Urban Engineering wrote:

I do object to having to move over and adjust to yet another level of density and have NOTHING GOOD to show for it. I would like to see the improved frequency of trains to the city, more open space with opportunities to walk, jog, teach the kids to cycle, kick a ball or play an ad hoc game cricket. I'd like to see cleaner streetscapes, parks maintained and not left to rot until some genius comes up with a complete new design - without a long term maintenance program; I want a central community centre where there are classes for all ages; youth activities; performing arts and free meeting spaces for groups.

Give us the rewards and maybe, just maybe, we would cope with the squeeze.

I don't get it.. do you really think your 'rewards' are even on their agendas?

you have no 'quality of life' while you wait for you 'rewards'.. in fact the opposite would be true, therefore surrounded by hardship

Can anyone enlighten me about some legal action I heard about?

Laverton Property Development Pty Ltd is being sued by the state revenue office and the state government is attempting to wind up this company.

Who is this company you ask. The same director of LPD Corporation Pty Ltd - that's who - the developers of the Three Towers - 80 Harvester Road.

More to come stay tuned.

The developer is bankrupt while Brumby and his goons are funnelling Federal infrastructure money into its pockets to build the towers.

Wasn't the wife of a former Brimbank Council communications manager pushing this project? Wasn't that communications manager also Natalie Suleyman's campaign manager?

We need a royal commission into the way things are run in Brimbank.

I'm a resident near 80 Harvester Road and attended a meeting organised by the consultant Fiona Darwin held on 9 June 2006.

Here are some of my notes and subsequent investigations.

Three Towers Meeting - held VUT – Thursday 9th June 2006

Consultants:

LPD Corporation Pty Ltd *
CBG Architects
GTA Traffic Consultants
GHD Environmental Consultants
Charter Keck Cramer Economic Consultants
Earth Tech Town Planner Advice
Pluto Communications ** - Fiona Darwin ***
Paynter Dixon Aged Care Consultants
? Didn’t get the last consultant

LPD Corporation Pty Ltd first registered 25/7/05, registered office Moonee Ponds – Limited Share Company.

When asked what does LPD stand for we were told it was the shortened name of the development group Laverton Property Developments Pty Ltd.

But in fact they are two separate companies as opposed to what Fiona is trying to tell us that they are one and the same that LPD is just the shortened name version.

Laverton Property Developments Pty Ltd first registered 23/5/02, registered office Moonee Ponds, Limited Share Company.

I think we might find some linkage here between these two companies. Which one is the applicant on the towers needs to be clarified.

I'm a resident near 80 Harvester Road and attended a meeting organised by the consultant Fiona Darwin held on 9 June 2006.

Here are more of my notes and subsequent correspondence to other concerned residents and sunrra members.

**

My opinion is that the meeting was very badly run and organized. There were many unanswered questions and many “we’ll get back to you on that” comments. The meeting jumped around and around with very limited direction.

We were reminded though that we are getting this building because we are a designated ‘activity centre’ and it is in line with the 2030 policy and the Sunshine beyond 2020 document (which is not completed yet!!).

Two of the 3 towers are to be residential buildings for the elderly, “active retirement residents”. The consultants said previously that they were for socio-disadvantaged western region over 55’s but at this meeting the consultant backed off that statement.

The accommodation is to be run by a non for profit organization and it was preempted the successful applicant will be Southern Cross Care (Vic) Pty Ltd.

On several occasion the audience tried to ask who were the principles behind the development but to each question was I’ll let you know if they want to be named.

There are to be 172 units down 10 from what SunRRA was told previously which was 182 units.

There will be 3 levels of parking but even with this they are 183 car parks short. We were assured by the traffic management consultant that they have done a parking count on a Saturday afternoon at Brimbank Market Place and there is more than enough parks for the deficient of the three towers building there. (heaven help us)

Ground floor will be retail shops, 30 something from memory.

A typical two bedroom will be 8.25 sq mt in size.

There is a mix of one, two and three bedrooms being offered.


They mentioned they have had many workshops with council in May. Who with and when exactly, would be handy answers to have.

http://www.the-advocate.com.au/news/local/news/general/units-for-needy/1686044.aspx

Units for needy
BY JANAE HOUGHTON
24 Nov, 2009 09:55 AM
HOUSING organisation HomeGround is hoping the State Government will step in to fund its proposal for 158 units for homeless people in Sunshine.
It's the second social housing project to cause a stir among Sunshine residents in as many weeks. Planning Minister Justin Madden will decide soon on a proposal to build 30, two-bedroom townhouses for disadvantaged women at the Sunshine RSL.

