French Frigate at Station Pier - Tuesday 11 Nov

Ports Victoria has confirmed that the French frigate Vendemiaire will be at Station Pier from the 10th to the 14th of November.

The visit of the ship is explained in a press release from the French Embassy.

The ship will be open to the public from 8am - 1pm on Tuesday, 11 November. Some form of ID is required. Closed shoes recommended - no high heels.

 

The Vendemiaire in 2013 - Source: Wikipedia

Click/tap here for more information about the Vendémiaire.

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 Dinner

The final BCNA dinner for the year will be held on Thursday 27th November. Members have been sent details but all local residents are welcome. It’s a great opportunity to socialise with other like-minded persons in a local environment.

If you are not a member of BCNA and would like to attend please contact the Treasurer, Graham Kemp. We can quickly and easily arrange to welcome you.

Port Melbourne Highlights - Guided Walk

On Sunday 14 December, Janet Bolitho, former Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, will be guiding another walk through Port Melbourne and Beacon Cove.  This one is entitled "Walks in Port- the Highlights Tour" and will involve Janet taking you through her favorite places and experiences from twenty years of leading Port Melbourne walks.

The walk will run from 2-4pm.  To book (on or after 14 November), click/tap here.

Our Newsletter is Out

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

• 1-5 Waterfront Place 
• Fishermans Bend development
• The Barak Beacon public housing site in Port Melbourne
• Acoustic camera trial to detect hoon driving
• Report hoon driving and related noise.
• Ports Victoria’s Cruise Shipping Strategy
• BCNA 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.

Update on Narrarrang Primary School

This school is being built in Fishermans Bend. The address is 2 Smith Street, which is near the corner of 299 Williamstown Road and Smith Street. It will open in the first quarter of 2026. 

Click/tap here for details about the school as well as recent photos of the construction stage.

Release of Cruise Shipping Strategy

At this year’s AGM, Nina Taylor MP, Member for Albert Park, announced that the Victorian Government’s cruise shipping industry strategy would be released by the end of the year. 

The BCNA met consultants assisting Ports Victoria with the development of the strategy last December. We were told that discussion paper would be released around March 2025 before the strategy was finalised. The discussion paper has not been released.

The BCNA continues to believe that a discussion paper is a vital step in engaging stakeholders. In this case the significant parties include nearby residents to Station Pier, local businesses and schools, the cruise tourism sector, the City of Port Phillip, the Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network, Yarra Trams, the Department of Home Affairs, and Ports Victoria itself. Transparent consultation enables stakeholders to understand and contribute meaningfully to proposed plans, often leading to more robust and widely supported outcomes.

The BCNA has written to Nina Taylor MP, asking her to support the release of a discussion paper before the strategy is finalised.

Around the Bay Bike Ride - This Sunday

Sorry for the late notice but we have only just found out about this!

The Around the Bay bike ride is on this Sunday, 26th October. The route includes Todd Road, The Boulevard, onto Beach Street, then onto Beaconsfield Parade. These three roads will be partly closed from 7:45am to 12:30pm. Click/tap here for details of road closures.

Tram Services for Fishermans Bend

Last Thursday, the Fishermans Bend Business Forum and the City of Port Phillip convened a forum to discuss the evolving plans for Fishermans Bend. The forum was timely as it follows the recent announcement by the University of Melbourne to postpose its proposed campus development.

The panellists were: 

• Nina Taylor MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Labor MP for Albert Park
• Tanya Quick – Director, Fishermans Bend Taskforce, Victorian Government
• Cr Alex Makin – City of Port Phillip
• Cr Andrew Rowse – City of Melbourne
• Guy Naselli – President, Fishermans Bend Business Forum / NSL Property Group
• Marcus Henry – Fishermans Bend Business Forum / Melbourne Cement Facilities

Under the guidance of Janet Bolitho, a former Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, the panellists gave a summary of development so far. There was mention of an Integrated Transport Plan which shows new routes for tram services into Fishermans Bend.

Unfortunately, there was no clarity on the timetable for the provision of the tram services that were promised by 2025. The BCNA considers this a disappointing outcome for businesses, residents, and investors. It will continue to slow development. The area is earmarked for 80,000 residents but the absence of a firm timetable for tram services will continue to slow development.

Guided Nature Walk

On Sunday 23 November, Janet Bolitho, former Mayor of the City of Port Phillip, together with Linda Baird (CEO of Eucalyptus Australia and a local) and Jade Bell (City of Port Phillip's Greening Officer) are holding a guided walk around Port Melbourne which will explore and learn identification of the various gumtree species that occur in Port Melbourne and gain an appreciation of their diverse characteristics, wildlife relationships and urban forest planning.

The walk will run from 2-4pm.  To book, click/tap here.