Victoria, like the rest of Australia, is becoming a concrete desert, reflecting, producing and absorbing heat. Melbourne 2030 and all population growth and development intensification, intensive or sprawl, is a recipe for cooking our planet. We are turning our environment into a frying pan. Please send to smnaesp|AT|alphalink.com.au your short observations on what is happening around you as our leaders allow democracy and ammenity to be over-ridden by development for the enrichment of a very few.
Later, as the (helicopter) pilot angled northward, Joey heard her brother gag in revulsion at the sight of the Western Broward County, where new subdivisions were erupting like cankers in all directions: thousands upon thousands of cookie-cutter houses, jammed together so tightly that it looked like like you could jump from roof to roof for miles on end. Where there were no homes stood office parks, shopping plazas and enormous auto malls--acres and acres of Toyotas and Chryslers, cooking in the sun. Only a slender dirt levee separated the clamorous tide of humanity from the Everglades.
From "Skinny Dip" (2004) p337 by Carl Hiaasen
Observations on the destruction of Melbourne and democracy made by Jill on Saturday 29 September at 8:22 AM
This what I have noted in the past few days:
- One brick Edwardian House on generous but not huge block round the corner from me demolished along with all garden which included tall cypress trees. 3 two storey town houses, minimal garden to be built.
- One demolition in the next street- all garden gone, Expecting high density replacement amidst normal sized houses.
- Another house and garden demolished within walking distance of my house in Wattletree Rd. What look to be 3 storey apartments taking their place.
Was in Camberwell last night. Modest Californian bungalow demolished and humungous Neo Georgian edifice with 5 bathrooms replacing it . All garden areas will be concreted except for the swimming pool which will be tiled.
At Burke Rd end of same street on the corner - Normal sized house demolished replaced by deep excavation I believe to accommodate 7 cars. Concrete retaining wall being constructed on the boundary at present at least 3 metres high but going higher. The neighbour on the side with retaining wall sold up before this happened but in anticipation of it.
That's what I saw yesterday, and I wasn't even looking for it.
Nothing is being considered in this terrible process except the accommodation and totally introspective comfort of more and more people.
Comments
Sheila Newman
Thu, 2007-10-04 10:33
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Sheila Newman, population
Suzy
Tue, 2008-06-24 16:22
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Under siege
anon (not verified)
Sun, 2009-06-28 22:40
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Stop bad town planning outcomes
Our household has been affected by bad town planning decisions. Yarra City Council is hiding behind Melbourne 2030 to justify it poor planning decisions. Overcrowding, noise, lack of parking controls, undesirable neighbors urinating from three storey balconies right in front of our eyes are just a few issues we have to thank our Yarra City town planners for.
During a recent IDAC meeting for a planning application for former Yarra City Councilor Paul D'Agostino (Labor) the committee unanimously carried the motion to approve a permit for a four storey apartment block in a tiny North Fitzroy backstreet 18m wide. There is nothing new about apartment blocks in the North Fitzroy street that the application was proposed for. However a large group of objectors did want Yarra City Council to apply some restrictions to the permit, namely to reduce the number of levels from four to three, which prior to this application, was the maximum number of floor levels permitted in this compact street. The objectors also wanted the committee to address issues of potential parking stress which was considered and issue by the objectors. Needless to say, Steve Jolly (Stephen Jolly) was first to move that Paul D'Agostino's building permit be approved. The other Yarra councillors followed.
See also: urbanplanningyarra.blogspot.com.