Petitions

Both the IGS Development Plan Meetings petition and the Chelsworth Lease Meeting Petition continue to be at the venues that have hold them throughout this campaign, and inviduals can collect signatures from friends and neighbours as well.

The petitions will also be available to sign at the Election Meeting of the 10th of November which is being held at the Seddon St Ivanhoe Uniting Church at 3 -5pm . The hall will be open from 2.30pm to sign petitions and purchase signs and also to hand out ballot papers and collect proxy votes.  

Extra Pages Sent to Council

9 extra pages of the Chelworth Park Meeting Petition were added to those already submitted at the Council Meeting of 7th Oct - These were in the main collected by just one resident in the next few days, - from those enjoying a promenade or playing games at Chelsworth.

It was reported that a huge variety of uses ocurred at the Park over just 4 visits

Some of the groups playing informal and non time allocated sports had been coming to the Park for decades,  and the Park has been part of the weekly routine of their lives ... - just as it is for many of the walkers.

There were several walking groups for whom the Park is also a weekly routine carried out over years many years - for people with busy working lives and few other opportunities to catch up. The Park provides these friends with a low stress, low cost and peaceful and regenerative space to relax

Anyone wanting to collect more signatures for either pettion 0 please be careful to ensure all those who sign - live in Banyule -  as many visitors from other parts of Melbourne also use our recreation spaces and are also very keen to sign the pettion ; However the Prayer at the start of the petition only allows for residents to sign

Minutes are now confirmed for the Council Meeting of Sept 23rd

and are as follows :

• Bed Bath and Table ( cnr Marshall St and Lower Heidelberg Rd )
• Eaglemont IGA Supermarket (  Noel and Ivans' - Eaglemont Village )

We would like more places to have the petitions - including coffee shops in Ivanhoe , East Ivanhoe, Fairy Hills and Heidelberg -  if you know anyone willing to have them

The Chelsworth CommunityTennis Club also has a petition  ( see text below ) available from : Peter Drapac - Chelsworth Tennis Club - 0411 372 722 email peterdrapac@optusnet.com.au

The resolution was also presented as a petition to council:

We the undersigned:

Residents of Banyule City Council request that: Banyule City Council and its Planning staff :

1. Establish a series of community consultation meetings  about the proposed Ivanhoe Grammar School  Development Plan to:
1)  more fully audit existing amenity impacts of the Ivanhoe Grammar School, Ivanhoe campus and its site/s use on the community; and
ii) identify the  future amenity impacts of the proposed IGS Development Plan on our community;

 with separate  community consultation meeting to review  separate aspects of the Plan, so that adequate time is allowed for the community to understand and consider all the issues

2.   Establish an on-going community group, which meets regularly with Council planning staff and the school to consider suggestions for resolving school and community conflicts before the Plan is approved .

Residents have placed a petition about the Booking System for Chelsworth Park at various locations in Ivanhoe and Eaglemont that adds to the concerns about the Development Plan at Ivanhoe Grammar School

The Chelsworth Tennis Club makes us aware that a change to the Booking system for all users at Chelsworth has been instituted with all Bookings NOW to be made through IGS - this has raised many concerns in the community about conflict of interest -- particulalry when the school plans to build on its own Tennis Courts - in the Plan currently with Council

The text of the petition is :

We the undersigned:

Residents of Banyule City Council request that: Banyule City Council and its Parks and Recreation staff  to :

Announce a well notified Public Meeting chaired by Mr Sauro Antonelli , Director of Community Programs, assisted  other Council Parks and Recreation staff involved with the Councils lease of Chelsworth Park  - to explain and discuss the Chelsworth Park Tennis Club lease and the new proposed Ivanhoe Grammar School overall lease of Chelsworth Park  - with all community stakeholders invited by letter ( including current occupiers and users – such as Eaglemont Scouts, the several local Cricket and Football clubs, East Ivanhoe Primary School, IGS and any other historical users such as the Yarra Valley Hockey Club, and any prospective users ( ie all sporting clubs the council has registered locally invited )-  as well as the general community of Banyule living in the area of Ivanhoe, East Ivanhoe and Eaglemont    

This information and discussion meeting should occur before Council further engages with the community to draw up a lease arrangement for Chelsworth Park that :

1.  suits the local community and user groups
2. recognises the strong attachment the community feel  to retaining Chelsworth as recognisably PUBLIC LAND
3. recognises the heritage, environmental and  cultural significance of the land
4. provides an independent but community accountable body to arrange bookings for the Park
5. provides for Council to continue to control the leasing of the park in a meaningful way and to manage bookings for existing users rather than hand over management of bookings to IGS
6. regularly audits and makes known amenity impacts on the community of the Ivanhoe Grammar School and other users use of the Park

We the undersigned strongly object to the plan for Ivanhoe Grammar School to take over the lease, management, or administration of Chelsworth Park Tennis Club. We agree with the tennis club members and committee  that the control of the facilities should remain in the hands of the  Tennis club and not the school

A petition makes the receiver aware of the extent of feeling about a particular issue and also points to suggested  solutions to problems

Petitions to Council must be  noted at an official meeting of the Council - When this happens :-

All Councillors present become aware of the issue

Some councillors may be prompted to request further information from Council staff about the issues involved - either at that meeting or at a subsequent meeting - if more time is needed for research

Some councillors may decide to take action on the request made in the petition

The public are able to speak at that Council Meeting about the petition and clarify concerns. At least 3 people who officially ask to speak via the forms available - will be invited to speak for 3 mins each ( REQUEST TO SPEAK forms are on Councils website )

Those speaking can be asked questions by Councillors who wish to find out more about the issue

The newspaper reporters at the Council meeting may write about the issue in the local newspaper so more people are aware of the issue