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.

Update on 103 Beach Street (formerly the Foodstore Site)

We received advice from Council officers on 20 January that no application has been received to change the use of the ground floor of 103 Beach Street as we explained in a recent post.

The BCNA advocated for part of the ground floor area to be used as mini supermarket when the planning application was decided at VCAT in 2022. The owner, Luxcon, confirmed they were seeking potential lessees for this purpose. The ground floor is marked as ‘retail’ on the endorsed plans and shows the design for a supermarket.

A mini supermarket would be valued by the community, but the owners are not compelled to provide it. However, if a change of use is planned, the owners are required to obtain the City of Port Phillip’s approval.

BCNA Priorities

The BCNA’s current priorities include the redevelopment of the Waterfront Place precinct, hoon driving and vehicle noise, Fishermans Bend, community safety, the Barak Beacon housing redevelopment, and air quality. We provide regular updates on these items.

‘Position papers’ on four of these priorities have now been prepared. They are designed to assist communication with members and external parties. Each paper explains the problem and the BCNA position.

Click/tap below to read the relevant papers:

Redevelopment of Waterfront Place Precinct

Hoon Driving and Vehicle Noise

Fishermans Bend

Community Safety

Update on 103 Beach Street (Formerly the Foodstore Site)

Over the past few months, the BCNA has attempted to contact Luxcon, the developer, to hear about progress. We have been unsuccessful. We know that there are 19 units in the building, and it has underground parking for 42 cars. We understand that around 6 units remain unsold.

The BCNA advocated for part of the ground floor area to be used as mini supermarket. It is shown as ‘retail’ on the endorsed plans. Unfortunately, a supermarket may not be provided. We understand the area may be used for a gym and fitness centre.

To date the City of Port Phillip has not received an application to change the use of the ground floor. Any change of use would be contrary to the endorsed plans and would require an amendment application to make this change.

BCNA AGM – Summary of Meeting

The BCNA held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, 18th September. For those who could not attend, here are links for:

• a summary of the meeting
• the President’s report

Guests at this year’s AGM are shown in the front row in the photo below. From left they are Councillor Heather Cunsolo, Acting Inspector Ely Reynolds, and Ms. Nina Taylor MP.

The Guest Speaker was Senior Sergeant Ely Reynolds. He is currently Acting Inspector of the Port Phillip Police Service Area. Ely spoke about this year’s high road toll, the deployment of staff to other areas, crime in Port Phillip, and the importance of reporting crime.

Ms. Nina Taylor, MP, State Member for Albert Park, spoke about the ongoing maintenance of Station Pier, the release of a cruise shipping strategy later this year, hoon driving and acoustic cameras, and the Barak Beacon housing project.

Port Melbourne Ward Councillor Heather Cunsolo spoke about Council’s 10-year plan, Bay Street, the Barak Beacon project, 103 Beach Street, and 1-7 Waterfront Place.

Update on 103 Beach Street (former Beacon Cove Foodstore)

Recently, the City of Port Phillip approved plans for the public realm areas around this  development. The approved plans show design, materials for paved areas and plants to be used in the landscaping. Work has commenced on the plaza area at the front of the building, on the Station Pier side.

The area will be landscaped and transformed to what is depicted here (click/tap here to download):

The area at the rear will be landscaped and include public car parking as shown. The plans show space for a retail area on the ground floor. The entrance to the retail area will be from the front of the building (click/tap here to download).

The BCNA welcomes the progress to date and the development of this site.  We will provide further updates as information becomes available.

Our Newsletter is Out

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

• New plans for 1 and 7 Waterfront Place 
• The Barak Beacon public housing site in Port Melbourne
• Beacon Cove Foodstore redevelopment at 103 Beach Street
• Hoon driving and related noise.
• Air quality monitoring at Station Pier
• Port Victoria’s Cruise Shipping Strategy
• Joining the BCNA

BCNA thanks Nina Taylor, MP, State Member for Albert Park, for arranging printing and to Kosdown Press for folding the newsletter.

Click/tap here for an electronic version of the newsletter.

Our Newsletter is Out

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

• Renters are welcome to become members
• The Barak Beacon public housing site in Port Melbourne
• Update on 1 and 7 Waterfront Place 
• Hoon driving and related noise.
• Update on Foodstore redevelopment at 103 Beach Street
• Dogs off leash in public spaces  
• Air quality monitoring at Station Pier
• BCNA’s residents’ dinners
• Joining the BCNA

The BCNA thanks Nina Taylor, MP, State Member for Albert Park, for arranging printing and to Kosdown Press for folding the newsletter.

Click/tap here for an electronic version of the newsletter.

Our Newsletter is Out

Volunteers are now delivering our latest newsletter to residences. This issue includes news on:

• Invitation to renters to become members
• The Barak Beacon public housing site in Port Melbourne
• Air quality monitoring near Station Pier
• Update on 1 and 7 Waterfront Place
• Hoon driving and related noise
• Update on Foodstore redevelopment at 103 Beach Street
• Council news affecting Beacon Cove: Dogs off leash in public spaces and the Princes Street stormwater drain
• BCNA’s residents’ dinners
• Joining the BCNA

The BCNA thanks Nina Taylor, MP, State Member for Albert Park, for arranging printing and to Kosdown Press for folding the newsletter.

