Coburg Trash and Treasure

Hi Newlanders,

My friend and I are having a stall at Coburg Trash and Treasure this Sunday 20 December, she has lots of cool clothes (she is about a million times more stylish than me!) and I'll have lots of books, antique hand-blown glass, dog travel cage,1950's crockery, garden stuff and tools. 

Come down for local's 'mates rates'.

Thanks, Gigi.

The Coburg Quest

The Coburg Quest

8-29^th November 2015

A project as part of MoreArt

The Coburg Quest is an interactive treasure hunt through hidden venues in Coburg, where participants meet gatekeepers of secrets, uncover clues and solve riddles. The Coburg Quest is part of MoreArt, 2015, and will run from the 8^th to the 29^th of November, with a final quiz on the 29^th. It’s free, ideal for families, and anyone can participate by signing up at www.thecoburgquest.com

The Coburg Quest seeks to bring together different facets of the suburb in a mixed bag of activities. Through the week, participants will be SMSed ‘green’ challenges which spark a personal artistic practice in their immediate surrounds, and on weekends will receive ‘red’ challenges which take them further afield in the suburb. Participants might throw boomerangs in the morning with the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Boomerang Association, visit historical sites opened especially for the Quest, or eat  delicacies at secret cafes . Clues and riddles scattered through the ‘red’ challenges will trigger questions for the end of Quest Quiz where one team will be crowned the Queens of Coburg.

The Coburg Quest

This project sounds like a whole lot of fun - it’s running as part of MoreART - Morelands public art programme:

http://thecoburgquest.com/about/#

Future of Planning in Coburg

Council will be voting on Amendment C123 on Wednesday 12 November (7pm Brunswick Town Hall).  This is our FINAL chance to influence Councillors as they vote on the future of Coburg. The decision by Council next Wednesday night will change the face of Coburg forever.

Council will be voting on the Council Officer’s report responding to the recommendations from Planning Panel Victoria.  A copy of the Council report is attached.  The full Council agenda is available on Moreland Council’s website (http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/about-council/council-and-committee-meetings/council-meetings/agenda-next-council-meeting.html) and contains the full report from Planning Panel Victoria and a further report from Council officers justifying recommendations to Council.

In December 2013 Council listened to residents’ concerns and while their decisions did not go far enough for Save Coburg, they are decisions that we need Council to continue to support.

Recommendations going forward to Council on Wednesday include the following and reverse several decisions made by Council following lobbying by residents:

•       Maximum heights: Revert to the originally exhibited maximum overall heights - 10 storeys.

•       Discretionary heights:  Provide discretion to vary maximum heights.

•       Reduced environmental standards: Revise the ESD requirement to define ‘best practice’ and to replace references to 6 Star Green Star (world leader) with 4 Star Green Star (best practice) for larger developments.

•       Removal of requirement for affordable housing: Revise the requirements for affordable and accessible housing to ‘encourage’ affordable and accessible housing and remove the proportional requirements.

•       Exemption from Third Party appeal rights: Exempt proposals from third party notice and review rights unless the proposal is within 30 metres of a residential zone or land used for a hospital or education centre and if the preferred heights, setbacks and interface treatments are not complied with.

The report from Planning Panel Victoria noted that council resolved to reduce the building heights in sub-precincts from those exhibited in 2012 in "response to community concerns".

Planning Panel Victoria dismissed residents' concern as a justifiable reason for reducing maximum heights and recommended heights that heights should remain as those exhibited. 

The Planning Panel members do not live in Coburg. Our views about Coburg should count.

We need residents to re-contact our Councillors to request that they maintain their original decisions of December 2013 as well as reinstate thrid party notice and appeal rights to be consistent with the Brunswick Structure Plan. 

We also need as many residents as possible to attend the Council meeting on Wednesday to voice your concerns:

lthompson@moreland.vic.gov.au, sbolton@moreland.vic.gov.au, rthompson@moreland.vic.gov.au, mteti@moreland.vic.gov.au,hdavidson@moreland.vic.gov.au, jkavanagh@moreland.vic.gov.au, lgillies@moreland.vic.gov.au, oyildiz@moreland.vic.gov.au,

sratnam@moreland.vic.gov.au, mhopper@moreland.vic.gov.au, ltapinos@moreland.vic.gov.au.

Regards,

Save Coburg Residents’ Network.

The Future of Coburg

Council to vote on the future of Coburg

Moreland Councillors will be voting on Coburg Planning Amendment C123 at their next Council meeting on Wednesday 13 November.

