|
The Kensington Association looks out for the best interests of Kensington and its residents
Association withdraws from consultative committee
The Kensington Association has authorized its representatives to withdraw from the State Government-appointed Community Liaison Committee for the Kensington Housing Estate redevelopment. The resignation occurred after the State Government walked away from a development agreement negotiated with the local community and the City of Melbourne. The Association's letter to the Minister for Housing, Hon Richard Wynne, says this in part:
"This decision has been precipitated by your Departments' decision to abandon previous agreements with the community and Council over appropriate development on the site. The Kensington Association has participated in this project for almost 10 years and we are proud to have been a part of delivering better public housing. That said, recent events have fundamentally undermined our faith in both the process and its ultimate social outcomes. Given that the Kensington Estate redevelopment was the first public private partnership in housing, the Association came to the project with an element of caution, but a shared commitment to enhancing the quality of accommodation to public housing residents. In this context, the Association entered into negotiations with Council and the Office of Housing to deliver renewed public housing in the context of an agreed development framework. We are now advised by Mr Ed David of the Office of Housing that these agreements, supposedly negotiated in good faith with the community, no longer stand. We are told that "the passing of time" has rendered these agreements unenforceable and that your primary legal obligation is "to be reasonable" to the developer. As if this was not bad enough, it is now also apparent that the Office of Housing has been negotiating with the developer to hugely expand the scale of development on the site, in direct contravention to the development agreement and all previous undertakings given to the community."
This follows a decision by the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) to approve a Becton application to construct a five-storey, 88-unit development on the corner of Derby and Ormond Streets. The original planning approval for the redevelopment only allowed three storeys and a maximum of 45 units on this site.
The proposal was opposed by the City of Melbourne, the Estate’s liaison committee, the Kensington Association and individual local residents.
Be a member of the Kensington Association! By being a paid-up member of our Association, you put your weight behind our commitment to protect and enhance the amenity and unique character of Kensington, for the benefit of all residents, traders and visitors. We campaigned successfully to protect Kensington's JJ Holland Park if the east-west road tunnel goes ahead (see below). We successfully campaigned for Kensington to be reunited under the City of Melbourne, after its split-up in 1993 by the Kennett government. Kensington was reunited in July 2008. We have delayed, modified or prevented numerous inappropriate building developments in Kensington. For details about membership, click here.
"Welcome to Kensington" kits -- they are free!
We have produced kits of information that are useful for newly-arrived people to Kensington. They make an attractive welcome gift for a new neighbour, and you can get one free at the Kensington Community House, McCracken Street.
The kits are being distributed via local real estate agents, schools and community groups, but maybe some people didn't get one. We thank the City of Melbourne for funding this project. Click on "Welcome to Kensington" button, to the left, to see samples of some of the contents of the kits.
"The use of JJ Holland Park for staging and construction is not supported"
Following rallies led by the Kensington Association and many submissions from local residents, the State Government decided that JJ Holland Park will not be used for the construction of the proposed East-West Road Tunnel. Even if the tunnel is built in the future, Holland Park is protected. Local residents attend protest rally in June 2008, a turning point in the campaign:
 
Some of the 600+ Kensington residents and friends at the Hands Off Holland Park Rally.
Kensington Association's information services are suppported by the Melbourne City Council
|
