Vol. 7, No. 2, May-Jun 2002 CONTENTS Comment The Future of the Arts 2 Conversation with Lex de Man, Mayor of Nillumbik 3 Short Story Traces of Life by Sharyn Munroe 5 Art Brut and the Aesthetic Impulse Pam Dougherty 9 Book Review: The Boyds Louise Poland 12 Record of on Individual Soul Elizabeth Cross on Peter Wegner' s portraiture 15 Theatre Review: Paradise at La Mama Christine Crowle 17 Book Review: Forests of Ash Graham Petersen 20 Australian Classical Music Elizabeth Scarlet 21 CD Reviews 22 Allister Hullet, Dili Allstors, CoCo's Lunch 22 Stripperomo at Heide 24 Poetry News and Reviews John Jenkins 25 Artin’ about 26 Wining & Dining 30 Poetry Armana Lee 32 "Peter Dougherty has been involved in the local art scene for many years. As publisher and editor of the arts magazine Artstreams, his comments on the various branches of the arts are widely respected. His "The Arts" column in the Diamond Valley Leader presents a brief summary for a much wider cross section of the local community. Peter also operates his own gallery and the Artstreams Cafe at the St Andrews market. Peter has a wealth of knowledge about present day and historical aspects of local art and artists." - Eltham District Historical Society Newsletter No. 161, March 2005Colour front and back cover with feature articles and literary pieces with photographs and advertisements printed in black and white. 36 pages, 30 cm. Vol. 1, no. 1 (Nov. 1996) - Vol. 10, no. 5 (summer ed. 2005/​06) art streams, st andrews hotel, lex de man, cultural heritage, willy wonka's ice cream gourmet food, sharyn munro, fleur de feliss florist, eltham fullife pharmacy, chris pittard, mary lou pittard, bulleen art & garden centre, pam dougherty, arts project, bibby's bahnhof cafe, montsalvat, winter in banyule, eltham wiregrass gallery, arts on burgundy, la mama theatre, folkart warrandyte, thompsons pharmacy, recherche, bundoora homestead, dynamic vegies, armana lee, heide museum of modern art, metro 5 gallery

Map, with details of activitives presented by eight local history groups across the Shire of Nillumbik 26th March to Sunday 4th April 2004. Events included a dirt farming expo at Panton Hill. Program includes message by Mayor, Cr. Lex de Man and artwork by Syd Tunn. During the latter part of 2003 all of the historical societies and similar organisations in the Shire of Nillumbik attended a series of combined meetings arranged by Nillumbik Shire Council. The meetings were arranged by the Council's Arts and Cultural Services Co-ordinator and the Community Events Officer. ..The principal outcome of meetings ..to organise a Nillumbik Heritage Week to run from Friday 26th March to Sunday 4th April. The main event will be a combined heritage "expo" from 26th to 28th March, to be held in the Panton Hill Hall. The theme will be "Dirt Farming" which derives from the subsistence farming activities of the early settlers but could be widened to include gold mining, earth building and even modem day bushland regeneration. It fits well with the name "Nillumbik" which in the language of the Wurundjeri meant the not so good country covering most of our area and contrasted with the rich soil of the Kangaroo Grounds which they called Moor-rul. The following weekend each society will arrange their own separate activities. We intend to have open days at our Local History Centre on both days and this will include a display in the adjoining former Eltham Court House. We are also planning a heritage walk at 2.00pm on each day. Other groups will be having open days, displays, walks, guided car tours and other activities. - NL 154A3 sheet folded. Buff colour, with text and handrawn mapharry gilham collection, map, cultural heritage map, syd tunn, lex de man, eltham district historical society, nillumbik historical society, andrew ross museum, plenty historical society, st andrews queenstown historical society, warrandyte historical society, hurstbridge local history group

Newspaper article: Units vote sparks row, Diamond Valley News, 8 April 1998, Nillumbik Council meeting discussed application for 7 double-storey attached units development at block from 1151 Main Road to Railway Road. Newspaper article: Units go-ahead as decision reversed, Diamond Valley News, 29 April 1998, Nillumbik Council discussed proposed developments at 1151 Main Road and 30 Swan Street. main road, eltham, property, houses, natalie woodley, robert marshall, marg jennings, john graves, lex de man, 30 swan street eltham, railway road eltham

