MY PRIORITIES
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GET ON WITH REINVIGORATING THE JUNCTION
“ We have spent many years on a plan for the Junction. But too little has been done. It’s now time for action. Not all improvements have to be disruptive and expensive. Many can be simple and cost-effective."
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LEAD BY EXAMPLE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
“Climate science is undeniable. The world is on unswerving course to decarbonisation by the middle of this century. We need to do our part, at all levels of government and society. We need to think globally and act locally. And government needs to be the leader, not the follower, of attitudinal change.”
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SUPPORT TREE CANOPY TARGETS
“We all recognise the importance of trees in our community. They have environmental, social, economic, and cultural benefits. Councils’ current targets are to achieve canopy cover of 27% by 2040. A more ambitious but achievable target is 30% by 2050 which is in line with targets set by groups such as the Victorian Planning Authority. I will advocate for an increase in tree canopy but be more selective where those trees are planted.”
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SAVE OUR HISTORIC HOMES & STREETSCAPES
“Too many period homes are lost in the name of development with too little upside for the community. Our historic buildings belong, in part, to us all. They are our shared history, and what makes part of Boroondara a unique and sought after place to live. There is ample space set aside for medium density housing in our activity centres and along major roads in the General Residential (GZ) growth zone. Heritage gap studies should be implemented and expanded to include some strip shops currently ignored as these are our public face of history.”
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WIDEN FOOTPATHS, CLOSE ROADS, IMPROVE LANEWAYS, MORE COMMUTER CARPARKS AND SAFE TRAM STOPS
“Some traffic areas around the Junction are a mess. Poorly configured carparks, difficult to navigate, unsafe and unfriendly to pedestrians. A case in point is the carpark around the ’Camberwell Place Shopping Centre'. Solutions are planned. Let’s get it done.”
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MORE PARKS AND OPEN SPACES FOR PEOPLE
“More open space is the most sought-after demand. As our population expands open space will be more precious. Council should explore every opportunity to create more public open space where possible, even small ones. This can include 'pocket parks' and 'Parklets' for resting, connecting, and outdoor dining."
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THE BASICS - RATES, ROADS & RUBBISH!
“Just because life is more complicated, we shouldn’t ignore the basics."
GET ON WITH
REINVIGORATING
THE JUNCTION
I will advocate for:
Delivery of Market Plaza – create a new public plaza in front of the Camberwell Market by removing some carparks and the rubbish refuge area. New market façade for greater retailer interface, after-hours café-bar, lawn and picnic area, decked area, seating and more trees. Advocate for sharing of the beautiful tramways substation building for community use such as art gallery or cafe.
Expand Camberwell Green – located next to the library, stage 1 of this project converted a carpark to a playground and open space. The next step is to expand the park for all residents and the Camberwell Primary School community by converting parts of Reserve Road to open space.
Trial festive lighting improvements – such as festoon and fairy lights, and lights that wash walls of heritage buildings, like in Melbourne and Rockhampton CBDs.
Remove signs causing visual pollution – work with landowners for the removal of outdated signs and advertising billboards that cover our heritage buildings and clutter and denigrate our neighborhoods.
Extended footpaths & activate laneways – commence footpath widening in identified locations to allow traders to extend into these spaces improving outdoor dining culture. Upgrade select laneways with bluestone paving and lighting, and regulate delivery times, to encourage pedestrian use and back of house trading.
Heritage lighting for the junction – existing street lights are functional but uninspiring. A sense of place and celebration of history could be achieved by installation of period-style street lights.
Trial festive lighting improvements
Remove signs causing visual pollutionLEAD BY EXAMPLE IN
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
Increase the uptake of rooftop solarEnvironmental initiatives I support:
Electrify Boroondara – increasing the uptake of rooftop solar and batteries, transitioning to electric appliances.
EV’s (Electric vehicles) – Council to move to a fully electric vehicle fleet for Council cars. Build additional electric charge stations.
Electric bikes and scooters – advocate for policies that recognise the inevitable rise of this technology, to make their use safe for the users, pedestrians and motorists.
Building quality – support measures to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing housing stock, apartments, and other building structures.
Reuse of existing buildings – demolition and rebuilding is wasteful. Encourage the restoration and reuse of existing building stock. Early advice and consultation.
Build additional electric charge stationsSUPPORT TREE
CANOPY TARGETS
'Green curtains' - more trees, less fenceMeasures I support:
Tougher penalties for removing trees – additional penalties for the illegal removing of significant trees. ‘Tree audit’ and ‘tree bond’ at the commencement of new projects.
