Plans for this were lodged prior to Christmas and the developers applied to VCAT before council made their decision. Local residents were not informped and there has been no community consultation. Boroondara Council refused the permit and will be fighting this at VCAT.
A small number of residents have agreed to engage Nick Crawford from TP Legal, a town planning lawyer to present the residents case at the 6 day VCAT hearing on the 30th April.
Contributions are sought to cover this cost from interested residents. Please see this information sheet for further details.
I am very sympathetic to this cause but I am afraid the die was cast when approval for the office block bounded by Elgin St, Elgin Place, Power St and the railway line was passed. I was one of 3 protesteors at VCAT in the morning and by afternoon I was on my own. I was aghast at the specious arguments the developer’s representatives put forward and was not knowledgable enough to refute them.
Neither of these developmets actually affects me as I live in Lennox St but I am sorry that more was not done to stop the 5 storey buiding going ahead. Once one passes more will follow.
Agree Megan,
I turned up at the VCAT hearing for 108 Power St later the afternoon and the whole thing was already over. The council changed their tune at the last minute and this particular parcel of land had slipped though the West Hawthorn Urban Design Framework and not been properly considered.
There is also a development proposal for 60-62 Burwood Rd PP11/01247 (The travel Agents) that has been brought to my attention that could set a dangerous precedent for the West Hawthorn Village if approved.
VCAT & its members are a joke. A classic example is Barry Josephs – who takes pride in bullying individuals with barefaced lies.