MYSTERY surrounds a Mentone Grammar push to rezone land that could open up the school’s playing fields in Keysborough to residential development.
The News understands the elite private school wrote to Kingston Council planning consultant Planisphere just before the firm finalised a green wedge report for council’s consideration in August 2012.
Mentone Grammar is understood to have asked for its Keysborough playing fields to be included in the Urban Growth Boundary, instead of staying in the green wedge, where development of any kind is extremely restricted.
The school’s request was kept confidential by council, while other submissions to Planisphere were made public.
However, Planisphere recommended the Urban Growth Boundary should begin south of Mentone Grammar’s playing fields and extend to Governor Rd in its 2012 report, leaving the school’s land within the green wedge.
Kingston Council and Mentone Grammar both refused to confirm the nature of the private school’s late submission when questioned by The News.
Mentone Grammar principal Mal Cater said the school had corresponded with council and its consultants on various matters.
“My understanding is that these communications are confidential and I will not pass comment in fairness to all parties,” Mr Cater said.
Kingston Council initially claimed Mentone Grammar’s submission to Planisphere was no longer confidential but then declined to immediately release the details when they were requested by The News.
Council acting CEO Paul Franklin, acting on the advice of council’s freedom of information officer, decided Mentone Grammar should be consulted over the release of its document or any discussions about the document’s content.
“Council officers have not discussed Mentone Grammar’s green wedge plan submission with them,” Mr Franklin said.
The possible rezoning of the playing fields suddenly cropped up at Kingston Council meetings in recent months.
The News reported the seemingly sudden inclusion of land at Mentone Grammar’s playing fields in a councillors-approved planning scheme amendment last month.
Councillors narrowly voting five-four to order council officers to work on a planning scheme amendment for submission to state Planning Minister Matthew Guy for approval [‘Wedge tactics divide council’, The News, 22/1/13].
The planning scheme amendment included the proposal to include Mentone Grammar’s Keysborough playing fields in the Urban Growth Boundary, potentially opening up the land for residential development.
Crs Tamara Barth, David Eden, Steve Staikos and Rosemary West were outvoted four-five by Crs Tamsin Bearsley, Ron Brownlees, Geoff Gledhill, John Ronke and mayor Paul Peulich in a bid to stop the rezoning move at last month’s ordinary council meeting.
Mayor Paul Peulich contacted The News after last month’s Green Wedge article was published and said he supported the proposal by Mentone Grammar, but not the decision to try to rezone McMahon’s paddock, which is also included in council’s submission to the planning minister.
However, he said he did not wish to use his mayoral “casting vote” to change council policy since councillors voted to support the playing fields and McMahon’s farm rezoning in December.
Cr Peulich voted against the proposal in September last year, citing concerns about “transparency”, abstained in December after becoming mayor in October, and decided not to back last month’s rescission motion.
At last month’s meeting, Cr West said Mentone Grammar could make up to $60 million from any playing fields deal and questioned whether a private school should be “profiteering at the expense of the community’s best interest in maintaining the green wedge and buffer to Braeside Park.”
Defenders of the South East Green Wedge secretary Barry Ross told The News he could see no reason why any submissions should be kept confidential.
“We really need transparency and when things are kept secret you start to have doubts about the process,” Mr Ross said.
“There’s been too much secrecy and justice has to be seen to be done,” he said.
Kingston councillors who do not support the potential playing fields rezoning note there has been no council officers’ report or strategic report to back the decision.
Mentone Grammar principal Mal Cater said Mentone Grammar had worked constructively with council for many years and the school has owned the playing fields since the 1970s.
“The school is aware that the council’s recommendation has not yet been reviewed by the state planning minister and therefore cannot make any public statement about the matter,” Mr Cater said.
Planning Minister Matthew Guy said: “No request for rezoning has been received from the Kingston Council in relation to this matter. This process is a matter for the Kingston Council and its elected representatives.”