HomeGround Services chief executive Stephen Nash confirmed it had put forward a proposal for the 158 units at the three-tower site on Harvester Road. But a decision on funding, which will probably be through the Federal Government's stimulus package, has not yet been made.

"There is a desperate need for both common ground [supportive housing] and affordable housing to relieve housing stress and prevent even more people from becoming homeless in the future," Mr Nash said.

His proposal includes 130 units for younger homeless people and another 28 for older, long-term homeless, all in the one building. "There will be comprehensive on-site support services, 24-hour, seven-days-a-week concierge, controlled access and a thriving, mixed community of residents," Mr Nash said.

HomeGround also has a separate proposal for 100 affordable housing units in a third building on the same site.

Residents at a public meeting called to discuss the RSL siting heard about the HomeGround proposal and were sceptical. One resident said: "Isn't this just the same as the old commission flats in areas like Collingwood and Carlton? Surely we have learnt from these mistakes of creating ghettos for our disadvantaged people."

Mr Nash said that given the need in the area, Brimbank Council had supported the project.

However, the council's community wellbeing general manager, Kelly Grigsby, was cautious.

"While council did communicate with HomeGround earlier this year, this was a general letter around the topic of social and affordable housing," she said. "It would be incorrect to say the council's letter supported a proposal to build 130 'common ground' units at this site."


The original permit granted for the three-tower site would need to be amended. The permit was granted for one residential tower, one for office space, and the third for shops.

The council's acting city development general manager, Leigh Harrison, said there were no amendments to the permit. "Any significant change ... would require an amended planning permit application to be lodged with VCAT."

258 social housing units wrote:
http://www.the-advocate.com.au/news/local/news/general/units-for-needy/1686044.aspx

Units for needy
BY JANAE HOUGHTON
24 Nov, 2009 09:55 AM
HOUSING organisation HomeGround is hoping the State Government will step in to fund its proposal for 158 units for homeless people in Sunshine.
It's the second social housing project to cause a stir among Sunshine residents in as many weeks. Planning Minister Justin Madden will decide soon on a proposal to build 30, two-bedroom townhouses for disadvantaged women at the Sunshine RSL.

HomeGround Services chief executive Stephen Nash confirmed it had put forward a proposal for the 158 units at the three-tower site on Harvester Road. But a decision on funding, which will probably be through the Federal Government's stimulus package, has not yet been made.

"There is a desperate need for both common ground [supportive housing] and affordable housing to relieve housing stress and prevent even more people from becoming homeless in the future," Mr Nash said.

His proposal includes 130 units for younger homeless people and another 28 for older, long-term homeless, all in the one building. "There will be comprehensive on-site support services, 24-hour, seven-days-a-week concierge, controlled access and a thriving, mixed community of residents," Mr Nash said.

HomeGround also has a separate proposal for 100 affordable housing units in a third building on the same site.

Residents at a public meeting called to discuss the RSL siting heard about the HomeGround proposal and were sceptical. One resident said: "Isn't this just the same as the old commission flats in areas like Collingwood and Carlton? Surely we have learnt from these mistakes of creating ghettos for our disadvantaged people."

Mr Nash said that given the need in the area, Brimbank Council had supported the project.

However, the council's community wellbeing general manager, Kelly Grigsby, was cautious.

"While council did communicate with HomeGround earlier this year, this was a general letter around the topic of social and affordable housing," she said. "It would be incorrect to say the council's letter supported a proposal to build 130 'common ground' units at this site."


The original permit granted for the three-tower site would need to be amended. The permit was granted for one residential tower, one for office space, and the third for shops.

The council's acting city development general manager, Leigh Harrison, said there were no amendments to the permit. "Any significant change ... would require an amended planning permit application to be lodged with VCAT."

The western suburbs and other disadvantaged areas are clearly being seen as dumping grounds for homeless and high needs people.

Where else in Melbourne is this scale of high rise development being proposed?

This is a real issue for the Brimbank Social Justice Coalition to focus on immediately.

Sunshine and other disadvantaged areas need opportunities to break out of the long term cycle
of disadvantage by creating more liveable and healthy communities.

These sort of developments are simply repeating the mistakes of the past and only worsening the levels of disadvantage for all.

It seems some areas like Sunshine have been targeted to be disadvantaged areas FOREVER.

If that premise is correct then it seems very clear that we are now living in an Unfair Victoria.

Why are all our elected representatives so determined to govern AGAINST OUR INTERESTS? And, take our money to do so. I thought the social compact where people surrender their power/rights in order that the government delivers security and social harmony. The social compact is destroyed when the people believe are aggrieved by bad government decisions and anarchy ensues.