Click here for an electronic version of the newsletter.

Our Newsletter is Out

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

• Invitation to renters to become members, 
• Hoon driving and related noise.
• Update on Foodstore redevelopment at 103 Beach Street
• The Barak Beacon public housing site
• Update on 1 and 7 Waterfront Place 
• Council news affecting Beacon Cove: Dogs off leash in public spaces, and Port Phillip’s Housing Strategy 
• BCNA’s Annual General Meeting
• BCNA’s residents’ dinners
• Joining the BCNA

The BCNA thanks Nina Taylor, MP, Member for Albert Park, for arranging printing.

To get the electronic version of the newsletter, please click here.

Progress on 103 Beach St (old Foodstore site)

Since our earlier update, the owners have provided an update. The work is progressing well, and sales are on track. Settlement on properties is expected mid-2024.

103 Beach Street (old Foodstore site) Update

The owners of this site have provided an update to the BCNA. Pile driving to 40 metres has now been completed. The team is currently excavating for one level of basement parking. In a couple of weeks the excavation will finish. Next, trucks will arrive to pour concrete for the basement floor and foundations. Then the walls and higher floors up will be built.

The owners predict that they will get to lockup stage around October. After this the internal fit out occurs, with expected completion in June 2024.

The number of apartments has been reduced - from 22 to 19. Car parking remains at 42. Provision has been made for a small supermarket on the ground floor.

Our Newsletter is Out

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

• Hoon driving and related noise
• Foodstore redevelopment at 103 Beach Street
• The Barak Beacon public housing site
• Council news affecting Beacon Cove: Dogs off leash in public spaces, and new Local Laws 2023 
• E-scooters
• BCNA’s residents’ dinners
• Joining the BCNA

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

The newsletter can be accessed here.

Agreement Reached on 103 Beach Street (Foodstore site)

Since our earlier update, agreement was reached between the developer, City of Port Phillip (Council) and other parties at a VCAT compulsory conference last week.

The development has been approved without the sixth level (a roof terrace), and with levels 3 and 4 shifted east by 0.5m and no western terrace on level 3.

The entrances to the supermarket and to the apartments remain unchanged. That is, the entrance to the supermarket will be from the north and to the apartments from the south. Concerns about the safety of cyclists and pedestrians on the eastern side will be resolved separately between Council and the developer.

The BCNA has been urging that Yarra Trams undertakes tram track duplication work at the same time as the build at 103 Beach Street. This will minimise the disruption to traffic and residents. This is not yet agreed. The BCNA will be advocating that this occurs with the Hon. Nina Taylor, MP, Yarra Trams, and the City of Port Phillip.

The development will comprise twenty-two apartments and a supermarket on the ground floor. The developer has stated that the basement will only have one level rather than two. The electricity substation will be relocated from the laneway to the northern side. The developer plans to move pile driving equipment onto the site this month with work starting in mid-January. Soil removal and piling will take eight weeks, and the build is expected to take 13 months with less than four months of traffic disruptions. An image of the proposed building is shown below.

Our Newsletter is Out

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

• Hoon driving and related noise
• Foodstore redevelopment at 103 Beach Street
• Council news affecting Beacon Cove
• E-scooters
• Traffic congestion in Fishermans Bend
• BCNA’s Annual General Meeting

I'f you'd like an electronic version, you can download it here.

103 Beach Street (Foodstore site) Update

The developer has decided to appeal the City of Port Phillip’s approval granted on 28 July 2022. Details were provided earlier.

The developer is contesting many of the conditions Council attached to the planning approval and suggesting amendments to others. The conditions being contested include:

• A requirement for design methods to slow the speed of cyclists.
• The setbacks of a minimum of five metres from the eastern and western boundaries for levels 3 and 4.
• The requirement to provide a second entrance to the supermarket on the southern side.
• The deletion of the sixth level (a roof terrace) and lowering of the height of the building.
• The requirement that the entrance to the apartments be from Beach Street.
• Design of basement ramp in relation to on-site waste collection.

The BCNA is keen to see the site redeveloped and considers it vital that it includes a supermarket on the ground floor. Our concerns have been about height and overshadowing of the public realm including the shared cycling paths and Bay Trail to the south; that there was no entrance to the supermarket from the south side; and the importance of sufficient car parking in the northern car park. The BCNA has been an objector about these issues.

VCAT has scheduled a compulsory conference for 7 December 2022 and a Hearing in March 2023.

103 Beach Street (Foodstore site) Update

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) decided on proposed plans by Carr architects on behalf of Luxcon for this site at its Planning Committee meeting on Thursday 28 July.

