By Alex Crowe
Caulfield Grammar School has been accused of being a poor “corporate citizen” as its battle with neighbours of the Malvern campus degenerates into arguments about loudspeakers and delivery vans.
The school has applied to the City of Stonnington for a planning permit amendment that would allow it to use amplified speakers during school events and make traffic changes in streets around the campus, in Glen Iris.
Caulfield Grammar’s Malvern campus.Credit: Joe Armao
But Glen Iris residents say the changes will unduly impact the quiet neighbourhood, and 20 complaints have been received about the proposals.
Residents opposed to the plan say the school already bends the rules by hosting parties for parents at which loud music plays until late, and Caulfield Grammar should be judged on its behaviour.
Council notes state the school hosts about 12 events a year, and an acoustic assessment found most events involved amplified speech and music for up to several hours, generally during the day.
Caulfield Grammar agreed to a sound management plan, ticked off by the council, that a new loudspeaker would only be used for essential school operations – like the bell – and neighbours would be informed of planned events at which music would be played.
However, at a meeting on Monday night, Stonnington councillor Jami Klisaris moved to prevent speakers being used for anything other than the national anthem, “even if the school is having one of their parent events”.
Klisaris said that after consideration, she didn’t agree the school needed to amplify noise and music during events.
“I’m an alumni myself, but at the end of the day, it’s just not an argument that washes with me,” she said.
“People still live there. They deserve to have quiet amenity and the quiet enjoyment of their street.”
Parking has been a longstanding issue outside Caulfield Grammar School’s Malvern campus.Credit: Eddie Jim
Residents also objected to the loading and unloading of delivery vehicles on Willoby and Harold avenues, where the school is located.
Stonnington introduced a six-month trial in April that banned parents parking outside the school, including in those two streets, in response to resident concerns about traffic at pick-up and drop-off time.
Councillors voted in favour of an amendment to the permit that would allow delivery drivers to use on-street parking or loading zones, provided deliveries didn’t occur concurrently.
They also limited deliveries by large vehicles to the indented parking bay or bus zone and not during peak times of the school day.
Michael Coates has lived near Caulfield Grammar’s Malvern campus for almost 30 years.Credit: Joe Armao
Klisaris noted parents and some residents had parking concerns outside the school, but other residents welcomed the trial.
“I have actually heard from a number of residents that they seem to be working really well, and have really ameliorated some of the challenges in the area,” she said.
Klisaris said the council had received a lot of feedback from residents suggesting the school had not been a good “corporate citizen”.
“We can’t use other potential issues as a reason to not approve something that from a planning perspective stacks up,” she said.
Michael Coates, who has lived opposite the early learning to grade 6 Malvern campus for more than 30 years, said the role of the school had changed in that time, and residents simply wanted to work with the school to avoid conflict.
“Then it was a local school serving local needs, and it’s not that any more,” he said.
“It’s a big business attracting students from all over Melbourne.”
Coates said residents felt their concerns had been ignored, which was why they wanted proper traffic and noise management plans in place.
“The problem that essentially exists in this area is that the neighbourhood has absolutely no trust in the school and the school does nothing to address that problem, which creates an adversary situation which is just unnecessary,” he said.
Caulfield Grammar School has about 430 children enrolled in primary school and early learning at the Malvern campus and a total student cohort of 3324 across its three campuses.
The school has been contacted for comment.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.