The totally off-topic thread

[TheRealTMA]

I discovered last week the development plans for the block next to us on the BCC website. The house was sold in 2015; tenants have been living there since and moved out a few weeks ago. It's a corner block, and 650m2. The plans didn't require public notification :shock:; no idea why, but I guess because they met all of council requirements? We were surprised when the tenants mentioned the house would be demolished as they were moving out; we hadn't seen the usual development sign go up at all in the past 2 years, and we fully expected whoever bought the house to develop it in some way.

The current house will be cut down slightly, fully renovated, raised, etc, and moved to the border next to our house. Two other lots will be created, each with a new two-storey house on it. The middle lot will be a whole 186m2!!!

Not surprised too much by the development - roughly the same thing happened a street away from us in the past two years. Just surprised that it could be done with no public notice at all. Oh well. Hope the new neighbours we get in a year or however long (no work has started yet) like a chatty 11yo who likes to make friends with neighbours!!

It seems like with the BCC these days that if you go to one of the council's preferred developer mates then all the rest of the approvals are readily forthcoming and as for not being on display!

"“But the plans were on display…”
“On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.”
“That’s the display department.”
“With a flashlight.”
“Ah, well, the lights had probably gone.”
“So had the stairs.”
“But look, you found the notice, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” said Arthur, “yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.”
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" Quotes About Bypass (6 quotes)

 

[blackcat20]

Im pretty disgusted with how small the blocks are getting. We recently sold a house that was a smidge over 600mtr sq and apparently they can build 2 homes on this without needing council permission to go that small.

We drove past a new development on the weekend and the houses are so close together, the one set of scaffolding in the middle is allowing the brickies to work on both houses.

Crazy.

Lots of the blocks in our estate are in the low 200s. They have different design rules too, but so many tiny wall to wall houses.

 

[rainbowgirl]

This thread has over 65,000 posts now. Wow.

Not watching much TV at the moment so have caught up on most of my old emails and websites I have been following.

We've also had fun with the kids during the school holidays.

There's still a couple of months from this thread which I haven't caught up on but I'm hoping to do that soon, if I can just remember where I was up to......

 

[rainbowgirl]

Lots of the blocks in our estate are in the low 200s. They have different design rules too, but so many tiny wall to wall houses.

My partner and I have seen estates where there is only a tiny amount of space between the houses. We call them cat traps. You could fit a cat between the houses but not much else.

 

[blackcat20]

My partner and I have seen estates where there is only a tiny amount of space between the houses. We call them cat traps. You could fit a cat between the houses but not much else.

Some of these ones are wall to wall. Fortunatley for blocks the size of ours, there are mandated gaps of 1m+.

 

[Denali]

Some of these ones are wall to wall. Fortunatley for blocks the size of ours, there are mandated gaps of 1m+.

When, if, we KDR our house, part of bypassing council is replacing "like for like". Our house is approx 2mtrs away from the fence line on one side and about 6mtrs away from the fence on the other side and we're happy for it to stay that way.

 

[RB]

Some new houses up the road from where we are renting are squashed in-their bins won't fit down the side space and the mandatory water tanks fill the whole width

 

[Denali]

https://ericaroman.me/2017/07/07/a-widows-rage-defense-of-patton-oswalts-engagement/

I enjoyed reading this.

When I first heard of Patton being engaged, I thought, Good for you! Im guessing he had a happy, loving marriage and was open to a new love to share his life with.

 

[Denali]

Trigger warning, this is about grieving the death of a child but another piece that moved me.

https://abedformyheart.com/dear-newly-bereaved-parent/

 

[whatmeworry]

I discovered last week the development plans for the block next to us on the BCC website. The house was sold in 2015; tenants have been living there since and moved out a few weeks ago. It's a corner block, and 650m2. The plans didn't require public notification :shock:; no idea why, but I guess because they met all of council requirements? We were surprised when the tenants mentioned the house would be demolished as they were moving out; we hadn't seen the usual development sign go up at all in the past 2 years, and we fully expected whoever bought the house to develop it in some way.

The current house will be cut down slightly, fully renovated, raised, etc, and moved to the border next to our house. Two other lots will be created, each with a new two-storey house on it. The middle lot will be a whole 186m2!!!

Not surprised too much by the development - roughly the same thing happened a street away from us in the past two years. Just surprised that it could be done with no public notice at all. Oh well. Hope the new neighbours we get in a year or however long (no work has started yet) like a chatty 11yo who likes to make friends with neighbours!!

