Housing Afforability!

Healesville real deal

Median house price rockets into the high range in picturesque town

HEALESVILLE is the star performer in the latest real estate figures for the Yarra Ranges.

New REIV figures reveal the picturesque town recorded a median house price of $580,000 in the March quarter, up 37.9 per cent from the December quarter of last year where the median was $420,500.

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C97 Report by Jim Child

Below is a copy from Jim's post.  It can be accessed here as well

C97 Amendment Doomed!

"Amendment C97 to the Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme delivers planning controls to implement Council's adopted Housing Strategy including the Neighbourhood Character Study. The Housing Strategy establishes Council's strategic vision for future housing and is intended to guide residential development in Yarra Ranges for the next 20 years." - SRY.

It is my honest opinion that last night, Council placed our whole planning process into a state of limbo. Their resolution in regards to the C97 amendment will not be accepted by the Minister and the whole saga will start again at great expense to the ratepayer.

Council denies the C97 Planning Amendment Panel's scathing criticism of the Yarra Ranges Council.

"The Panel concludes that Amendment C97 fails the elementary test of any planning scheme amendment which is a strong strategic justification." 

"The 2009 Housing Strategy has been strongly influenced by community consultation that has distracted Council from applying sound and logical planning principles to its assessment." 

 "The diversification of housing stock is the key to increasing housing choice but this must be provided in a variety of locations and not just be limited to the ‘consolidation areas’ as is the outcome of the 2009 Housing Strategy. As repeatedly noted in the submissions, people want to be able ‘to age in place’ and remain living in their local communities. This is a central tenet of Council’s Ageing Policy and it is not assisted at all by the likely outcomes of Amendment C97." - C97 Planning Amendment Panel

C97 comment (emailed)

It would be a great pity to disallow suitable 2^nd homes (2 lot subdivisions) on existing allotments in the Coldstream estate. To do so means that some long term residents, wishing to grow old in place but needing less land cannot be accommodated. Availability of affordable housing for first home buyers and other family groups would be more difficult. The use and servicing of the existing infrastructure may be seriously affected. The overall the area may become stagnant.

Good design principles, sensitive home styles & landscaping can be achieved in a manner that will compliment the existing housing estate.

Coldstream- LEAST CHANGE

The following paragraphs are from the Council Agenda Item 8.1 for next week. 

Do you think the first paragraph describes the Coldstream township?

The least change areas generally include significant vegetation, are in relatively remote locations, with limited services and may be subject to environmental constraints such as high fire risk. These areas at the outer periphery of the residential neighbourhoods and signify areas where further development is not considered to be sustainable. Development in these areas could place future residents at risk and/or will impact on preferred neighbourhood character.

The Panel‟s recommendations have been considered regarding the boundaries of the consolidation, incremental and least change areas. It is proposed to uphold the Panel‟s recommendation to include the “Tecoma, Belgrave, Upwey corridor” in an incremental change area. It is not recommended that the designations for Montrose, Coldstream or other areas be altered as they are consistent with the criteria for establishing least change areas.

Comment: Your thoughts welcome

C97 Update

C97 The Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme - Housing Amendment will be presented at the next Council meeting, Tuesday 24th April 2012.  

If it passes in its revised form there will be no more housing in Coldstream.

COMMENT:

What does this mean for Coldream?

Coldstream has been classed as a LEAST CHANGE AREA.

New housing will need 1000m2 of land and means the end of DUAL OCCS.

REF:   opens the draft paper.

Rural property values rocket

Closer to Melbourne, house prices in Healesville leapt almost 40 per cent in 12 months.

The median Healesville house price is $580,000, which can buy a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house on a big block.


Adrian Hill bought his Healesville house, with sweeping views across vineyards, in 2001.

REFERENCE:  http://m.news.com.au/VIC/fi1167520.htm   Nicola Webber

Comment:  Food for thought:

What effect will this have on the family unit, are we making Healesville too expensive for our children to live near their families?

How will the median price of  $580,000 change the character of Healesville?

Does Healesville need to expand its UGB to control these crazy increases in prices?

YOUR THOUGHTS ARE WELCOME

email mario@coldstreamtimber.com.au to have them published.

 

 

Coldstream 3770

Not much is happening in Coldstream at the moment, hence the lack of new articles.

Rural Fence & Trade has moved into the Coldstream on the corner of Station St and Maroondah Highway.

Check them out on www.ruralfenceandtrade.com.au

Coldstream Timber has moved its office area directly across the road from its old site.

Check us out at www.coldstreamtimber.com.au

COLDSTREAM  2020 is not dead and we are quietly working towards our goal to expand the boundary of Coldstream to allow another 1000+ houses.  The recent council motion by Cr Cox put a stop to all talk about the UGB in the Shire.

Comment:  email me at mario@coldstreamtimber.com.au if you want to add any news to this blog

March weather statistics for Coldstream Estate.

Averages\Extremes for the month of March 2012

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Average temperature     = 16.3°C

Average humidity        = 75%

Average dewpoint        = 11.4°C

Average barometer       = 1015.2 hPa

Average windspeed       = 3.3 km/h

Average gustspeed       = 6.2 km/h

Average direction       = 126° ( SE)

Rainfall for month      = 60.6 mm

March Average           = 48.0 mm

Rainfall for year       = 185.4 mm

Maximum rain per minute = 1.2 mm on day 15 at time 16:09

Maximum temperature     = 31.2°C on day 14 at time 14:45

Minimum temperature     = 3.2°C on day 25 at time 07:18

Maximum humidity        = 98% on day 03 at time 08:53

Minimum humidity        = 29% on day 13 at time 17:16

Maximum dewpoint        = 20.6°C on day 15 at time 17:33

Minimum dewpoint        = 1.7°C on day 23 at time 14:03

Maximum pressure        = 1026.8 hPa on day 07 at time 11:03

Minimum pressure        = 1001.5 hPa on day 20 at time 07:30

Maximum windspeed       = 25.9 kmh from 135°( SE) on day 02 at time 10:16

Maximum gust speed      = 44.4 km/h from 135°( SE) on day 01 at time 08:54

Maximum heat index      = 31.5°C on day 14 at time 14:43

Avg daily max temp :22.7°C

Avg daily min temp :11.1°C

Total windrun = 2452.0km

-----------------------------------

Daily rain totals

-----------------------------------

  11.4 mm  on day 2

  00.4 mm  on day 4

  21.8 mm  on day 5

  00.6 mm  on day 7

  00.4 mm  on day 8

  02.4 mm  on day 11

  02.0 mm  on day 16

  21.6 mm  on day 17

  01.4 mm  on day 18

  05.8 mm  on day 23

  02.0 mm  on day 24

  01.0 mm  on day 25

  00.2 mm  on day 26

  00.6 mm  on day 31

Regards,

Robert Bethell

Comment:  Thanks Robert.  Appears to be a warm March.