Melbourne’s much embattled Docklands continues to be used as a dumping ground by the state government for development that lacks vision or foresight about the area's future.
Today, the Minister for Planning quietly gazetted the announcement of a three-tower project in Docklands, which the City of Melbourne voted down because it lacked nearly all planning requirements.
The contentious development is at 140-160 Harbour Esplanade Docklands, refusing to take into consideration the issues raised by the City of Melbourne.
In May this year, the City of Melbourne recommended to the Minister that the Planning Scheme Amendment C438melb (the Amendment) is rejected with Councillor Jamal Hakim calling it the most embarrassing application this term at the time.
The approval did not include any significant changes proposed by Council as key outstanding matters including unresolved strategic documents for Harbour Esplanade, a design consideration through the a design review panel to ensure Design Excellence principles are embedded in the Plan, a provision of public benefit, changes to reduce the ‘wall effect’ and its impacts to the waterfront and the Hoddle grid, and information on how the proposal appropriately manages ma8ers such as overshadowing, wind, flooding impacts, landscaping and wayfinding.
Residents had key issues with the proposal including the loss of trees, overshadowing, the lack of information, and lack of public benefit with the proposal significantly encroaching on public space.
“In short, this proposal provides no information and promises to deliver the most monstrous overwhelming building in the city” said Jamal, “In ignoring the communities voice, and the recommendation from Council, the Minister has demonstrated a complete lack of interest in fixing the planning errors in Docklands. To be successful, this development must meet the criteria that every other developer and planning application is required to have in our city, and this cowboy approach is damaging to Melbourne’s standing and reputation.” END