In my street some developer to build 5 townhouses on 580m2 (116m2 on average) with a reduction in onsite and offstreet parking. They got astonishingly got blocked by the council despite the glowing endorsement by the council city planner. Developer has now taken their application to VCAT for appeal.

Another Development had their notice up for like 2 or 3 days and then disappeared. Turns out the developer went straight to VCAT to side step the council. Don't know if they got approved.

Im pretty disgusted with how small the blocks are getting. We recently sold a house that was a smidge over 600mtr sq and apparently they can build 2 homes on this without needing council permission to go that small.

We drove past a new development on the weekend and the houses are so close together, the one set of scaffolding in the middle is allowing the brickies to work on both houses.

Crazy.

In my area an application is needed I think for any subdivision. In the "leafy" eastern suburbs of MEL, their were special rules protecting from certain development but new state planning laws has unlocked more of these properties.


https://www.domain.com.au/news/camb...roperty-passes-in-at-auction-20170708-gx7e7a/

The new planning laws allegedly will protect minimum garden sizes.

• 400-500sq. m lot – 25%
• 501-650sq. m lot – 30%
• 650+sq. m – 35%

They project 10 million for Melbourne by 2050 and to do this they are "encouraging" people to use public transport. However every tiny townhouse I see, has on average two or three cars each. Meaning most suburb streets near me are now effectively one way streets because of all the cars parked along the streets.

With a couple of oldies in my street, I fear developers will eventually buy their old homes and change the character of the street.

 

[Flashback]

It feels like Australia is finally catching up to the UK. Space between houses? What space? You can get detached houses can you?

 

[Milboo]

I'm in a typical Inner West detached terrace - about 1m either side. On the left, my neighbours house is my boundary 'fence' - they have no windows on that wall. Similarly, the right side of my house has no windows and is the boundary 'fence'.

I hear next to no noise from either neighbour and one has 2 small kids and the other a baby.

 

[Denali]

Group Certificates, or Payment Summaries, are to be provided no later than July 14th.

I mailed ours 5th July (which I didnt have to do as we have them online) and uploaded to online employee portal July 3rd.

If I get one more email or phone call asking where is their Payment Summary, my inside my head voice is going to tell them to F off and go online like they are reminded to do every single month but they still ask where are their pay slips.

 

[Denali]

I can butcher the English language like no other but if my job was to report the news, I would at least use spell check first.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Group Certificates, or Payment Summaries, are to be provided no later than July 14th.

I mailed ours 5th July (which I didnt have to do as we have them online) and uploaded to online employee portal July 3rd.

If I get one more email or phone call asking where is their Payment Summary, my inside my head voice is going to tell them to F off and go online like they are reminded to do every single month but they still ask where are their pay slips.

some staff are just thick.

That has reminded me I need to upload that EMPLO... file thingy, I only need to do it once a year but its annoying to remember how to do it.

 

[Denali]

some staff are just thick.

That has reminded me I need to upload that EMPLO... file thingy, I only need to do it once a year but its annoying to remember how to do it.

Sign onto your business portal, left hand side is File Transfer>Lodge File. Test file first (you get an email confirmation).

https://bp.ato.gov.au/

 

[Bundy Bear]

Sign onto your business portal, left hand side is File Transfer>Lodge File. Test file first (you get an email confirmation).

https://bp.ato.gov.au/

Thanks, never look that far down the page, you have saved me a bit of stress with that, need a double like button.

I should say never look that far down the page; obviously only once a year.

Now to figure out how easy the new tax lodgement is.

 

[mushez]

I can butcher the English language like no other but if my job was to report the news, I would at least use spell check first.

Looks like that is award winning stuff there - just like everyone gets awards for 5th or last place these days. Everyone is encouraged that they are good enough to do anything they want to in life.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Group Certificates, or Payment Summaries, are to be provided no later than July 14th.

I mailed ours 5th July (which I didnt have to do as we have them online) and uploaded to online employee portal July 3rd.

If I get one more email or phone call asking where is their Payment Summary, my inside my head voice is going to tell them to F off and go online like they are reminded to do every single month but they still ask where are their pay slips.

**)( some staff are thick,

Where is my payment summary,

sent to you via email on the 27 June at 3:11pm.

 

[Denali]

Insurance quote.

8 days travel insurance including $3K car excess insurance $112.00

or $4K Car excess insurance only $280.00