On 15 December 1994 the former Shire of Eltham ceased to exist following the Liberal Kennett Government local council amalgamations. A new Nillumbik Shire Council was established with unelected commissioners appointed. That Council sold the former Eltham Shire Council Offices and land at 89S Main Road Eltham to Dallas Price Homes Pty. Ltd. the sale being conditional upon the granting of a planning permit for a petrol station/convenience store, fast food and video outlet. The sale was conditional that if the permit was not granted by 30 August. 1997, the contract could be avoided by either the purchaser or the vendor. The proposed development consisted of a petrol station with undercover fuelling facilities, convenience shopping, a drive through service facility for fast food, an 80 seat cafe, automated banking, a children's play area and retail space. In addition, the proposal included a 200 square metre community facility for Council use, provision of on site carparking over 2 levels for 83 vehicles, and advertising signage. An Advisory Committee consisting of Dimitry Reed and Margaret Pitt was appointed under Section 151 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 to hear submissions on the proposal to develop the land at 895 Main Road Eltham, the site of the former Eltham Shire Offices. In September 1996, two applications were made by Contour Consultants Australia Pty Ltd on behalf of Dallas Price Homes Ply Ltd, to Nillumbik Shire Council. After extensive notification, the Council received 213 objections and a petition of over 1400 signatures. On October 9, 1996, Nillumbik Shire Council issued Notices of Decision to Grant Permit on Applications number 96/03376 and 96/0377 for the use and development of the land as a convenience Centre consisting of a petrol station, convenience store, cafe/takeaway food premises, a retail facility and a community facility, with associated advertising signs. Objectors to the proposals lodged Planning Appeals number 96/40724 and 96/40812 with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on November 1, 1996. The grounds of appeal can be summarised as: inappropriate development, insufficient carparking, traffic and access issues, unsatisfactory design, inadequate permit conditions, the proposal being out of character with the area. and being contrary to the purpose and orderly development of the Eltham Town Centre, excessive noise, lack of consultation and unsuitable signage. On November 13, 1996, the Minister for Planning and Local Government directed the Registrar of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. under Section 41 (1) (a) of the Planning Act 1980, to refer the Appeals to the Governor in Council for determination without a hearing or recommendation by the Tribunal. The Minister for Planning and Local Government called in the Appeals as he considered that they raised major issues of policy relating to the facilitation of development in accordance with the objectives set out in Section 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987, and that determination of the Appeals could have a substantial effect on the achievement of these planning objectives. The Minister required the Advisory Committee to consider the planning merits of the proposed use and development, and to address the issues raised in the objections. The Advisory Committee was required to produce a report providing: • The Committee's response to the matters detailed; • Relevant supporting information for the Advisory Committee's recommendation; and • A description of the proceedings conducted by the Advisory Committee and a list of those consulted or heard by the Committee. In March 1997, elections were held in the Shire of Nillumbik and the view of the new Council to this proposal differed from the view held by the earlier Council Hence the Submission made to the Committee by the Shire was against the decision by the Shire of Nillumbik to issue the Notices of Decision to Grant a Permit. The Recommendations of the Advisory Committee were: i. The cafe and take away food premises are as of right uses and are therefore allowable, but that shop and petrol station are unacceptable uses. A community facility is a discretionary use and is acceptable. ii. A development of the type and scale proposed is totally inappropriate for this land and that the Applications number 96/03376 and 96/0377 for the use and development of the land as a convenience Centre consisting of a petrol station, convenience store, café/takeaway food premises, a retail facility and a community facility, with associated advertising signs, be refused. iii. The land should be rezoned for public purposes and should remain in the community's ownership for community use. Following this, the Minister for Planning and Local Government, the Hon. Robert Maclellan, appointed Mr. Paul Jerome as an Advisory Committee under section 151 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 to consider a Convenience Centre and an alternative proposal by Iha Shire of Nillumbik being the Eltham Gateway Community Precinct Concept Plan for the site of the former Shire of Eltham municipal offices at 895 Main Road, Eltham. In summary, the terms of reference for the Advisory Committee required it to: • consider the merits of the Council proposal • examine the merits of both proposals in terms of net community benefit • address the report of the previous Advisory Committee on the Convenience Centre proposal The Advisory Committee inspected the site and considered all the material before It including submissions made by all parties to the previous Advisory Committee and correspondence received by the Department of Infrastructure both before and after that Committee submltted its report. The Advisory Committee also held discussions with the following people: • Cr. Robert Marshall • Cr. Margaret Jennings • Cr. Lex de Man • Mr. Dallas Howgate of Dallas Price Properties, also Dallas Price Homes • Mr. Barry Rochford, CEO, Shire of Nillumbik • Ms. Yvonne Rust, Planning Officer, Shire of Nillumbik • Mr. Gregory Burgess, Architect of the Eltham Library and of Council’s Community Precinct Concept Plan • Mr. Jim Connor representing Mrs Thelma Barkway of the Eltham Senior Citizens Club Having considered all the material before it, the Committee arrived at two basic conclusions. First, the DPP proposal should be rejected because, on its merits, It does not sufficiently satisfy the requirements of the planning scheme which is a statutory document. The planning scheme requires that, before making a decision on the permit applications for the DPP proposal, a range of matters must be considered. It follows that consideration of these matters should Influence the decision. These matters include local policies relating to character and amenity. In particular, these policies seek • to conserve and enhance the bushland/country atmosphere, artistic heritage and strong sense of community of the Eltham Town Centre by ensuring that the design and height of any new development is sympathetic to existing buildings • to achieve a pleasing physical environment within the Eltham Town Centre by encouraging a high standard of architecture and urban design • to encourage Improvement to pedestrian amenity through such facilities as open and shattered rest areas and meeting places, crossing facilities, pedestrian arcades, pedestrian links to car parks and pedestrian weather protection • to reduce conflict between vehicular traffic and pedestrian flows, and • to encourage pedestrian thoroughfares It is submitted, as set out In the main body of this report, that the DPP proposal fails substantially to meet these policies and In so doing does not merit the exercise of discretion In Its favour with the Issuing of a permit. This finding is not offset by the investment and employment attributes of the proposal. They do not override the need to comply with the planning scheme. Second, the Council proposal, on Its own merits, substantially meets all statutory requirements applicable to this site with a possible reservation about car parking and traffic management which need further definition and assessment as the concept is refined. The Council proposal, however, has a serious weakness in that Its financial viability has not been adequately tested. The Committee refers to 'financial' rather than 'commercial' viability in recognition that Council owns the land and may enter into a range of agreements and partnerships to realise its concept some of which may be truly commercial and some of which may involve an element of subsidy arising from Council's involvement as a public body acting on behalf of its community. The Committee concludes that Council should be given the opportunity, within a reasonable timeframe to establish the financial feasibility of its concept and should develop a strategy for the future of Its land asset at 895 Main Road in the event that Its concept for the site cannot be realised. 895 main road, advisory committee, dallas price homes, eltham, eltham shire office, nillumbik shire council, planning application, administrative appeals tribunal