Our organisation

Ongoing restrictions due to COVID-19 and community hesitancy to attend in-person events meant that we increased our reliance on digital methods of engagement throughout the year. We consulted with the community on 27 projects including advisory groups and committees, community surveys, questionnaires, feedback submissions and virtual public forums.

Community engagement is an integral part of our planning and decision-making processes. It is vital that we understand community priorities and listen to as many community members as we can when proposing changes or making decisions. We are committed to engaging with our community through best-practice engagement methods to achieve the best possible outcomes.

For more information see Our engagement with our community.

As part of our commitments to achieve zero net corporate emissions by 2025, zero net community emissions by 2030 and protect our community from the worst impacts of climate change, we progressed a range of initiatives. This included developing the Climate Conversations program, where community members were trained to facilitate conversations with their friends, family and wider community to motivate them to take action on climate change; requiring all new Council infrastructure projects to incorporate Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) principles in their design and delivery; and adopting the Glen Eira Integrated Water Management Plan | Dhumbali W’urneet Gadhaba, which outlines Council’s approach to water management and the specific actions we will take to manage water in our environment (For more information, see Key projects and activities.)

We added a weekly green bin collection, supporting Glen Eira residents to increase the amount of waste being recycled or composted to 64 percent. In 2021–22, the total amount of waste sent to landfill decreased by 27 per cent compared to 2020–21. To continue managing waste and resources more sustainably, we commenced the development of a Circular Economy Plan. This Plan will outline how we will lead by example and create opportunities for a circular way of living, keeping materials in use for longer, reducing waste and regenerating our natural systems.

We also continued to focus on opportunities to decrease our carbon emissions by participating in the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO), the largest emissions reduction project ever undertaken by Australian local governments. Under this program, Glen Eira and 47 other councils are now powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity, including libraries, leisure centres and electric vehicles.

The number of planning decisions appealed to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) remains consistent. We have gone from 32 appeals reviewed in 2020–21 to 27 appeals reviewed in 2021–22.

We consulted with the community on our draft Housing Strategy. The draft Strategy outlines how we intend to meet the diverse housing needs of our existing and future communities for the next 15 years and beyond. The final Housing Strategy will be considered for adoption in late 2022.

Following our decision to reset the direction for the Bentleigh and Carnegie Structure Plans last year, significant progress was made to update both plans along with the Elsternwick Structure Plan. The Carnegie Structure Plan will be presented to Council in August 2022, Elsternwick in November 2022 and Bentleigh in March 2023.

We adopted Built Form Frameworks for three neighbourhood activity centres – Caulfield South, Caulfield Park and Bentleigh East. The State Government has authorised the exhibition of the Caulfield South and Caulfield Park frameworks. This, along with detailed planning controls will assist us in securing permanent height and setback controls in the Glen Eira Planning Scheme for the two centres.

We exhibited the Public Open Space (Amendment C218), which proposes to increase the open space contributions rate from 5.7 per cent to 8.3 per cent. We received a favourable panel report recommending the amendment be adopted as exhibited. We also received a favourable panel report on the Planning Scheme Update (Amendment C220). Amendment C220 proposes to implement the State Government’s Smart Planning reforms and recommendations from the Glen Eira Planning Scheme Review 2018 into the Glen Eira Planning Scheme. These recommendations include updating all existing local policies informed by the Urban Forest Strategy and Our Climate Emergency Response Strategy. The panel recommended the amendment be adopted as exhibited subject to minor changes.

We continue to add to the list of heritage properties and precincts across Glen Eira. Through the Post-War and Hidden Gems Heritage Review (Amendment C214), 25 properties and four precincts were added to the heritage overlay. Furthermore, the approval of the Carnegie and Bentleigh Heritage Review (Amendment C190) saw an additional 199 residential and 219 commercial properties receive heritage protection.

We developed a four-year cycling program and made an ongoing annual budget commitment to implement cycling improvements in accordance with the Integrated Transport Strategy 2018 and the Cycling Action Plan 2019. A design for the missing links in the Rosstown Trail was progressed to assist in the staged delivery of cycling improvements over the coming years.

An important part of our role is advocating to other levels of government for what is important to our community. The Glen Eira Council Plan 2021–2025 sets out a strong commitment for Council to advocate for funding and policy reform to support the priorities of our community. Council adopted a new Advocacy Policy on 5 April 2022, along with a suite of advocacy priorities for the federal election.
The Advocacy Policy identified key projects and initiatives that focus on:

• supporting our community to rebuild, reconnect and restart the economy;
• ensuring we are taking urgent and practical actions to mitigate the impact of climate change on our community;
• building better transport connections to make it easier to move in and around Glen Eira; and
• building a safer, healthier and more resilient community.

In response to our advocacy during the federal election campaign we successfully secured over $17 million in funding commitments from the new Labor Government, including:

• $15 million for the redevelopment of the Carnegie Memorial Swimming Pool;
• $416,000 for LED lighting at Murrumbeena Park; and
• $1.53 million for a Cycling Pavilion at Packer Park.

Across the financial year Council received funding of $32 million, comprising $10 million for capital works projects and $22 million for services.

For more information see our Advocacy priorities.

As part of our Community Grants Program, we provided $370,929 (91 grants) to 86 local not-for-profit community groups and organisations to encourage community strengthening and inclusion.

We supported 56 clubs as they resumed community sport in line with the Victorian Government COVID-19 directives and provided more than 61,000 hours of support to more than 2,400 elderly, frail or disabled residents in their homes. We also provided 490 social support activities to residents. Glen Eira Leisure, which includes GESAC, Caulfield Recreation Centre and Carnegie Swim Centre, hosted more than 530,000 visitors.