Australian Submarine at Station Pier

Ports Victoria has told us that an Australian submarine will be at Station Pier from Friday 29th August to Friday 5th September.

Station Pier will not be open to the public to allow a closer look during this visit.

While at Station Pier, the submarine will be “snorting” at certain times. Snorting is a procedure where some exhaust gases are released and appears as black smoke. Snorting is expected to occur from 1600 to 2359 hrs on Friday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Fire Rescue Victoria and Victoria Police are aware of these events.

Savings on Non-recyclable Waste Charges

Very soon, property owners will receive their rate notices for 2025/26. The City of Port Phillip (Council) has set a three per cent average general rates increase, which is in line with the Victorian Government’s rates cap.

This year Council has increased the Default Waste Charge and the Kerbside Food Organics and Garden (FOGO) collection charge by about 13 per cent. However, by ordering a smaller Waste Bin for non-recyclable waste, residents may be able to reduce their costs. You see, the City of Port Phillip provides 3 bin sizes for kerbside rubbish collection.

Every household is allocated a default bin of 120 litre with the cost of that included in your rates. However, if you request (or still have) the largest 240 size, an additional $290 charge per annum is added to your rates.

If, on the other hand, you downsize from the default 120 litre to 80 litres, you will be given an $82 rebate on your annual rates.

It’s simple to change your bins, just go to Council's Request bin repairs, a new or extra bin web page and they will deliver the desired bin size on an agreed day and collect the old one.

Click/tap here for full details of Council’s new 10-year plan and the Budget for 2025/26.

Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The BCNA’s 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Thursday 18th September 2025 at the Sandridge Community Centre (formerly called the Trugo Club), Tucker Street, Port Melbourne. Members should arrive at 7 pm for a 7.15 pm start.

Reports have been sent to financial members. If you did not receive the reports, it may be because you are unfinancial or that you have changed your contact details. Please contact the Treasurer to check.

The Guest Speaker will be Senior Sergeant Ely Reynolds, South Melbourne Police. Ms. Nina Taylor MP, Member for Albert Park, and Councillor Heather Cunsolo, Port Melbourne Ward have accepted invitations to attend and provide reports.

Progress Regarding Residents’ Concerns about the Barak Beacon Housing Development

Since our last update, Councillor Heather Cunsolo, Port Melbourne Ward, organised a meeting with the builder, ICON construction, to resolve the concerns of nearby residents. The concerns have been about excessive light spill (a problem since February), damage to residents’ properties - lawns, gardens, and watering systems - traffic, parking issues and very loud music played on site during works hours. A BCNA committee representative, Serge Zorino, who has a background in industrial consulting, was invited to join the meeting.

The builder has agreed to certain actions - click/tap here for a summary of the meeting. Some damage to nearby properties is the responsibility of other organisations, such as Southeast Water and CitiPower. Affected residents have been urged to contact these organisations to report damage and to seek compensation.

The builder expects the peak in the construction workforce will be later this year with each section to be completed in stages. The cranes will be progressively removed 6-8 weeks later. This is explained in the attached summary.

The BCNA thanks Councillor Cunsolo for initiating and leading the discussion with the builder.

Local Government Community Satisfaction Survey

Earlier this year we encouraged residents to participate in an annual survey to assess satisfaction with the City of Port Phillip’s services. Around 900 interviews were conducted with residents from mid-March to late April 2025.

Community satisfaction was measured across the broad range of Council provided services and facilities.  Overall satisfaction with the City of Port Phillip Council was classed as “good’, with a score of 6.9 out of 10. This result was lower than the 2025 metropolitan Melbourne average and the inner region councils’ averages.

The individual services that most under-performed the metropolitan average included planning and/or building permits (9% lower in Port Phillip), services for people with disability (5% lower by 43 respondents), bike and shared paths (4% lower), Divercity (4% lower), footpaths (4% lower), enforcement of local laws (4% lower), and Council’s website (4% lower). Port Phillip was, however, outperforming the metropolitan average for services for children from birth to five years of age (4% higher in Port Phillip).

Click/tap here to see the full report.

Help Shape Bay Street

The City of Port Phillip (Council) is seeking community input on ways to enhance the range of shops, services, dining, and entertainment along Bay Street.

Council is launching a research project to gather insights that will guide potential businesses, landlords, and real estate agents on the best types of tenants, based on local shopping habits. The results will also help shape ongoing efforts to support and strengthen the street’s unique character.

Tap/click on the link here to complete the survey, which closes on Friday, 8 August.

Princes Street Storm Water Drain

Melbourne Water has been undertaking desilting work to clear blockages at the mouth and further upstream.

The BCNA has had long standing concerns about health and appearance issues associated with this drain and has discussed them with representatives from Melbourne Water. The pond at the mouth of the drain is attractive to children as it has the appearance of being safe. However, birds foul the water making it unsafe. The discharge from the drain also conveys a poor image of the area, particularly after heavy rainfall events in the catchment as shown here.

Click/tap here for details of earlier BCNA discussions with Melbourne Water. Increased maintenance, such as more extensive cleaning and shaping to improve water flow, has been considered the best way to improve amenity.

Public Art at Station Pier

The City of Port Phillip has just installed new public artwork at Station Pier. It is located close to Station Pier.  

The sculpture shows a traditional canoe designed by a First Nations artist, Simone Thomson. It reflects the stories of migration and deep cultural connections to place. The work is part of the Migration Public Art Trail initiative led by the Port Melbourne Business Association and funded by a State Government grant. 

The project has been supported and signed off by the Victorian Government’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. Officers from the City of Port Phillip managed the installation. Questions or feedback should be directed to the City of Port Phillip.

Barak Beacon Housing Development - Ongoing Concerns

Since our last update, BCNA representatives met Heather Cunsolo, councillor for Port Melbourne ward, to discuss site related issues raised by nearby residents. We wanted to reinforce their complaints about excessive light spill (a problem since February), damage to residents’ properties - lawns, gardens and watering systems, traffic, and parking issues and, very loud music played on site during works hours.

BCNA research indicates that the builder ICON has obligations for community safety as well as site safety under the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act and Construction regulations to address risks to health safety and welfare under its control. Risks brought to ICON’s attention by residents since February do not appear to have been addressed. A meeting is being sought with the builder, to discuss the issues of concern.

Update on Fishermans Bend Primary School

This new school is being built at 299 Williamstown Road as explained earlier.

Enrolments are now open for students in Foundation (Prep) to Year 6 in 2026. A kindergarten is expected to open in 2027. Click here for more details as well as photos.