So if you don’t want:

·        10 storey buildings in Coburg

·        6 & 8 storey buildings beside residences

·        To lose our community spaces

·        Overcrowded roads, trains and trams

·        To lose your right to object

Then join us at the Council meeting……

Date: Wednesday 13 November

Time: 6.30 pm

Venue: Glenroy Senior Citizens Centre, 11 Cromwell Street, Glenroy. Organised by the Save Coburg Residents’ Network

History of Coburg

Coburg Mix

http://melbourneartcritic.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/coburg-mix/#comments

By Mark Holsworth

Coburg is changing – I’ve had this conversation many times, one of the most memorable was with another resident in the Victoria Street Mall. I liked the changes and he didn’t, was this simply a matter of different tastes? He didn’t like the café culture although he couldn’t explain what was wrong with people talking and enjoying life. I enjoy having more good cafes and restaurants within walking distance of my home. I wanted to understand why he didn’t like the changes but he kept on talking about the way things used to be. In the end I could only conclude that he just didn’t like change.

Victoria St. Mall, Coburg

Coburg cannot simply be seen simply as a working class suburb in the north of Melbourne. Coburg is a mix of the old and new, people from around the world, a mix that creates a friendly atmosphere on the liminal zone.  Coburg is now in the liminal zone the inner and outer suburbs but it was once a rural village just to the north of Melbourne. The basic structure of Coburg was laid out in the late 19^th century when it was still a rural village aspiring to be a city. The row of churches, the grid of major streets, the pubs, the cemetery, and the civic and recreational spaces had been created before the population boomed.
Coburg remains a mix, a muddled merger, a blend that hasn’t been homogenized into one substance. All there are many elements in this mix from the rural and urban, the mix of prison and industry, the mix of nationalities and a mix of classes. The mansions along the Avenue and the Grove are an indication the wealth of some people who lived in Coburg in the late 19^th century.

Mansion in Coburg

Richard Broome often comments in his book, Coburg – between two creeks, on this mix even when Coburg became a largely working class suburb in the 1920 – 70s. (p.215) Broome comments on the aspirations of Coburg’s blue-collar employees, reflected in the higher than average home ownership in the suburb. Coburg as suburb with high home ownership; even in the Great Depression there were only a handful of repossession in Coburg. Home ownership makes people, in a classic Marxist sense, not working class as they have capital. Although Coburg did have a large number of factory workers during the 1920 – 70s as the factories closed down the population mix changed yet again and Coburg became a dormitory suburb.
The micro-suburbs like Connan’s Hill on the border of Coburg. Or “the Toorak of the north” as the original publicity claimed for the new suburb of Merlynston. Both of these mico-suburbs were urbanized post WWI before they were all farmland.
Coburg’s Chinese population arrived along with the European settlement of the area and specialized in market gardening. Chinese market gardens opposite the Coburg Town Hall; the land was acquired by the city, although there were still Chinese working market gardens along the Merri Creek into the 1970s. The presence of the Chinese market gardens was marked by a piece of pavement art in the park. Kitty Owens and Mary Zbierski pavement painting ‘Magic Carpet’ (Ghost Chinese Market Garden) first exhibited as part of the Moreland Sculpture Show (it was in chalk then and was on a different piece of pavement), now the painting has gone too.

Kitty Owens and Mary Zbierski ‘Magic Carpet’ (Ghost Chinese Market Garden) pavement painting Coburg

The mix of Coburg is one of its many attractions; it makes for great people watching. I love walking or cycling around the suburb, I can do almost all my shopping locally and dine out locally. I do have to leave the suburb for art galleries and most of my live entertainment.
Coburg is an area of land bounded by the Merri and Moonee Valley creeks. The Moonee Valley creek is now just a large concrete drain but the Merri Creek is now an attractive place, recovering from its badly polluted state in the late 20^th century. Coburg has changed from a village to a city, to a dormitory suburb, to a shopping and business hub. Coburg has changed since Europeans stole the land from the aborigines but it is now being done with greater taste. There is a greater sensitivity to preserving the local character. There are a surprising number of heritage listed buildings and heritage overlays in Coburg. Developers are preserving art deco facades of factories (see my post on Art Deco Coburg) and homeowners are restoring Federation era houses, renovating the interiors for the 21^st century. There was plenty of insensitive development in Coburg in the 1960-80. Now there are many new construction sites along Sydney Road many of the old shops, garages and warehouses are coming down. The “Hygenic Building” still stands but the dairy behind it has long gone.
I didn’t realize the passions raised by these changes in Coburg until I wrote my first blog Coburg 2010. But it is still out there, last week I got of pamphlet from the Save Coburg campaign. This is often the parochial politics of the current gentrification of a suburb, the financial and emotional attachment to the home, the financial pressures to move, the loss of rental spaces for students and other low-income groups. If you want to make really intelligent comments on this aspect of redevelopment then I suggest that you first read Michael Thompson’s Rubbish Theory, (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1979); far too few people have read this brilliant book. Thompson describes the chaos mathematics of the forces operating to depopulated former inner city slums and makes them attractive places to gentrify.
For more on the history of Coburg you can read Richard Broome, Coburg – between two creeks, (Lothian, 1987) but I must warn you that it is a boring local history with too much focus on details and not enough narrative. Broome had made full use of the archives but struggles to make a history out the material collected and his frequent contemporary asides are not an alternative to analysis.

