By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
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HUNDREDS of residents in Dandenong have no right-of-appeal against multi-storey apartment blocks in their streets.
As reported by the Weekly last week, neighbours were unable to formally object against a three-storey apartment block at 30 MacPherson Street – one of Dandenong’s oldest, most sought-after residential streets.
The street is like scores of others near central Dandenong within a four-square-kilometre, residential 2 zone, which the council has exempted from third-party notification and right-of-appeal for planning applications.
The affected residential 2 zone streets 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.
Last Monday, furious residents bombarded a Greater Dandenong Council meeting with questions, demanding to know why their streets weren’t protected from high-rise apartments.
MacPherson Street resident Tim Evans said it was time that people were made aware of the threat. “Once one of these apartments goes up in the street, it’s going to make residents run for the hills.”
Cr Jim Memeti, also a property developer, told the Weekly he would support a smaller residential 2 zone. “The zone is too big for what we need at the moment. I understand [the zone] is the future but it should be introduced so there’s minimal impact on existing residents.”
Cr John Kelly, who’s opposed to three-storey-plus developments in the area, called for a public meeting between residents and council planners.
“Planners will be planners. They don’t always see the human side of it. I’ve asked the planners about changing the planning scheme and it’s a big load of work. It has to go through the state government.”
The council had previously unsuccessfully tried to reduce the zone’s northern boundary from David Street to Herbert Street, east of Stud Road. Greater Dandenong city planning director Jody Bosman said the state government had quashed the attempt.
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