By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
A RESIDENTS campaign to drive future high-rise development out of their suburbs won some ground last month.
Greater Dandenong Council rejected a proposal for a three-storey, 27-unit apartment building in Grace Avenue, Dandenong – a plan labelled as “deplorable” by a neighbour.
Melinda Puglisi, a member of the newly-formed Dandenong Community Association, said the proposal went “way too far”.
She said the association’s aim was to raise awareness of the high-rise threat to residents in neighbouring streets in Dandenong’s “expansive” residential growth zone.
“There are residents out there that don’t realise that four-storey developments may now be possible in their street because they live in the (zone).”
The affected zone streets, currently under review by Greater Dandenong Council include the areas bounded by:
■ Pultney Street, Dandenong Creek, Clow Street and Foster Street.
■ Clow Street, Ross Street, David Street and Princes Highway.
■ Railway Parade, just west of Robinson Street, Princes Highway and Jones Road.
The DCA, supported by councillor Matthew Kirwan, wants the high-rise zone confined to Dandenong’s CBD and has continually raised the issue in public council meetings since late last year.
Ms Puglisi said the review was the “perfect opportunity for residents to unite and lobby our council to shrink the residential growth zone”.
The Grace Avenue proposal was rejected by the council’s planners for an array of reasons including being out-of-scale with the predominantly single-storey streetscape.
The council report stated the plan “did not respect the existing or preferred neighbourhood character”, its design did not provide for the safety and accessibility of residents, inadequate provision of site services and waste management, and its basement car park’s design did not provide adequate clearance.
Mayor Jim Memeti, who has also called for the zone to be shrunk, said the developer could appeal the council’s rejection at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal or lodge an alternative proposal.
To find out about the Dandenong Community Association, email dca3175@yahoo.com.au, call 0449 518 351 or visit facebook.com/dca3175.
