1. GLENROY ACTION GROUP (GAG)

        3. MEDIA RELEASE 16 JANUARY 2005

          1. GLENROY SAYS "NO" TO HIGH RISE IN OUR SUBURB

On Tuesday 18 January 2005 the first hearing of Planning Minister Delahunty’s newly established Priority Development Panel will be held. This precedent-setting panel will hear her "call-in" of an application made to VCAT by Moreland Council and residents for review of a multi-storey development within the newly designated Glenroy Major Activity Centre, created under Melbourne 2030 (the Bracks blueprint for Melbourne.)

Kelvin Param of Glenroy Action Group commented, "Residents were in a state of shock when plans for the development of high-rise twin towers were first revealed for Glenroy – a suburb notable for its low rise housing on normal housing blocks. Glenroy residents submitted more than 300 letters of objection to Moreland Council.

This monster pair of 17 storey and 12 storey apartment buildings was to be located very close to the Glenroy train station and very near an extremely busy and constantly congested level crossing.

The development was, however, scaled down to a 9 and 6 storey pair of residential towers set on top of a 2 storey podium after aviation authorities considered that the towers were a danger to aircraft landing at Essendon airport.

But this development is still unacceptable given its inappropriate scale, location and potential to congest traffic in the area."

  1. Julianne Bell of Protectors of Public Lands Victoria observes,

  2. "Opposition to approval for high-rise, high-density developments sanctioned under Melbourne 2030 is not new. A protest by 62 resident action groups "Melbourne Says No to High Rise in Our Suburbs" was held on 5 October 2004 on the steps of Parliament.

  4. The rally was part of the opposition to the Mitcham twin towers development and called for a review of Melbourne 2030 and a ban on high-rise tower blocks as proposed for Broadmeadows, Brunswick, Camberwell, Collingwood, Glenroy, Mitcham, and Wheelers Hill. Unfortunately, the Government has to date appeared deaf to these protests. Resident and community groups will be observing with interest the outcome of the new Priority Planning Panel hearing on the Glenroy development."

  6. MEDIA CONTACT: Kelvin Param GAG
  7. Phone: 0400 663 301 Email: kelvin_param@yahoo.com.au