Education for new home builders – resource Landscape Compliance Officer to intervene early in the planning application process to educate applicants on the value of retaining trees in their design in developments and penalties for non-compliance.
“Green curtains” along fence lines – trees planted in our parks are well-meaning but randomly located. Often our precious grassy sunny spots are peppered with new trees. Instead, focus planting along fence lines to beautify ugly back fences, reduce graffiti, and improve privacy for residents.
Stop over-pruning street trees around power lines – the amount of foliage cleared in the name of bush-fire protection is outrageous. Advocate more strongly for changes to the regulations to reduce clearance distances.
“Fill in the missing teeth” – audit streets to identify ‘missing’ trees, caused by death, or loss for carparks on nature strips which could be taken back. Many medium strips (in the middle of roads), traffic roundabouts, etc could accommodate more trees.
Heritage trees – not every new tree has to be a gum tree. Preserve and expand heritage or deciduous trees in nominated heritage areas, such as around historic cricket and football ovals etc.
Stop over-pruning street trees around power linesSAVE OUR HISTORIC
HOMES AND
STREETSCAPES
Protect our period homes from demolitionInitiatives I support:
Listen to and act on your warnings – about inappropriate development, and also density, traffic, specific houses coming up for sale or development that may need special consideration.
Early collaboration on planning matters – most approvals take a ‘planning by the book’ approach to design. We should address concerns of neighbours and reduce contests in VCAT by better early collaboration between developers and council - eg a council appointed design consultant to work with applicants to encourage and reward design of quality buildings, restoration and reuse, environmental considerations (heat, shade, building materials), and flexible layouts to diversify housing etc.
Advocate for more “bundling” of electricity cables on streets - to reduce excessive trimming around canopies. Investigate a ‘street user-pay’ system for neighbors that all support the move.
Intelligent approach to zoning – consider including allowing GZ zones alongside certain parks whereby benefits of access and views to open space are maximised.
WIDEN FOOTPATHS, CLOSE ROADS,
IMPROVE LANEWAYS,
MORE COMMUTER CARPARKS
AND SAFE TRAM STOPS
Widen bluestone footpaths – pedestrian & business friendlyImprovements I support:
Widen footpaths & simplify car routes – widen select footpaths to support cafes & restaurants, provide dwell places, and additional trees and shade. The Camberwell Place carpark to be simplified for cars and a public garden plaza in front of the entrance, and pedestrianising Evans Place.
‘Super Stops’ and new ‘Safe Stops’ – lobby state government to upgrade key tram stops to ‘super stops’; also propose ‘safe stops’ where simple line markings or rumble strips on roads can indicate where the tram stop is to help car drivers and improve safety for tram users.
Car parking strategy – complete as a priority.
Shared path extensions – extend and link shared paths, including Ferndale to Frog Hollow, Hawthorn to Kew path, and Box Hill to Hawthorn cycling route.
Bluestone paths and cobbled laneways – upgrade broken and buckled bitumen footpaths to shaved bluestone pavers. Upgrade laneways with cobblestones, garden beds and laneway art.
Upgrade footpaths and lanewaysMORE PARKS AND
OPEN SPACE FOR PEOPLE
I will advocate for:
Camberwell Green expansion – close Reserve Road as a through road to create more public parklands in the Civic (Library) precinct and a safer link between Camberwell Primary School and the playground.
‘Camberwell Square’ – advocate for conversion of carparks at the northern end of the Station Street (Woolies) carpark to a public park, and long-term support to plan for the undergrounding of the entire carpark to create a European plaza.
‘New plaza and park for Camberwell Place’ - simplify carpark, road access, and create more open space and a plaza for the precinct.
‘Ghost sites’ – work with landowners to convert ghost sites (undeveloped vacant land) for pop-up parks. Offer rate discounts to owners, plus higher rates for undeveloped land that has a potential public benefit.
Convert carparks to a public park and plazaTHE BASICS
RATES, ROADS & RUBBISH
Fix potholes on local roadsRates – help reduce cost of living by a real discount on rates for early payment, a generous system for hardship cases, and rate relief for shop owners who renovate shop facades, add floodlights to heritage facades, or who renovate shops to provide more shop top housing.
Pot holes – fix on local roads, and advocate State authorities to attend to these basics. Toorak road is in an awful state.
Home Renovators Op Shop – reduce the detestable waste in the construction industry by setting up a centre that allows the public to bring unused home renovation materials for someone else to use.
Develop a Home Renovators Op Shop