1-5 Waterfront Place

Since our last update we have heard that the City of Port Phillip has approved plans for the site.

We have been unsuccessful in contacting the builder to find out the start date.

Our Newsletter is Out

Volunteers will be delivering our latest newsletter to residences over the coming days. This issue includes news on:

Community safety

• 103 Beach Street
• The Barak Beacon public housing site in Port Melbourne
• Council seeks Victorian Government funds for acoustic camera trial
• Report hoon driving and related noise.
• Joining the BCNA – we encourage all those receiving the newsletter to become a member of the BCNA

The BCNA thanks Nina Taylor, MP, State Member for Albert Park, for arranging printing and Kosdown Press, 10 Rocklea Drive, Port Melbourne for folding the newsletter.

Click/tap here to download the newsletter.

The Barak Beacon Public Housing Site

There will be 408 dwellings on the site between Barak and Beacon Roads. The project is on track and is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. New residents are expected soon after.

The BCNA welcomes the redevelopment which will provide a range of rental options, including social, affordable rental, market rental, and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). Planned additions to local community facilities include a new multipurpose community room and space for a new café and for a social enterprise to use. Click/tap here for details.

That said, the BCNA is disappointed that there has been no action to improve access to public transport, green space, and local roads to cope with the expected increase of more than eight hundred permanent residents. We have raised our concerns with Homes Victoria and with Nina Taylor MP, State Member for Albert Park.

The BCNA continues to monitor the construction development and has assisted nearby residents to resolve issues with the builder.

ANZAC Commemoration and Naval Ship Visits

This year’s Port Melbourne Anzac Commemoration will be held at the WW1 Memorial, corner of Bay and Beach Streets, from 10 am to 11 am on Saturday. Beach Street will be closed from Bay Street through to Princes Street from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm to accommodate the service.

This year two Australian Navy ships will be at Station Pier over the Anzac weekend. They are HMAS Stuart, an Anzac Class frigate and HMAS Brisbane, a Hobart Class guided missile destroyer. Both ships are arriving on Thursday, 23rd April and departing on Monday 27th April. They follow the recent visit of a Japanese naval ship JS Kumano where an agreement to purchase Japanese frigates was signed.

A Great Night Out with BCNA

BCNA members and friends gathered on 16th of April for a relaxed and enjoyable evening at Mascalzone Restaurant, 55 Beach Street.

During the night, our President Tim Norman provided a brief update on key local issues, including hoon driving, Waterfront Place Precinct, 1-5 Waterfront Place highlighting BCNA’s ongoing advocacy on behalf of members and residents.

If you have not joined us yet, we would love to welcome you - it is a great way to stay connected and be part of the community.

Draft Foreshore Management Plan

The City of Port Phillip has released a draft plan and is encouraging feedback. Click/tap here for more details of the plan and how to provide feedback.

Acoustic Camera Trial Announced

The BCNA welcomes the announcement by the Premier and the Minister for Environment, The Hon. Steve Dimopoulos, of a two year acoustic camera trial commencing later this year. Seven cameras will be installed at key ‘hot spot’ locations across Victoria to monitor vehicle noise.

                          

We acknowledge Nina Taylor MP, State Member for Albert Park, for her strong advocacy on this issue.

However, the BCNA has significant concerns about the current design of the trial. As announced, the trial focuses narrowly on vehicle and engine noise, overlooking noise generated by burnouts, drifting, and rapid acceleration. It also leaves open opportunities for evasion after detection. The BCNA has now produced a paper assessing the trial and outlining key issues.

The BCNA has provided these concerns to Nina Taylor MP, to the Minister for Environment, the Hon. Steve Dimopoulos MP, and our local councillors. We will continue to actively pursue improvements to the trial’s scope and effectiveness.

Future uses of the freight yard near Station Pier

The BCNA has regular meetings with Ports Victoria to better understand plans and to discuss improvements to the area. One of the issues we discussed at a recent meeting was the use of the freight yard. We heard that the yard is still integral to operations but that Ports Victoria is open to ideas about community use at certain times. We heard that Ports Victoria has discussed this with the City of Port Phillip. The BCNA strongly supports the yard being used for community uses. The BCNA would welcome ideas for uses by emailing brief details to the President or Secretary.

New Committee Members Wanted

The BCNA is seeking new committee members. This is a valuable opportunity to contribute directly to advocacy across all three levels of government and to help progress community issues that affect you and your neighbours. If you are interested, please contact the Secretary or President to discuss current priorities and how you can be involved.

BCNA Members Dinner - Thursday 16 April

The first dinner for 2026 will be held on Thursday 16th April. Members have been sent an invitation with details. If you are not a member and would like to attend, please email us for details.