Council Approves Plans for 1-7 Waterfront Place

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) approved plans for this site last Thursday night.

The proposal is for a 10-storey (35 metres) mixed use building comprising 119 residences. The Ground Floor will have a gym, meeting rooms and shop, food, and drink premises. Further information about the building is shown in the CoPP Planning Committee paper.    

The BCNA welcomes the Council’s decision. We have long sought a resolution about use while trying to achieve a good outcome for the community.

The approved plans incorporate design improvements following further feedback from the community, the Office of the Victorian Government Architect and Heritage Victoria. The BCNA has had constructive discussions with the developer during the design phase.

At Thursday night’s meeting, the Council agreed to amendments sought by objectors, including the BCNA, to ensure compliance with the Design requirement B8 (of the Design and Development Overlay 23) “Development should minimise overshadowing beyond the southern kerb line of Waterfront Place between 9 am and 3 pm at the June solstice.” The BCNA believes the plans did not comply as a high proportion of the bike and pedestrian paths were in shadow from 9am to 3pm. Sunlight into this area is highly valued as residents and visitors have enjoyed year-round sun since inception of the Mirvac designed estate in the 1990s. The Council’s amendments have the effect of allowing sunshine onto the bike path along Waterfront Place from 12 noon to 3pm.

Two artist’s depictions of the building are shown below:

View from South East

View from South West

New Owners for 103 Beach Street (Foodstore Site)

This site has new owners.  

The new owners are making some amendments to Council’s approved plans. The amendments include a third basement level. This will allow all loading/unloading to be handled on a basement level.

The new owners hope to commence construction later this year - construction is expected to take about 18 months. When more details are available, we will pass them on.

Record Membership

Thank you to all who have renewed their memberships, or who have joined the BCNA in 2020/21. Membership continues to grow and is now 462, a new record for BCNA.  

The BCNA continues to be active on your behalf in protecting and enhancing the amenity of the area. Our last newsletter as well as posts to this website explain the issues we are involved with on your behalf.

Princes Street Storm Water Drain

The BCNA has been advocating for an upgrade to this drain for many years. Storm water discharges directly onto Port Melbourne beach and after heavy rain events a large area of the beach can be covered with an unsightly scum. For example:

The discharge constitutes a health hazard and the pond at the mouth of the drain is an attractive area for children. The discharge also presents a poor image to tourists and visitors.

The drain is the responsibility of Melbourne Water.

The BCNA has discussed our concerns with Councillors Pearl, Cunsolo and Martin and recently raised them at a meeting with Louise Crawford, Mayor of the City of Port Phillip. The BCNA is proposing that the drain be given priority for an upgrade by Melbourne Water.

Fishermans Bend Secondary College - Community Input Sought for Name

Anyone who drives through the intersection of Plummer and Graham Streets will notice the emerging bulk of the new Fishermans Bend Secondary College. The form of the school in the shape of a ship is readily apparent and work is focused on finishing the outside skin and moving into the internal fit out.

The state-of-the-art school will have an enrolment capacity of 1,100 students and is scheduled to open in February 2022 with a cohort of Y7 students from its designated catchment. Beacon Cove fits within that catchment, with Bay St forming the dividing line between the school and the existing Albert Park College.

The school showcases an environmentally sustainable design and will feature high-tech amenities with a strong focus on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths). There will also be an array of arts, food technology, sports and Learning Resource Centre spaces that can be shared with the community.

Facilities will include the following:

• Gymnasium with competition-grade basketball and netball facilities
• Food technology area with commercial-grade kitchen and canteen
• Performing arts amenities
• Fabrication lab 
• Robotics workshop
• 200-seat lecture theatre 
• Outdoor terraces
• Urban garden with recreational ball sports areas
• Kitchen garden

An architectural perspective of the new school fitting into its surrounds is illustrated below.

The school carries an interim name of Fishermans Bend Secondary College but community input to its permanent name is now being sought. You can have your say here.

More details about the school, including design parameters, community feedback to date and other pictures can be found here.

Garden City Bike Path

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) is proposing to upgrade the path to improve connections for bike riders by linking Garden City Reserve to the Sandridge and Bay Trail shared path networks.

The project is designed to improve access for bike riders and make Beacon Road and Swallow Street safer for all users. The new bike trail is denoted green in the map below.

CoPP staff recently provided a briefing to the BCNA. Design and safety concerns were discussed. CoPP staff have undertaken to examine our concerns.

The upgrade is included in CoPP's draft budget for 2021/22. The expected cost is $1.512 million.

More information is shown on the CoPP's website here.

Cat Found in Beacon Cove

Is this young puss, YOUR CAT?? 

If this is your cat, or you know to whom he belongs, please call Shirley on 0418 510 516. Also please ask your neighbours. Click here for an A4 sheet with his photo if you want to print something out.