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.

E-scooter Trial Extended

At its meeting on 8th December, the City of Port Phillip (Council) agreed to extend participation in a 12-month trial by the Victorian Government. The trial was due to finish on 1 February 2023. It will now finish when the Victorian Government has completed an evaluation and there is clarity on the recommended regulatory framework.

The purpose of the trial is to inform future regulatory frameworks that meet transport and safety objectives and ensure clarity for all stakeholders around the use of e-scooters in Victoria.

There are restrictions on the use of E-scooters as explained earlier. The BCNA is encouraging feedback to the secretary@beaconcove.org.au which which will be passed onto Council as part of the trial. Council officers report that footpath riding, riding without a helmet and poor parking are among the most common issues raised by the community.

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.

Pump Track Being Considered in Port Melbourne

The City of Port Phillip (council) is considering providing a pump track (an asphalt circular track with bumps and jumps) for bike riders and lovers of wheeled sports in Port Melbourne.

Council is encouraging feedback about the suitability of a pump track at RF Julier Reserve. A link to the project webpage and online survey can be found here.

Council Officers will be on-site at RF Julier Reserve between 4-6pm on Wednesday 7th December and feedback is being received until Sunday 18th December.

Update on Election Pledges Affecting Beacon Cove

As at 23 November, the BCNA has received responses from Lauren Sherson (Liberal) and Nina Taylor (Labor), candidates standing for Albert Park. The candidates were asked to respond to our questions on a number of Beacon Cove related issues.

The BCNA initially asked candidates to respond by 18th November but we then extended this deadline to Sunday 20th November. A summary of the responses received so far are:

1. Station Pier and Waterfront Place precinct: Lauren Sherson believes the State Government lacks vision for this important piece of infrastructure. She supports consultation and support between all levels of government and the community. Nina Taylor understands the concerns around the amenity of the Station Pier precinct and will advocate for the best long-term outcome for the local community.
2. Air quality near Station Pier: Lauren Sherson is concerned that little reliable information can be accessed by residents on the levels of sulphur dioxide on and around the pier. 
3. Hoon driving and related vehicle noise: Lauren Sherson believes hoon driving is a significant issue. She believes the EPA is currently under resourced to deal with this issue. Nina Taylor believes hooning is not only unsafe but unfair on local residents.
4. Princes Street drain: Lauren Sherson believes it is not acceptable that visitors and kids are swimming in stormwater from our streets as it is a significant health concern. 
5. EPA capability: Lauren Sherson believes the EPA has failed its legislated responsibilities in monitoring and enforcement in Port Melbourne and across Albert Park District. Nina Taylor states that the Government has significantly boosted the investment in the Environmental Protection Agency.
6. Development of Fishermans Bend: Lauren Sherson believes the endless delays see Fishermans Bend without public transport infrastructure, without road upgrades, without incentive for private investment. Nina Taylor believes Fishermans Bend is a once in a generation opportunity to reshape the future of our city, ensuring access to thousands of new jobs and high-quality services for Melburnians. Sustainable transport options will be crucial as residents and jobs in Fishermans Bend increase.

Click on the names below to see the candidates' detailed responses:

• Lauren Sherson (our questions in black, and her responses are in red)
• Nina Taylor

We are yet to receive responses from Georgie Dragwidge (Independent) and Kim Samiotis (Greens) and will post these when they are received.

Annual Port Melbourne Artisan Christmas Market - Saturday 3 December

The annual Port Melbourne Artisan Christmas market will be held this year in Bay Street from 11am to 5pm on Saturday 3 December.

This free community event is run by Port Melbourne Business Association (PMBA). It is supported by local community groups, businesses, Rotary, and the City of Port Phillip.

It is expected that there will be around 150 different and unique artisan offerings. It will feature a range of handmade, locally produced gifts, art pieces, designs, jewellery and more.

Offering something for everyone, Port’s Artisan Christmas Market is the perfect one stop shop for a range of unique Christmas presents. More information can be found here.

BCNA AGM –President’s Report and Summary of Meeting

The BCNA held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, 10th November. For those who could not make it a copy of the President’s report to members is available here.

The Guest Speaker was The Hon. Martin Foley MP. He spoke about the Waterfront Place precinct (a muddle of Council, State and Federal issues and needing improvement as it is the second most important gateway for overseas visitors), Port Melbourne Secondary College (road and crossing safety issues), and public and social housing (the need for quality and diverse options). BCNA President, Eddie Micallef presented Mr Foley with a gift on behalf of BCNA as this was the last AGM he will attend as the Member for Albert Park.

