Minister ‘Calls In’ Planning Application for 1-7 Waterfront Place

The Minister for Planning, the Hon Richard Wynne MP, has ‘called in’ the planning application for 1-7 Waterfront Place. The ‘calling in’ was supported by the Victorian Ports Corporation Melbourne (VPCM), the City of Port Phillip (CoPP), the TT-Line, the tourism industry, the BCNA and the Hon Martin Foley, MP.

The Minister’s letter states that the reason for calling in is that the application raises “…a major issue of policy, and determination of the proceeding may have a substantial effect on the achievement or development of planning objectives”.

The developer of the site has objected to the call-in. The matter is now likely to be heard in the Supreme Court later this year. If the Minister’s call in is successful, the matter would be referred to an Advisory Committee.

The BCNA believes the call in would be a good outcome for the community, if it proceeds. Port operations would be better protected if there was no residential development at 1-7 Waterfront Place. The VPCM would then be able to plan to use the site to improve the functioning of the area. This is important as cruise ships visits, visitors as well as domestic freight and passenger transport services provide benefits to the Victorian economy. At the same time, the local community avoids a ten-storey building which would have overshadowed the foreshore and the additional traffic created from 174 apartments plus two retail premises.

The VPCM has been allocated $5.8 million in the recent State Government budget for planning for domestic ferry and cruise ship operations.