Events for your Diary

March
  • Sat 16, 9:30-10:30am: Love our Streets, meeting at Edwards Park, corner of Dow & Liardet Streets
  • Thu 21, 6pm: BCNA Community Dinner

  • April
  • Sat 6, 9-10am: Beach Patrol, meeting at Princes Pier
  • Sat 20, 9:30-10:30am: Love our Streets, meeting at 109 tram terminus

  • May
  • Sat 4, 9-10am: Beach Patrol, meeting at Centenary Bridge Pylon between Station Pier and Port Melbourne Yacht Club
  • Sat 18, 9:30-10:30am: Love our Streets, meeting at Olive’s Corner, corner of Bay & Liardet Streets
  • Latest News

    You can use the search options at lower right to find specific items.

    Friday 19 July 2019

    Update on the Foodstore Site

    The developer of 103 Beach Street is finalising his proposal for a four-level building comprising a café and supermarket on the ground floor, underground car park and 12 apartments.

    The BCNA wants to see this site developed. The BCNA’s concerns have included the importance of maintaining parking spaces to the north of the building, two car park entrances, retaining a pedestrian entrance to the building from the car park, height, and safe pedestrian and cycle use to the east of the building.

    The developer understands the community concerns that have been raised and has addressed these. Car park design and safe pedestrian and cycle use involve Council and Yarra Trams/PTV. They have provided an assurance that they will not exceed 1.6 metres above the existing approved height, do not plan to on-sell, and will ask Council to include reference to maximum height in the planning permit. They have also offered to hold a community meeting to explain final design and plans.

    The BCNA is keen to see the proposed tram line duplication at the Beacon Cove stop occurring at the same time as redevelopment of the Foodstore site. To this end the BCNA will be contacting the Hon. Martin Foley MP to ensure funds are available to Yarra Trams/PTV for this work. This will minimise disruption from the two projects.

    The developer hopes to start marketing and preselling later this year, with building starting around February 2020. The building phase is expected to take about 18 months.

    Waterfront Place Precinct “Master Plan” Initiative Receives Boost

    Many local residents will be aware that the BCNA has identified the Waterfront Place Precinct as a priority area for attention by all three levels of Government, with the development of a “master plan” for the area the most important first step.

    This initiative has been given a boost by a major article in the July edition of Southbank Local News which has highlighted the issues and the need for a solution, with interviews with several key stakeholders.

    These included both our local members (The Hon. Martin Foley MP, The Hon. Josh Burns, MP), the Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, Cr Dick Gross, and the CEO of the Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne), Rachel Johnson. All agreed that change was needed and that a plan for the whole precinct was the first priority.

    The BCNA will continue to push for the establishment of a planning committee and the development of a master plan for the precinct, followed by appropriate re-development and upgrading.

    Tuesday 2 July 2019

    1-7 Waterfront Place Appeal Refused

    On Friday the Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal refused the developer of 1-7 Waterfont Place's leave to appeal the Court’s earlier decision to uphold the Minister for Planning’s ‘call in’ of the planning application.

    In July 2018, the Minister for Planning decided to ‘call in’ the application to develop this site.  The proposal at that time was for a ten-storey mixed use building consisting of 174 apartments and 2 retail premises. Calling in an application enables the proposal to be separately considered, rather than left to normal planning processes such as VCAT. This action was supported by the Victorian Ports Corporation Melbourne (VPCM), the City of Port Phillip, the TT-Line, the tourism industry, the Hon. Martin Foley MP and the BCNA.

    Full details of the Court of Appeal’s decision can be found here.  The developer can appeal this decision to the High Court in which case they have 28 days to do so.

    If the developer does not appeal, the Minister for Planning is expected to convene an Advisory Committee to provide advice on the use of the site. The BCNA believes that the site should be considered by the Victorian Ports Corporation (Melbourne) for improving the overall functioning of the Waterfront Place precinct.

    Improved Lighting Along Beach Street

    We've received this by email from Bernadene Voss, Councillor at City of Port Phillip.

    Construction will start next week to remove the existing green, goose-neck foreshore & Bay Trail lights between Station Pier in Port Melbourne and Kerferd Road in Albert Park. The existing goose-neck poles have reached the end of their asset life, with many poles failing in the last 12-months. Existing light levels are also inadequate and inconsistent.



    New poles and LED lights will decrease power consumption, reduce maintenance, and improve lighting quality and security. The new LED lanterns are designed not to emit upward light pollution, consistent with dark-sky preservation requirements. Light temperature and colour is consistent with best-practice for the protection of fauna.

    Construction signage will be installed at key locations along the foreshore to inform local residents, businesses and users of the Bay Trail. More information will be available on the Council’s website. Construction is expected to take four-months to complete (July to October 2019) with minimal disruption to the Bay Trail and footpaths. Lighting will be replaced in four stages to minimise overall disruption, starting at Station Pier.

    Temporary lighting will be used in each stage to ensure that public safety is maintained while existing lights are decommissioned and new lights installed. The total budget for the project is $1,200,000.