Gateway Ward Councillors Marcus Pearl and Peter Martin attended - Mayor Heather Cunsolo was an apology. Councillor Pearl spoke about Waterfront Place precinct (the need for plan for the whole precinct), 1-7 Waterfront Place (Council will not appeal the VCAT decision), the release of plans for the Montague precinct of Fishermans Bend (Council has been seeking release by the Victorian Government for some time), the importance of Melbourne Metro Two for the city and its development, Barak Street housing redevelopment, and planning for a new primary school near Port Melbourne Secondary College.

A summary of the meeting is available here.

Reminder - BCNA Dinner - Next Thursday

A reminder to everyone that our end of year Christmas social event for 2022 will be held on:

Thursday 24th  November (that's next Thursday)

at

Pier 35

263-329 Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne

6.30 pm for 7 pm

For further details click here, and to book, email Mary Barry at mary.barry@beaconcove.org.au.

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.

State Election 2022

In recent years, the BCNA has asked candidates standing for Council, State and Federal elections for their views on important local issues. For the State election we have contacted four of the candidates standing for Albert Park. They are Nina Taylor – Labor, Lauren Sherson – Liberal, Kim Samiotis – Greens and Georgie Dragwidge – Independent.

We have sought each candidates’ views on the redevelopment Station Pier and Waterfront Place precinct, air quality monitoring near Station Pier, hoon driving and vehicle noise, the Princes Street drain, EPA capability and the development of Fishermans Bend. Our questions to each candidate can be downoaded here.

We have asked the candidates to respond by 18th November. We will post their responses here.

New Mayor - Cr Heather Cunsolo

Congratulations to Gateway Ward representative, Cr Heather Cunsolo who was elected mayor of the City of Port Phillip during the week. Cr Andrew Bond was elected deputy mayor.

Port of Melbourne Public Boat Tours

The Port of Melbourne (PoM) is again running some boat tours of the port in the coming month. These are a good way to see the workings of the port and include guided commentary from port staff and have been popular with BCNA members in the past.

Tours are currently scheduled for the 27 November (at 10am, 12:30pm, and 2:30pm) and the PoM advises us that they will soon be releasing tickets for 4 December.

The tours run for approximately 90 minutes in groups of 200 people and bookings are required.

For further details and/or to book, go to Port of Melbourne Public Boat Tours.

AGM Reminder

This year’s AGM of the BCNA will be held this Thursday, 10th November, at 6:30pm.

It will be held at the Trugo Club in Garden City Reserve and all financial members and supporters are invited to attend.

The Guest Speaker will be the Hon Martin Foley, the outgoing member for Albert Park and former Health Minister in the Andrews government. Minister Foley has been a consistent and long-term supporter of the BCNA and this will be one of his final appearances before retiring from office.

Also attending will be our Mayor Marcus Pearl with other ward councillors. This represents a great opportunity to discuss any local issues with them.

Reports and the annual Financial Statement for BCNA have already been circulated to members. If you have not received the papers, please contact treasurer@beaconcove.org.au.

BCNA Community Dinner - 24 November

The Committee of the Beacon Cove Neighbourhood Association is pleased to invite you and friends to our end of year Christmas social event for 2022. This function will be held on:

Thursday 24th  November

at

Pier 35

263-329 Lorimer Street, Port Melbourne

6.30 pm for 7 pm

Your Committee has arranged a meal with shared entrees and alternate drops of two main courses (steak and fish) and a vegetarian option (mushroom risotto) for those who let us know in advance. Please advise if you have any other specific dietary requirements. Click here for the menu.

The cost is $60 per person (paid in cash or by card on entry) plus a gold coin gratuity. Drinks are available at bar prices.

Please register your intention to attend by email to Mary Barry at mary.barry@beaconcove.org.au no later than 19 November.

Also note that any booking cancelled later than 21 November, or failure to attend on the night, without prior notice, will incur full payment.

Your Committee is looking forward to welcoming you to the dinner.

Click here if you want a flyer for your fridge

Farewell to the Spirit

The Spirit of Tasmania will depart from Station Pier for the last time on Saturday 22 Oct at 7:30pm. Join the Port Melbourne community that evening from 6:30pm to wave goodbye to the iconic red and white ships.

