urban growth boundary introduced by Labor in 2003 was “compromised [reduced] by more than 40,000 hectares� when previous Labor state governments were in power.
“The Coalition government reviewed the urban growth boundary in 2011, fixed up small anomalies and closed the door to any further changes.� The spokesperson said Plan Melbourne was the first document to identify a permanent urban growth boundary. “Statements that it (an urban growth boundary) is yet to be implemented are inaccurate and misleading,� she said. When questioned on Mr Guy’s willingness to consider Kingston Council’s requests to rezone parts of the green wedge, she said the urban growth boundary “will not be extended again�. “If Kingston is seeking to change
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green wedge areas into residential [zones] they need to review their position. “The council is better placed to work on its commercial areas to enhance the housing and employment opportunities within areas such as the Mentone, Moorabbin and Cheltenham activity centres.� Mr Tee said Labor would “lock down� the boundaries of Melbourne’s green wedges. “Green wedges were established under a Liberal government in the 1970s, but they won’t survive four more years of the modern Liberal Party.� Melbourne’s green wedges were established by the Hamer government.
KINGSTON residents are being urged to nominate individuals and groups for the City of Kingston’s Australia Day awards. Australian citizens who either live, work or study within the City of Kingston are eligible for the Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Community Group of the Year or Young Community Group of the Year awards. Nominees should have made a noteworthy contribution over the past year or given outstanding service to the community over a number of years. Nominations close at 5pm on Friday 31 October. Award winners will be announced at the Australia Day Breakfast on 26 January next year. Call Kingston Council on 1300 653 356 or see www.kingston.smartygrants.com.au/australiaday
Final page turner THE monthly ‘Page Turners’ program at Mentone Public Library is a friendly, intimate literary discussion group stepping beyond the pages of our favourite authors into all facets of literature. The final ‘chapter’ for this year is at 2pm, Wednesday 12 November, at the library at 36 Florence St, Mentone at the rear of CAB building. Entry is by gold coin donation. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided. Bookings are essential by calling Carol 9587 5878, Sue 9583 5648 or by emailing mentonepubliclibrary@ gmail.com
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Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News 29 October 2014
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