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Could you publicise the next stage of the Save Coburg campaign?

Hi

Attached is a leaflet that the Save Coburg campaign will be letterboxing this weekend. It's a double-sided leaflet. Would you be able to publicise the information on the leaflet to your networks?
We have had a small initial victory with council agreeing to extend discussion time on the Coburg amendment C123 by a month and a community information day. However, the Save Coburg campaign wants the community info day to include a town hall style meeting with an independent chair because residents say that when they have small group meetings with the planners, they never get listened to. At the moment, the council just wants small group meetings by appointment with the planners at the info day.

So far, we haven't seen and don't believe that the council has translated the info into other languages so that elderly migrant residents have access to the information about the planned changes to coburg.

Many thanks
Sue Bolton

Updates on C123

Hi all

There has been some great progress in the 'Save Coburg' campaign. Following the residents' meeting a couple of weeks ago, there was a groundswell of activity - with 3000 leaflets dropped and a large number of written submissions and verbal inquiries made to Council. This resulted in Council agreeing to extend the due date for submissions and generally inform the community better before going ahead with the planning amendment, which will have a significant impact on everyone (for better or for worse...!) in the Coburg area.

As a result of these changes, here are some important dates for your calendar:

All February - Planning officers are available all month by appointment (including outside business hours) to meet with you to hear your questions or concerns. Make sure you get in touch if you want your voice heard.

8 Feb - A community picnic is being held in Edward Street, off Sydney Road this Friday night. The council has 'earmarked' the area for possible 'open space' under the proposed development and the local community wants to mobilise to make sure this happens. http://leader.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx

13 Feb - Council meeting. The 'Save Coburg' group is planning to attend and ask questions of Councillors re C123. Meet 6.30pm sharp outside council offices (90 Bell Street)

18 Feb - Info session 'Community Plan: The built environment', Coburg Council, 6-9pm

23 Feb - Community information day, Coburg Council, 10am-5pm. You need to book in to speak with a Planning officer.

28 Feb - Submissions due (new deadline)

Other stuff

Write a letter to the Moreland Leader about your opinions and/or concerns about the development. moreland@leadernewspapers.com.au

Stay in the loop by visiting the facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/savecoburg) and join the google group email list by emailing Sue Bolton (sueabolton@gmail.com)

Councillors Sue Bolton (sbolton@moreland.vic.gov.au) and Lenka Thompson (lthompson@moreland.vic.gov.au) have been actively supporting local residents and seem well informed about the situation. Feel free to contact them with queries.

Even if you're not directly affected by, or opposed to, or informed about, the Council's proposals for developing Coburg, it's a great idea to come along to gather info and be heard at some of these events... and don't forget to write a submission! 

Cheers, Cecilia

Submissions due Thursday! More on Amendment C123

Hi all

Further to Kitty/Christian's messages the other day about the proposed developments in Coburg - here's the Facebook page that's been set up about it if you want to be kept in the loop: http://www.facebook.com/savecoburg

If you want to join the Save Coburg google group, email sueabolton@gmail.com

For what it's worth, my first impressions have been that the development may bring quite a lot of positive change to the Coburg shopping precinct, including renewal of a run down area (new school, restaurants, cinema, health facility etc) and a green focus, with a commitment to being an 'exemplar eco city' (maybe this is spin but 'The Colours of Coburg' document seems to reflect a number of great priorities: http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/mccwr/publications/policies-strategies-plans/the%20coburg%20initiative%20-%20colours%20of%20coburg%20-%20place%20framework.pdf).

But as has been said, there are a few concerning elements to this proposed development. I'm an enviro lawyer by trade, and had a bit of a look at the documents over the weekend. My biggest concerns are:

• this planning scheme amendment will take away your right to appeal to VCAT against permit applications that may affect your property, or your use and enjoyment of the central Coburg shopping and civic area. If this concerns you, you should tell the Council that they should not exempt ALL applications within the area from VCAT appeals. Your Council should still allow VCAT appeals about some developments, like applications for permits for high buildings of over (say) 6 storeys or buildings that are next to residential areas. 