Bring your family, with snacks or a picnic dinner, to Port Melbourne Beach (in front of the Beacon Cove roundabout). Remember, no glass on the beach and please keep your dog on a leash or at home for this occasion.

BCNA Annual General Meeting (AGM)

This year’s AGM of the BCNA will be held at 6:30pm on Thursday 10th November at the Trugo Club in Garden City Reserve. All financial members and supporters are cordially invited to attend.

At the meeting, reports and the annual financial statement for the BCNA will be presented and the election of office bearers will be held. The agenda and papers for the meeting will be sent to financial members later this month.

The Guest Speaker will be the Hon Martin Foley, the outgoing member for Albert Park and former Health Minister in the Andrews government. Minister Foley has been a consistent and long-term supporter of the BCNA and our work.

Final Departure of Spirit of Tasmania from Station Pier

TT Lines have announced that the Spirit of Tasmania’s final sailing from Station Pier will be on the evening of Saturday 22 October.  All sailings after that will be from their new quay in Corio, Geelong.  So look forward to less traffic and fewer lost caravanners around Beacon Cove.

VCAT Decision on 1-7 Waterfront Place

VCAT has released their decision on the developer’s appeal against conditions imposed by the City of Port Phillip's (CoPP) when they granted a permit. The VCAT decision can be accessed here. The decision upholds the developer’s appeal to dismiss the conditions so it is likely the development will proceed with the proposed ten storey design, including the overshadowing issues that were the subject of the appeal. No timeframe has been announced by the developer.

The BCNA has constructively participated over 14 years of design approval, with the design being revised from a 19-storey tower to a 10-storey building with attractive features including setback. The BCNA will monitor status as the CoPP considers options and will continue to support good design principles that maximise residents’ amenity and protect our foreshore.

Gateway Ward: Conversations with Councillors

Councillor Heather Cunsolo, Councillor Peter Martin and Councillor Marcus Pearl of our Gateway Ward are making themselves available for conversations with the community this Saturday.

Date: Saturday 15 October 2022

Time: 10.30 am to 11.15 am

Location: Port Melbourne Town Hall, 333 Bay St, Port Melbourne

You are welcome to bring along any questions you have, on topics that are important to you, and have them answered by your elected representatives. Questions that can't be answered on the day will be responded to in writing after the session.

Attendees can register here or simply turn up on the day.

Soil Sample Testing for Veggie Gardens

From time to time the BCNA has received reports of pockets of contaminated soil in resident’s gardens. Whilst this usually doesn’t cause a problem for normal use, it may impact those who are growing veggies. We have discovered that the EPA has a project which offers free testing of soil samples, with participants receiving individual reports on their gardens and advice from EPA on how to change their gardens so that it is safe for food production. Details about the project, including a link for registration, can be found here.

Graffiti in Beacon Cove

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.

Feedback Needed Regarding e-Scooters in Beacon Cove

The BCNA Committee has received numerous safety complaints regarding e-scooters in Beacon Cove, particularly regarding our older residents. Similar concerns have also been reported in the press.

 

There are considerable limits on the use of e-scooters in Victoria. Privately owned e-scooters can only be used outside private property if they have a power output less than 200 watts and are limited to under 10km/h. Commercial e-scooters can only be used in participating council areas (which includes City of Port Phillip) as part of a trial, are limited to under 20km/h, and riders must not ride on footpaths, must wear a bicycle helmet, must be at least 18 years old, must not be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and must not be using a mobile phone.

 

The BCNA is now seeking feedback from all Beacon Cove residents on e-scooters so that it can pass this on to the council, government, regulators, and the Police. Please email your comments to secretary@beaconcove.org.au.

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.

The Future of Station Pier

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.

Extra Bus Services in Fishermans Bend

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.

Hooning - Community Feedback Session - Wednesday 3 August

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.

Register for the in person session here or the online session here.

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.

Council Refuses Planning Application for 40 The Crescent

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.

Record Membership

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 😀.

Update on Webb Dock Extension Project

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.

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.

Garden City Reserve – BMX Pump Track

The BCNA continues to monitor the proposed development by the City of Port Phillip (Council) for a small BMX track near the playground in Garden City reserve.

A Have Your Say page was published by the Council on 23 March and onsite pop-up sessions were held to provide project information and to give community members an opportunity to ask questions about the project. The consultation identified that many members of the community around Garden City are opposed to having the BMX track at this site. The consultation also identified a covenant affecting part of the Garden City Reserve that precludes the building of the BMX track in the proposed location.

