Monthly Archives: September 2016

WEBS as an Integrated Approach for Development of the Future

Wise Earth has recently developed an R&D demo building operation; WEBS (Wise Earth Building Solutions). This system will be used on Wise Earth’s associated company’s developments and will integrate the many innovative concepts and cutting edge approaches including MassWall; Solar hot water and air conditioning and PV power systems.

With WEBS, Wise Earth should be able to monitor and improve by demonstration, the building operations that build project style homes. The consumer will get all these benefits from architectural design by Ecotect architects to build a superior house suited to the 21st century with solar solutions that are cost effective with a competitive price. It will also provide an alternative choice with state of the art technology to the ‘business as usual’ model that to date has been the only choice.

It’s foreseen that WEBS may be serving the consumer for some time before the generic home building and spec home suppliers embrace the new technologies.

Cutting Edge Research

WEBS will also integrate cutting edge research from Universities and research establishments such as CUSP from Curtin University and engineering faculties in NSW and SA. Any new ideas that can be supplied in solar energy making systems more efficient; Wise Earth will strive to be a change agent in the field of construction. Garry Baverstock remarked that the Swanbourne Village Trust (SVT) project may be ideal to use the concepts behind WEBS.

The Swanbourne Village Trust development is considered to be an ideal project to put into practice the WEBS innovative concept incorporating state of the art technology

The Swanbourne Village Trust development is considered to be an ideal project to put into practice the WEBS innovative concept incorporating state of the art technology

As there is a need for an estimated 800,000 new homes to be built in Perth over the next 20-30 years as the city grows to its planning potential; increased density by smart infill development has to be palatable to the public and for desirable economic outcomes.

As first steps for WEBS, perhaps a demonstration home may need to be built parallel to the SVT development on a single block. This will demonstrate how homeowners can subdivide and put an extra house over a period of time increasing density around shopping centres and transport nodes. Melbourne has succeeded in this field of higher density near transport nodes with a smaller footprint than Perth saving taxpayer funds as well as benefits to the environment and to amenities such as Schools and hospitals.

Photo Credits: Nick Melidonis, www.nickmelidonis.com

Non-Progressive View in Development of Cottesloe

Recent debate on the Swanbourne Village Trust (SVT) development in Congdon St, Cottesloe has heated up with a small, very vocal minority spreading leaflets in letterboxes in the area. These leaflets were laced with incorrect information and assumptions and making statements disguised as facts that are little more than the opinions of a few people that seem to be opposed to change in Cottesloe.

The Misnamed Group : Cottesloe Residents & Ratepayers Association

The name adopted by this group is mis-leading. They are NOT representing the majority of the residents and ratepayers of Cottesloe. Even their own website admits this.

At the 2016 AGM of the Association slurs on the Town of Cottesloe Council were voiced by committee members accusing the Council of not following ‘due process’ and not being transparent with ‘ad hoc re-zoning’ decisions.

This small group, which in itself acts in secrecy and is by no means transparent,  claims to represent the 8,000 ratepayers of Cottesloe. They will not declare how many members they have or whether their members are all related by business, payment of rates or rental to Cottesloe. Their members could come from anywhere. There is no requirement to state they belong to Cottesloe when applying for membership. There is no process to delete members when they leave Cottesloe.

The Committee of the Association  passed a vote of no confidence in the Town of Cottesloe Council and implied incorrectly that they spoke on behalf of Cottesloe ratepayers in that they were against the Swanbourne Village Trust  Rezoning Application which had been passed for advertising by a majority vote through the Council in April 2016.

Architect, Garry Baverstock pointed out that the SVT project went through a very rigorous and meticulous planning process over a period of two years with an appointed planner for the project. Almost on a weekly basis, Manager, Development Services, Andrew Jackson was briefed to ensure SVT met the Council’s planning scheme and State Government requirements.

Businesswoman and Cottesloe ratepayer, Julia Hayes, a new member of this Ratepayers Association, took the Committee of the Association to task at the AGM of the Association, asked a series of questions including:

  • the number of members on the membership register
  • how resolutions of the Association were approved by members
  • by what means members were involved in any decision making process before edicts were issued
  • how the greater environment of residents and ratepayers of Cottesloe are consulted

Julia was also aware that she and other members of the Association she knew personally had never been invited to meetings and minutes of the meetings were not made available upon request. The Chairman agreed that resolutions were NOT based on any consultation with members, were NOT based on any consultation with the community at large, but that all decisions were made by their committee of ten people.

Later Julia, a retired Chartered Secretary, pointed out the minutes of the AGM were incorrectly reported, leaving out what she thought was relevant information regarding the incorrect claims of the vocal minority.

She was further surprised that the large amount of support the SVT had received from public information sessions was not reflected in any edicts  issued by this Association.

Julia noted afterwards that the majority of active discussion at the AGM related to the cleanliness of the toilets at Indianas and whether people should be forced to have lawn verges rather that native plants.

This incorrect claim by a small self-interest group inferring that they represent community views,  appears to be happening in other Perth suburbs. In Bayswater, a group of its concerned ratepayers have set up their own progressive association ‘Future Bayswater‘ to add a balanced voice to the small minority that seemed to be opposed to just about any change.

Photo Credits: Nick Melidonis, www.nickmelidonis.com