Anarchy, when civil disobedience escalates and when people take up arms to defend themselves, irrespective of the law. Hmm, isn't that happening now????

well at least it will be convenient for these tenants to walk across the road to the police station & courts. instant processing!! they will mug someone, get charged and processed in the cop shop, then go to court and be released back to their unit across the road. a merry-go-round!

Say no to the 'homeless center' - house prices will go down, more crime, more rubbish! this is a thriving community that we do not want ruined.

As far as I can tell, the stalling in construction seems to be a legal battle between LPD and several parties, including the tax office. I would like to know who J& E Agosta is, as they seem to be linked with LPD in the chain of civil/ commercial cases listed in the supreme court as pending. Also, judging by the Metrowest website, all bar the residential apartments are listed as open for lease. This to me suggests that LPD is out of funds/ backers and if this is so, what are the implications for the existing planning approvals, knowing that state Gov. have overriding powers in planning as per Stimulus Package 2, in excess of 191 million?

I remember reading that name in the newspapers a while back, in relation to some trouble up north near Yackandandah.

I will try to dig out the article.

Will Brimbank Council do the same sort of job on the Marketplace three towers project as Hobsons Bay Council is doing on this one - see link below.

All this info for the public to understand what is going on. Sturat Menzies is open and transprent so lets put it out there for all to see and understand.


http://www.hobsons.vic.gov.au/page/page.asp?page_Id=4773

Hobsons Bay Council has rejected plans for the multi-story development of the old Port Philip Wool site in Williamstown.

Will Brimbank Council ?? wrote:
Will Brimbank Council do the same sort of job on the Marketplace three towers project as Hobsons Bay Council is doing on this one - see link below.

All this info for the public to understand what is going on.

Well, this will be a good test. We will find out soon enough if Brimbank Council has truly changed its ways, or if it is still the arseclown of Victorian Local Government.

It's too late. Work has started on the site.

My mistake. I was told this morning that work was seen to have started yesterday. I walked past the site today and there was nothing going on.

Lots of smoke and no clear view on what is happening with the application for social housing at the Marketplace. No application received by council yet for a change in approved plans.


Home Ground Services CEO Stephen Nash thinks that high rise public housing is good. Sees no problems at all. police and safety issues are overstated. Everyone gets on like a house on fire.

And there is heaps for them to do in a shopping centre and its carpark.

And there is heaps for them to do in a shopping centre and its carpark.

yes, muggings, drugs, alcohol, harming the general public who are their to do their shopping....

Help in Sunshine social housing

08 Dec 09 @ 05:00am by Helen Jacobs
SUPPORT workers would be on hand for the tenants of a second social housing development earmarked for Sunshine.

A community hub for Sunshine residents is also possible, according to housing and support provider HomeGround Services.

The organisation wants to build 158 studio and one-bedroom apartments for “a mixture of people” as part of the three tower development at Harvester Rd.

Chief executive Stephen Nash said therapeutic, recreation and employment services would also operate from the complex.

“Public and social housing tenancies often fail because people are provided with a home, but not the support and other services they need to maintain their tenancy and build a better life for themselves,” Mr Nash said.

Among the list of possible uses for the ground floor include a social enterprise cafe, a medical centre and child care.

“These will benefit the broader Sunshine community and create a significant number of local jobs,” he said.

The accommodation, including almost 950sq m in communal areas, would be let out to the homeless, low-income earners, students, individuals and families, he said, with 28 units set aside for older people.

Advocate Anton Mayer from LeadWest said social housing should be an integral part of any major development.

“Social housing is a looming issue that needs to be tackled,” Mr Mayer said.

“It should be spread through the broader community rather than in highly concentrated pockets.”

“But sometimes in established areas that can be difficult to do.”

Opposition housing spokeswoman Wendy Lovell said the proposal was “far too concentrated”.

“Concentrating disadvantage doesn’t produce good outcomes,” Ms Lovell said.

The State Government is yet to make a decision.

http://brimbank-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/help-in-sunshine-social-housing/

more propaganda wrote:

SUPPORT workers would be on hand for the tenants of a second social housing development earmarked for Sunshine.

The organisation wants to build 158 studio and one-bedroom apartments for "a mixture of people" as part of the three tower development at Harvester Rd.

Among the list of possible uses for the ground floor include a social enterprise cafe, a medical centre and child care.


It shows you, doesn't it, the level of thinking of these morons.
They want to put a child care centre in a tower made up of 158 SINGLE ROOM APARTMENTS.

Now there's a thought for you. Will it never end?