The issue was considered at the recent council meeting of 18 May and it was agreed not to pursue the BMX track in Garden City reserve. Other sites along the foreshore are being considered and more detail can be found here.

Princes Street Storm Water Drain

The storm water drain from Princes Street into the bay near Station Pier continues to attract attention. The BCNA has long had concerns on health and appearance issues associated with this drain, which is owned by Melbourne Water, and continues to advocate for enhancements in keeping with Melbourne’s status as a “liveable city”.

On 31 March this year, representatives from the BCNA met onsite with John Thwaites, Chairman of the Board of Melbourne Water, and Tim Wood, General Manager of Asset Management Services at Melbourne Water. The BCNA outlined the issues associated with the drain, noting its propensity to stagnate with associated health issues, and suggested it presented a poor face to cruise ship visitors at the gateway to Victoria. The BCNA noted the recent upgrade to Melbourne Water’s Shakespeare Grove storm water outlet, just south of Donovan’s restaurant in St Kilda, and suggested this was worthy of consideration for Princes Street.

Melbourne Water indicated the drain was a major capital asset and had an estimated further life of 25 years. They proposed to undertake consultation with the CoPP regarding near term enhancements such as pumping arrangements to reduce pooling. The BCNA will continue to advocate for improvements to this important location.

Extension of Webb Dock East

The Port of Melbourne is reporting that construction work is getting underway at Webb Dock East to reduce port congestion, improve efficiency and accommodate larger ships.

The project involves demolishing a redundant section of concrete and extending the quay line by 71 metres, restoring Webb Dock East’s intended design capacity to a two-berth terminal.

A short video announcing the project can be found here and one showing more details of the extension can be found here.

Council Supports Anti-hoon Measures

At its meeting on 6 April, the City of Port Phillip considered the introduction of anti hoon Local Laws as well as other measures to stop hooning in Port Phillip. This was in response to petitions Council received from the BCNA and the Hon. Josh Burns, Federal Member for Macnamara.

The BCNA has advocated for the introduction of anti hoon Local Laws as introduced in other municipalities. Recently, Victoria Police formally requested that the City of Port Phillip develop a hooning Local Law.

Council agreed to consider the following:

• A hooning Local Law as part of Council’s Local Law 2023 Review;
• The purchase of a mobile CCTV trailer;
• Installing a temporary raised pedestrian crossing at the existing pedestrian crossing at Waterfront Place as a 12-month trial; and
• Investigating options with Victoria Police to collaborate on joint enforcement of metered parking in the Station Pier carpark.

The BCNA welcomes these measures and thank Gateway Ward Councillors – Mayor Marcus Pearl, Peter Martin and Heather Cunsolo for their support and work on this issue over many months.

It is important to continue to report hoon activity, as this helps police to target ‘hot spots.’  Victoria Police has asked residents to report information involving hoon driving to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the web site. When a hoon event is occurring, always call Triple Zero (000). All information provided to police is assessed and investigated.

Spirit of Tasmania – Move to Corio Quay

The CEO for Ports Victoria, Brendan Webb, was recently interviewed on ABC News radio and provided the following update about the impending move of the Spirit of Tasmania.

The enhancements to Corio Quay (north Geelong) are on track to be completed this winter and it is expected the Spirit will start to operate from that location by October 2022. This will mark the end of traffic queues for the ferry in Port Melbourne and significant reduction in truck movement through Bay and Graham Streets.

The new replacements to the existing two Spirit of Tasmania ferries are being constructed in Finland and are currently expected to start service between Corio Quay and Devonport in late 2023. The new ferries will each have a capacity of 1800 passengers vs existing Spirit capacity of 1400.

Additional details can be found here.

Our Latest Newsletter is Out

Volunteers are currently dropping copies of our newsletter in mailboxes throughout Beacon Cove. It is a special issue focussed on hoon driving.

To get it (in PDF form), click on this link.  And please send it onto others in Beacon Cove who may not see our webpage or get the email notification.

VCAT Hearing for 1-7 Waterfront Place

During 23-25 March, VCAT heard the appeal by the developer of 1-7 Waterfront Place against the City of Port Phillip’s conditions to the planning permit granted last June.

The conditions passed by Council last June are about minimising overshadowing beyond the southern kerb line along Waterfront Place at the June solstice, by permitting shadow in the morning but not the afternoon. The minimisation of new shadow on the foreshore is a requirement of the Port Phillip Planning Scheme.