CoPP officers recommended that the proposed plans for a five-storey building be approved subject to a number of amendments. These included:

• Increasing the setbacks of the fourth and fifth storeys of the building to be a minimum 5m from the eastern and western boundaries.
• Adding an entrance to the supermarket from Waterfront Place in addition to the entrance from Beach St.

Gateway Ward Councillors (Heather Cunsolo, Marcus Pearl, and Peter Martin) supported the redevelopment and the CoPP officers' recommended amendments, but added additional amendments that would further reduce the bulk of the building, ensuring it is perceived as a five-storey building not a six-storey building, and reduce overshadowing of the public realm. Councillor approved amendments included:

• Deleting rooftop terraces and associated structures and stair access from top level units, deleting a central stair to the roof, minimising the lift overrun, and reducing the building height by 2.4m so that the highest parapet is reduced to RL 22.5 around the central lift overrun.
• Having the main entrance to the apartments on Beach St to match the address of 103 Beach St.

The BCNA is keen to see the site redeveloped and considers it vital that it includes a supermarket on the ground floor. Our concerns have been about height and overshadowing of the public realm including the cycling paths and Bay Trail to the south; that there was no entrance to the supermarket from the south side; and the importance of sufficient car parking in the northern car park.

The impact of CoPP's changes is to reduce the height and bulk of the building and overshadowing of the public realm. It will also make the supermarket more accessible to visitors on the southern side of the building.

The permit applicant has 60 days to appeal CoPP's decision to VCAT.

Status of Applications for 1-7 Waterfront Place and 103 Beach Street

Members will be aware of BCNA input into the planning process for both 1-7 Waterfront Place and 103 Beach Street (the former food store).

The developer for Waterfront Place (Action Australia Group) appealed to VCAT against the City of Port Phillip's (CoPP) conditions assigned with the granting of a permit for their most recent design. That matter was heard by VCAT in late March and recent communication from VCAT had indicated their decision would be forthcoming in late June. The BCNA has written to VCAT to request status of their deliberations.

With regard to 103 Beach Street, the developer (Luxcon) has a permit to build a 4 storey apartment building but has applied to the CoPP to vary the design to become 5 storeys with associated changes to configuration and parking. The matter will now be considered by the CoPP Planning Committee in late July.

The BCNA supports redevelopment in principle for both these properties but has concerns that both designs “push the envelope” in terms of overshadowing and community benefit. We continue to monitor these developments on behalf of members.

103 Beach Street (Foodstore site) Update

The current developer of this site (Luxcon) has approval from the City of Port Phillip (Council) to build a four storey building with one level of underground parking. As we highlighted in our last update, they are seeking a new permit to build to five storeys with two levels of underground parking.

BCNA Committee members recently participated in several meetings with Luxcon representatives.

The first meeting was convened by the Council to allow Q&A with the developer and residents. The Council is reviewing the latest application and will formally consider this shortly.  

With regards to the proposed five story design, the BCNA has objected to the following attributes of the new application: 

• the west end of the car park will close, leaving only one combined entrance and exit for cars;
• space for a small supermarket is planned but a tenant has not been confirmed;
• access to any supermarket will only be from Beach St, not from Waterfront Place;
• the proposed additional level creates overshadowing onto the front pedestrian areas; and
• the existing bike path and pedestrian walkway will be further constrained alongside the tram line.

Demolition of the existing building is expected to start in June 2022. Once the design is finalised, the build is anticipated to take 12-16 months, with expectations to hit ground water at 2.5 meters. Because of this, there is anticipated to be several months of piling activity.

Design Changes for 103 Beach Street (Foodstore) Development

Revised plans for 103 Beach Street (which formerly was the Beacon Cove Foodstore) have recently been advertised by the City of Port Phillip (CoPP). 

The main differences between this set of plans and the previously approved plans seem to be:

• An additional storey (resulting in a five storey building) and roof terrace;
• Increased number of dwellings from 12 to 22;
• Amendments to the façade and building envelope;
• Deletion of the food and drink premises and associated increase of supermarket leasable floor area from 480sqm to 794sqm;
• Additional level of basement car parking, increasing parking provisions from 30 to 51; and
• Increase bicycle parking provisions from 24 to 46.

To view the revised planning application you will have to follow the following steps (CoPP have changed their website and direct links no longer seem to work):

1. Click this link
2. Select "Applications on Notification"
3. Search "103 Beach" or "673/2015/C"
4. Click View. This will open a pane on the left hand side of the screen with an item Attachments (9 items)
5. Click on Attachments and the attachments will be shown with options for downloading

The due date for submissions about these revised plans is 21 March 2022. Submissions can be made from the web page you have got to above (ie after following the first four steps).

Submissions will still be able to be made after this date until the time that the City of Port Phillip makes a decision on the application. Decisions can be made by council officers if 15 or fewer objections are made, otherwise council officers prepare a report for the councillors and the councillors will vote on the application at a council planning meeting.

The BCNA is examining the plans and is looking for feedback from the community to help inform BCNA position on this proposal so please contact us at secretary@beaconcove.org.au if you have any comments.