The BCNA committee has received a number of questions about graffiti from BCNA members. The City of Port Phillip has a service that removes graffiti providing the location fits within their guidelines.
Information about the service can be found here.
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:
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:
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.
Transport Victoria has released a strategy to improve the efficiency of Victoria’s ports (summary version here). The purpose of the strategy is to protect and enhance the commercial ports’ land and seaside connections; reserve and plan for the land and seaside connections for a second container port; and ensure long term policy settings are in place.
Of particular interest to Beacon Cove residents is the discussion on Station Pier. The summary states
"..the Government will lead further work to determine the most suitable option for continuing cruise shipping at Station Pier. This must balance local precinct and visitor experience outcomes with the complexity and cost of maintaining the aged heritage pier. The work will be complemented by a statewide cruise shipping strategy developed with stakeholders to maximise the economic and social benefits of cruise shipping services across regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne." (Page 29, summary)
The BCNA welcomes the announcement regarding Station Pier. We have long advocated for Victorian Government leadership of a project which would overcome the shortcomings of the area which we have explained in discussions with candidates standing for Council, Victorian Government and Federal elections.
On 25 July the state government announced an increase in frequencies on the 235 and 237 bus services to Fishermans Bend. No changes to the services covering Beacon Cove (the 234 and 236) or new services have been announced.
Beacon Cove residents are likely to be well aware of the considerable building activity in Fishermans Bend with at least seven residential towers having been completed and occupied in recent times. These developments have brought thousands of new residents and their cars to the area. Little action has occurred to streamline traffic or increase capacity, and the two access points to the Westgate freeway have become increasingly congested with lengthy delays often occurring during rush hour and extending through the business day.
Whilst the BCNA welcomes the government announcement, it does mean more buses on existing roads rather than services that reduce pressure on existing roads. The BCNA is urging greater government proactivity to establish services such as tram and train before significant further residential growth occurs.
A number of Beacon Cove roads are subject to hoon driving behaviour, particularly in summer. This has generated numerous complaints to police and petitions to Council. The BCNA has been active in making representations for support from the state government and we are pleased to have received support from our local member (Martin Foley) and federal member (Josh Burns).
Road Safety Victoria is now sponsoring a community feedback session at 6pm on Wednesday 3 August - in person in the city or online - with the objective of recommending actions to the Minister for Road Safety. Details of the reference group and the feedback session can be downloaded here.
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.
The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) has refused a planning application for this address. The proposal was for: a permit for partial demolition, buildings and works comprising alterations and a third storey addition with terrace to an existing dwelling.
The reasons for refusal included the following: The proposed third storey would not respect the existing or preferred character of the neighbourhood. The form and position of the third storey would be inconsistent with the single and double storey character of the neighbourhood and would detract from the existing unique character of tower forms in this neighbourhood. Full details of council’s decision are shown here.
While we understand the owners may be disappointed to receive a refusal, we are pleased that the CoPP is enforcing the Beacon Cove guidelines maintaining the character and integrity of the estate.
To avoid planning permission problems, the BCNA encourages Beacon Cove residents who are planning external alterations to their homes to consult the relevant Beacon Cove Neighbourhood Guidelines, provide them to their architect, and to discuss the scope of their plans with CoPP planning officers before getting any detailed work done.
Thank you to all who have renewed their memberships, or who have joined the BCNA in 2021/22. Thank you for your support.
Membership continues to grow and is now 467, a new record for the BCNA.
If your membership is due for renewal, we will have recently sent you a renewal notice so please check your letterbox.
And if you're not yet a member, click here to join 😀.
From the Port of Melbourne:
The Webb Dock East Extension Project has kicked off since the contract announcement in March 2022.
Demolition works for a redundant piece of concrete pier, colloquially known as ‘the knuckle’, have started with service relocations and site establishment works successfully completed.
In recent weeks, saw-cutting and coring of the old structure has taken place, and sections of concrete slabs have been removed.
“Our works will enable larger ships to call at the terminal, helping to make the Port of Melbourne more productive and efficient,” said Walter Cambruzzi, Senior Project Manager.
The project team is looking ahead to the arrival on site of a spudded pontoon with crane to assist in the demolition and piling works, and the arrival of the piles required for the 71 metre extension of the quay line.