Residents and the BCNA are eager to see this issue resolved and new facilities constructed at Waterfront Place. However, we also believe the community values the light-filled area along Waterfront Place, the section of Beach St foreshore near the Princes St roundabout, and opposite the London Hotel - the Waterfront Place bike and pedestrian paths are currently free of overshadowing all year round.

Accordingly, BCNA’s submission supported the Council position and explained that the foreshore is highly valued by the community. We noted that an objective of planning policy has been “to protect and enhance the environment of the Port Melbourne foreshore as an important natural, recreational and tourism asset for metropolitan Melbourne”. The submission included discussion about VCAT decisions for nearby sites, such as the London Hotel site at 92 Beach Street.

The BCNA thanks David Brand, architect and former City of Port Phillip Concillor; Jennie Jones, BCNA member and town planner; Peter Barber, Urban Edge Consultants; and Angus Wallace, Plico Design Studio, for advice provided in the preparation of our submission.

VCAT’s decision is expected in about 6-8 weeks.

Proposed Garden City Reserve BMX Pump Track

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) has recently proposed a new asphalt BMX pump track within the Garden City Reserve.

This has generated community concern with a local petition against the proposal already having collected more than one hundred signatures. Concerns include the removal of green space and potential after-hours nuisance.

Representatives of the BCNA and local community attended a consultation on the morning of 30 March with the Council at which these issues were discussed. No decision has yet been made regarding the track and the CoPP consultation will be used to present a recommendation at the May Council Meeting.

The BCNA will discuss this issue further with Gateway ward councillors and relevant project management to seek a proper public meeting for further consultation with the community.

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.

Cruise Ships Expected to Return from October

Currently there is a bio security order prohibiting cruise ships (with a greater capacity than ninety-nine passengers) from operating in Australian waters. The current order expires on 17 April 2022. The Federal Minister for Health may cancel or extend the order. Given that Australian borders are now open for tourists, the current order may be allowed to expire.

The Coral Geographer, a small cruise ship with less than 99 passengers, will be at Station Pier on 1 March 2022. 

Ports Victoria are anticipating and planning for cruise ships returning to Melbourne in October or November 2022. If the biosecurity order is lifted in April 2022, Ports Victoria anticipate a near normal cruise season from October 2022 to April 2023.

Spirit of Tasmania Ferries are Moving to Geelong

Since our earlier update we understand that the ferries will move to Corio Quay in Spring 2022. 

New Restaurant/Bar at The London - 92 Beach Street

The developer is actively seeking a tenant for the restaurant/wine bar on the ground floor. Any tenant would need to do a major fit out so it will not be ready for some time. There are seventeen apartments in this building which is on the site of the old London Hotel.

Positive Ageing

The City of Port Phillip (CoPP) is developing a Positive Ageing Policy which will guide future decisions about how it can respond to the needs and aspirations of people aged 60 years and older. Whilst not specific to BCNA, we are aware that our membership includes many mature individuals and accordingly, we believe it relevant to bring this to member attention.

The survey closes on 4 March and more information can be found here.

Further Update on Boat Landing Closure

We have received a further update from the City of Port Phillip on the closure of the boat landing next to Mr Hobsons and D'lish Fish on Station Pier:

Contractors will be commencing works to repair the failed piles next Monday, 17th January. The works commencement was slightly delayed and based on the current schedule provided, we anticipate these works to be completed by 4th March. Parks Victoria have been advised and will be issuing a notice to mariners. Additionally, the St Kilda Ferry service will continue to operate from the Eastern promenade throughout the works and the contractors have been advised of their schedule to avoid any conflicts and ensure their safety.

Further inspections are also being undertaken currently on the Eastern and Southern promenades to inform their detailed condition and any relevant findings will be shared once these are completed.

Barak-Beacon Road Housing Redevelopment

Some residents may be aware of the proposed redevelopment of the Barak-Beacon Road public housing, part of the State Government’s “Big Housing Build”. The government first announced this strategy in late 2020 as an initiative to construct more than 12,000 new homes throughout metro and regional Victoria. The “Big Housing Build” has announced plans for housing renewal in a number of suburbs but to date there has been little mention of initiatives in Port Melbourne and indeed, in Port Phillip. Recently however, residents of the Barak Road housing received notice of plans to evacuate the area to enable redevelopment. The BCNA has met with local residents and will continue involvement to help ensure appropriate community consultation occurs and that residents are treated with care and respect as planning proceeds.