Townships around the Yarra Ranges will have a new shine thanks to a dedicated priority response township cleaning crew funded in this year's draft budget.
Council's draft 2010/11 budget, which will be presented for in-principle approval at its May 25 meeting, provides $140,000 each year for the team.
Yarra Ranges Mayor Len Cox said the crew would be on hand to help keep the region's townships clean and attractive.
Comment: My gut feeling is that $140 000 is a total waste of money. $140K would probably be the wages for about 3 workers. How can we expect 3 workers to keep our Shire clean? Who has been doing this in the past? Is there an income from people caught littering?
Your thoughts are welcome but read the full story by clicking on the title above.
Cr Cox said in order to carry out vital community services and continue with the council's asset renewal and development program, an average rate increase of 6.05% was needed.
A further 0.9% will also be added to the average rate increase to cover extensive additional costs of bushfire preparation works
Yarra Ranges council provides more than 150 services including the following (2008/09):
Processed 2274 planning applications Built 17 new roads totalling 16.3km Swept 3700km of roads/streets Registered 22,119 dogs and 7089 cats Issued 392 local laws permits Prosecuted 43 dog attacks Received 198,886 calls at Community Links Served 166,021 customers at its Community Links Immunised 13,325 vaccinations at public sessions and 4608 at secondary schools Provided a grading program for 850kms of the unsealed road network Cleared 570km of drains Treated 785sq kms of unsealed roads with dust suppressant Removed 15,000km sq of graffiti from paling fences 8000 pit inspections and clearing Carried out 471 private tree inspections Processed 32,240 customer requests Counselling for 280 young people Meals on wheels for 491 clients Assisted with 10,730 hours of property maintenance to 1543 clients Provided 36,174 hours of home care to 1366 clients Welcomed 434,901 visitors to council's nine aquatic facilities Maintained 64 council ovals and 16 community halls Controlled weeds at 330 sections of roadside covering 550kms Hosted 10 business workshop and events attended by more than 700 people Facilitated 473 programs and activities at the Mooroolbark Community Centre Facilitated 218 programs and activities at the Montrose Town Centre
Recycling at Council's recovery and waste transfer centre in Coldstream is now even easier thanks to $200,000 worth of improvements at the site.
Work was recently completed to increase the number of unloading bays for residents disposing of recycled items at the transfer centre.
Yarra Ranges Mayor Len Cox said the improvements were completed in response to an increased number of recyclables being collected at the site.
"Residents have become a lot more conscientious when it comes to recycling unwanted household items," Cr Cox said.
"As technology improves, so too does our ability to recycle a larger variety of used goods, including televisions, computers and other equipment, which is a much better alternative to sending them directly to landfill," he said.
Improvements at the transfer centre include an extra three unloading bays for recycling, and an extra two bays for general waste disposal.
Systems for recovery of e-waste have also been improved to provide for the increased number of electrical goods including televisions, computers and other appliances that are disposed of at the centre.
"Improvements at the site will also assist in reducing traffic congestion and queues, enabling residents to unload their recyclables in less time," Cr Cox said.
The Coldstream Recovery and Waste Transfer Centre is located on Ingram Road, Coldstream, and is open from 8.30am to 4pm seven days a week.
Council Recovery and Waste Transfer Centres are also located in Healesville and Wesburn.
VICTORIAN CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL administrative DIVISION
The permit allows::
·The construction of a second dwelling on a lot and removal of one tree.
A single storey dwelling is to be constructed behind an existing dwelling. The new dwelling will include two bedrooms and other living and utility areas. A single space carport is to be constructed on west side of the new dwelling accessed from the existing cross over to Wheeler Street (which would be widened by 2m). Outdoor living areas for both dwellings will face to the north and west.
The new dwelling would be constructed using a mix of colourbond and rendered walls and a skillion colourbond roof. Minor alterations to the roof line of the existing dwelling are proposed.
The objectors grounds also raised issues about environmental, amenity and native vegetation impacts which were not pressed in oral submissions, but nevertheless were raised in the written grounds. I find that these are not determinative issues to my decision. The proposal involves no removal of native vegetation. Being in an urban setting there were no issues of environmental impact that could be said to have been relevant and the design response in terms of presentation of building bulk, overlooking, overshadowing and setbacks meet the applicable standards under Clause 55 and, as the Council set out, were all acceptable.
The issue of traffic generation, also raised by the objectors is not a grounds for refusing a permit in this instance. The addition of one extra dwelling would not see an increase in traffic volume of such significance that the amenity or safety of residents in the street would be detrimentally affected. No pre-existing conditions were drawn to my attention as to particular circumstances that would warrant refusal of an additional dwelling on this basis.
The policy context for medium density development
It has been put to me quite plainly that some residents do not consider Coldstream to be one of the rural towns where medium density should occur as such development would intrude into the overall rural character of the town and it is not supported by local policy. The objectors rely on various strategy objectives set out under the Municipal Strategic Statement (the MSS) that medium density development in rural towns should be limited to the larger towns with infrastructure and services capable of supporting such development. It is submitted that such development should be limited to the larger towns of Healesville, Warburton, Yarra Glen and Yarra Junction.
In Coldstream, the predominant form of single dwellings per lot will be retained because of the covenants that exist over a large proportion of the lots that prevent more than one dwelling being built.
In response to a wider view of the policy position, Mr Peel submits that there is no need for this type of diversity in Coldstream. He relies on data to show a very low percentage of vacant dwellings (2%) and that as older residents move out, due to the lack of social and medical support services, opportunities will arise for new residents to move in. He also points to the difference between growth rates between YarraRanges and the Casey and Whittlesea municipalities.
I conclude that in weighing up the relevant policy and site context, there is no ‘in principle’ or policy prohibition to this proposal occurring on this site in Coldstream.
e mail me at coldstream@eftel.net.au (lower case) if you would like a copy of the FULL report.
