Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Greater Geelong City Council held at the Council Conference and Reception Centre - City Hall on 11 September 2012, commencing at 7:00pm.
Jennifer Bantow
Andrew McNeill
Colin Wallace
Mary Wallace
Cr J Mitchell (Chair)
Crs:
B Abley
J Doull
J Farrell
K Fisher
C Granger
E Kontelj* (7:12pm)
R Macdonald
R Nelson
A Richards
S Griffin (Chief Executive Officer
J Wall (General Manager Corporate Services)
P Bettess (General Manager Economic Development, Planning and Tourism)
G Van Driel (General Manager City Services)
J McMahon (General Manager Community Services)
D Frost (General Manager Projects, Recreation and Central Geelong)
K Paton (Manager Arts and Culture)
J Brown (Manager Administration and Governance)
R Bourke (Governance Co ordinator)
J Merlo (Senior Media Officer)
The Mayor declared the meeting open at 7:pm.
The Mayor acknowledged that we are here today on the land of the Wathaurong People and we pay our respects to Aboriginal elders past and present.
Crs:
B Harwood
S Kontelj
Cr Granger moved, Cr Nelson seconded -
That the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 28 August 2012 be confirmed and signed.
Carried.
Nil.
Question Time is an opportunity for questions to be addressed to Council and while the minutes record the general content, they do not purport to be a transcript of what was said by individuals. Likewise Councillor or Officer verbal responses are in summary form only. Views expressed may not be the views of Council.
Council's practice is to provide a separate document on its website setting out questions and responses including any more detailed written responses which may be provided subsequent to the meeting.
Jennifer Bantow congratulated Cr Granger and all Councillors for supporting the Lara Heritage Review process, but expressed regret at 11 places being demolished between the original outer areas study and the current review.
The Geelong National Trust has been contacted by two Highton residents in this regard from Bassey Avenue and Bonsey Road. 31 places were identified in Highton in the outer areas study, 10 are now listed with individual Heritage Overlays. This leaves only 21 to be reviewed.
Would Cr Nelson please consider looking into the possibility of a review for these 21 places with the objective of preparing a planning scheme amendment to protect these places with heritage overlay?
Peter Bettess responded that Council has to go through the same process as Lara and look at the places not listed on the Planning Scheme. There is no funding in this years budget, but may be considered for inclusion in next years budget.
Andrew McNeill asked a question in relation to the removal of his property from Phase 2 of the Lara Heritage Review as he believes his home has no historical ‘value’.
Peter Bettess responded that the report before Council is simply an update in relation to the Review and didn’t believe there would be any implications in relation to the property. If this does occur, there will be an opportunity, as the planning scheme amendment progresses, for you to put your case forward concerning its listing.
The Mayor suggested contacting Mr Bettess to arrange a time to discuss the issue in more detail.
Colin Wallace asked:
Would Councillors note that the public lecture given by Professor Jan Gehl on 3rd October 2011 at Deakin University, in which he talked a lot about pedestrians and planning for people on a human scale, can be viewed by googling Deakin University and Jan Ghel and then using iTunes, though Part One appears where Part Three should be and vice versa, and that I strongly encourage you to view his lecture because what he has to say is brilliant, sensible, humane and utterly relevant to you fulfilling your duty as councillors?
Would Councillors note that you can obtain the Ropeworks Panel Report, Greater Geelong Amendment C96/Planning Permit 1628/2004, from Planning Panels Victoria?
The Mayor noted the comments.
Mary Wallace asked:
Would Councillors note that I spoke at the Ropeworks Panel Hearing held in August-September 2006 and I focused on pedestrians and First Street, Geelong West which is referred to in Section 6.7.1 of the Panel Report, page 63 in the hard copy report, and this is what it says: ‘Mr Wallace and Mrs Wallace in their separate submissions commented on the likely use of local street routes and Mrs Wallace had particular concerns about the use of First Street by cars given the existing pedestrian usage of the street’?
Would Councillors note that there was an expert traffic engineer on the Ropeworks Panel, there were three traffic engineering consultants’ reports, there were two traffic engineering expert witnesses and Woolworths had two barristers, one of them a QC, and the outcome in respect of First Street was that the Ropeworks Panel made it absolutely clear that the use of First Street by cars was to be minimised?
Would Councillors note that I encourage you all to view Professor Jan Gehl’s lecture held at Deakin University on 3rd October 2011 but I want to draw your attention here tonight to the fact that Professor Jan Gehl is against one-way streets – refer to Part One of the lecture – because one-way streets serve to have cars going faster along the street and have more cars going through ‘but it’s much more complicated and dangerous for people to cross a one-way street than a two-way street’?
Would Councillors note that, if Council intends to make First Street a one-way street, I have no doubt the intention is to encourage the use of First Street by cars and, if Council makes First Street a one-way street, Council knowingly would be making it much more complicated and dangerous for pedestrians crossing First Street?
Would Councillors note that, if Council makes First Street, Geelong West a one-way street, I believe Council would be failing in its duty of care and would be acting undemocratically, unethically and immorally?
The Mayor noted the comments.
Nil.
* Cr E Kontelj entered the meeting room at 7:12pm
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Last Update: 9 August 2013