• In all areas next to homes and residences, there should be a maximum of 5 storeys, with a stepped approach. The planning scheme amendment will allow 10 storey buildings very close to houses in some areas - such as north of Bell St, in what the scheme calls Precinct 2. Tell the Council that you think there should not be 10 storey buildings next to residential areas (or at all!). 

I believe that Sue Bolton, Councillor for Moreland, is applying for an exatension to the due date for submissions, as well as further community consultation from Council. But in the mean time, tomorrow's deadline still stands - so get a quick submission off before 5pm Thursday! http://morelandpsa.com.au/coburg

Cheers

Cecilia

sessi_riebl@hotmail.com

PS I'll be making a submission which deals with some of the legal stuff. Send me an email if you'd like me to pass it on.

URGENT: Stop Amendment C123

Hi all thought the Newland network would like to know how they can stop 10
story buildings in Coburg with no right for public submissions.... passing
on an email sent around another list..Kitty

> Fellow Coburgians,
> 
> I write to you today with outrage in my heart, fire in my belly and whisky
stains on my trousers.
> 
> I have recently become aware of the proposed change to the Moreland
Planning Scheme, amendment C123, to facilitate the 'Coburg Activity Centre
Zone' (a snappy rebranding of 'Coburg 2020'. I wish I got paid to combine
random words like that). This insidious piece of statute introduces
mandatory height limits within the zone, but takes away residents rights to
object to development within the height limits. Does not sound too bad until
you see the limits: 10 stories in central Coburg (around the station, shops
and oval), 10 stories on each side of Bell St, and 5 stories each side of
Sydney Road down to Moreland Road.
> 
> You can see the details of the plan on the Council website, but be warned
there are 27 documents with a combined total of about 15,760 pages.
> http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/building-and-planning/planning-scheme-a
> mendments/amendment-c123-coburg-activity-centre-zone.html
> The most informative is:
> http://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/mccwr/_assets/main/lib91131/c123%20-%20
> clause%2037.08-1%20coburg%20principal%20activity%20centre%20zone%20-%2
> 0%20-%20exhibition%20version.docx which contains precinct maps with 
> height limits. 
> 
> Speaking as somebody who lives next door to a bunch of run-down barber and
kebab shops that could sprout into 5 storey vertical ghettoes at any moment
and forever cast us into the twighlight - It must be stopped!!
> 
> For the community at large, the plan for central Coburg is pretty
alarming. Lots of 8 and 10 story towers, narrow roads and one tiny, token,
postage stamp of green space. Because the residents wont be able to object
to any specific development in this area we can rely on the Council and
developers to make inspired and far-sighted planning decisions for the
greater good. Might be cool if they made it look like Paris. But you know
that won't happen; it will actually look just like.....Docklands (but
without the expensive boats). Maybe a mall too, like Highpoint?
> 
> As this grotty amendment has been exhibited over the Christmas period very
few people seem to know about it. So 'what can we do?' I hear you scream.
Well, until 5:00pm on the 31st Jan you can make a submission to Council and
tell them how much you love it, or not, at:
> http://morelandpsa.com.au/coburg
> the 31st is Thursday this week people.
> 
> If your like really fired up to do something but, you know, like haven't
got time to actually read or write anything, do not despair! Simply cut and
paste my text below into the submission and put your feet up with the
satisfied feeing of a job well done. They may have read it before but
basically its the number of submissions that count.
> 
> If your like really fired up to do something and have a whole lotta spare
time and no hobbies, then there are a few more things you can do: hassle
councillors, state members, turn up to the council meeting on the 13th Feb,
join the 'Save Coburg' residents group, drop leaflets in letterboxes or drop
bricks on developers. Anyway, we'll take this discussion offline before
anyone breaks into an unnecessary sweat.
> 
> That's all, I need to go and have a lie down now. Example submission text
below.
> 
> Please pass onto anyone else you think might be interested, or just
suggestible enough to do it because all the cool kids are.
> 
> Christian
> 
> "
> I support increasing the density of development in Coburg, however the
CACZ proposal goes to far and risks damaging the character and amenity of
the suburb we have chosen to live in. I am strongly opposed to the C123
amendment because:
> 
> 1. The height limits are too high for blocks adjoining 1 and 2 story
residential areas. There should be a 'step up', eg 3 stories, then 5, then
7. This is particularly the case on Sydney Road and Bell Street where very
tall towers can be built next to existing single story residence creating
problems of over shadowing and over looking.
> 
> 2. There is not enough green space in the central activity zone. If all
those towers were built without incorporating more green space it would be a
very depressing place to live or work (like the Docklands).
> 
> 3. Residents and others affected by a development should have the right to
object. It is only when there is a system of checks and balances and a forum
for everyone to have a say that we get good development outcomes.
> "