Author Archives: Ian

SOS AGM 2017

    Notice of FY 16/17 Annual General Meeting and screening of “Citizen Jane – Battle for the City”

Save Our Suburbs Inc (Vic) will hold its 2017 AGM on Sunday 19th November 2017 at 2:30pm in Meeting Room 1, Hawthorn Library, 584 Glenferrie Rd Hawthorn.
DOWNLOAD MAP OF VENUE HERE
The SOS Committee decided earlier this year not to levy membership fees for the 17/18 financial year, and that all paid-up members from FY 15/16 would remain current members for this financial year. Consequently, all SOS members financial until 30 June 2016 (FY 15/16) or later are current members and may vote at this AGM.

At this AGM, the Association will –
– Confirm the minutes of the last preceding annual general meeting;
– Receive a report from the President and a s94 financial report for last financial year
– Elect a proportion of the Officers and Committee members of the Association, as follows:
Vice-President, Treasurer & Secretary; three ordinary committee members

Nominations for the committee:
DOWNLOAD NOMINATION FORM HERE
Nominations must be in writing and signed by the current member and two other current members of the Association. Nomination forms are on our website home-page: but any format is acceptable if it contains the required information. Call 0424 104 274 for further details.
Nominations must be received at least 7 days before the AGM (ie, by Nov. 12th, 2017). Send to:
The Secretary, SOS, PO Box 739, Richmond 3121; or scan and email to sos@sos.asn.au
Any candidate statements received will be posted on the SOS website.

Proxies:
DOWNLOAD PROXY FORM HERE
If you are a current member unable to attend the AGM and want another current member or the Chair to act on your behalf, please complete a Proxy form and send it by 3pm Thursday November 16th 2017 to:
The Secretary, PO Box 739, Richmond 3121; or scan and email to sos@sos.asn.au

The Secretary,
Save Our Suburbs

* * *
After the AGM we will screen the 2016 feature documentary

“Citizen Jane – Battle for the City”

This inspiring feature film details the successful struggle of activist Jane Jacobs and local NY residents against the motorways and soulless hi-rise blocks proposed by despotic planner Robert Moses in post-WW11 New York City.

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody” – Jane Jacobs
“A celebration of grassroots activism and a cry for community” – The Observer

Reviews:
“Citizen Jane: Battle for the City review – New York’s urban planning war retold” (Guardian, 4.5.17)
“A new documentary leaves Jane Jacobs trapped in the rubble of old arguments” (LA Times, 13.4.17)
 “Street fighter: how Jane Jacobs saved New York from Bulldozer Bob” (Guardian, 1.5.17)

Dr Greg Moore speaks on Suburban Trees and Urban Sustainability at the SOS AGM 2015

Save Our Suburbs held the 2015 AGM on Sunday 15 November at the Library at the Dock, 107 Victoria Harbour Promenade, Docklands. Following the meeting Dr Greg Moore spoke on the importance of Suburban Trees and Urban Sustainability.

Dr Greg Moore was Principal of Burnley College at Melbourne University from 1988 to 2007, Lecturer in Plant Science and Arboriculture from 1979, and Head of the School of Resource Management from 2002 to 2007. Greg has a specific interest in arboriculture, the scientific study of tree cultivation and management. He is a major speaker at Australian and overseas conferences and has contributed to the development of Australian Standards in pruning and amenity tree evaluation. He has been a regular on Melbourne radio, particularly ABC 774 and 3AW.

He has chaired the committee of the National Trust of Victoria’s Register of Significant Trees since 1996. He has been on the Boards of Greening Australia (Vic) since 1989 and of Sustainable Gardening Australia since 2002. For the last 10 years has chaired Treenet, an independent organisation seeking to improve the urban forest.

A ministerial nomination as a Trustee for the Trust for Nature, he has also served on a number of industry and TAFE committees. He is currently pursuing research related to trees and re-vegetation in the urban environment

His papers & articles include:

  • “Tree Management for Carbon, Energy and Drought Efficiency”
  • “Climate Change, Healthy Gardens and Healthy People”, and
  • “Urban Trees – Worth More Than They Cost”.

For articles and papers by Dr Moore and related references on the health and economic value of trees and open space, click here.      For copy of Dr Moore’s presentation, click here.

At the AGM, SOS confirmed the minutes of the last AGM; received a Committee report on SOS transactions during the last financial year; considered the statement submitted by the Association under s94 of the new Act and elected officers of the Association and ordinary members of the Committee.  The following members were elected:

President & Treasurer – Ian Wood

Vice-President – Rosetta Manaszewicz

Secretary – Ann Birrell

Committee members – Cheryl Forge, Mike Taafe, David Rayson. The following committee members are continuing:  Don Dunstan, Les Clark, Peter Anscombe.

Planning Act Amendment (Recognising Objectors) Bill 2015

Planning Minister Wynne claims the Bill is going to improve decision-making and planning outcomes, and increase the confidence of residents in the planning system. 

Will it make a difference?  Very little…..   See our edited submission to the Parliamentary Environment & Planning Committee (submissions closed on July 6).

THIS is how the relevant bits of the Act would read if the Bill in its current form is passed

This issue is politically important because this Bill is the result of an ALP election promise to ‘give the community a voice‘.  The Minister claims the Bill will improve decision-making and planning outcomes, and increase community confidence in the planning system.  But if it’s going to be able to do that, it needs to be toughened up a bit first – and the Upper House of Parliament is the best place to start!

So please lobby your local MPs and cross-bench Upper House MPs, even if you just reiterate some of our key points and your own comments.

Sixteen submissions have been lodged with the Upper House Parliamentary Environment & Planning Committee, which consists of 3 Coalition MPs, 3 ALP MPs, Greens planning spokesperson Samantha Dunn MP and Daniel Brown MP of the Shooters and Fishers Party – quite a varied bunch, and the cross-benchers have more power in the new Parliament.

At a half-day hearing on July 10, five organisations also addressed the Committee – the transcripts of their comments can be read HERE (including only one community group presentation).

The Bill won’t come up again in the Parliament until after the winter recess (ie, in August), so this is an ideal time to talk to your local MP.

Worried about local overdevelopment in Glen Eira and Port Phillip?

STOP PRESS!   Do you have concerns about over-development such as apartments or multi-storey buildings in Glen Eira and Port Phillip, or questions about planning laws?



Join the Shadow Minister for Planning and Local Government the Hon David Davis MLC and local Caulfield Liberal MP David Southwick on Monday 27 July in Caulfield to contribute and express your concerns.

This is your chance to let the Opposition know what you think of the way the new residential zones have been implemented in Glen Eira, unleashing nearly 90 years worth of extra housing!  Yet the community was never consulted by Council on the form and location of the new zones.

Monday, 27 July 2015,  7:30pm – 9:00pm

Caulfield Park Pavilion Hall, Balaclava Rd, Caulfield North RSVP essential by 5pm Monday 27 July via phone 9527 3866 or email david.southwick@parliament.vic.gov.au