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Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne is being urged to move quickly on a long list of development applications awaiting his decision. 
Since coming to power in November last year, the new minister and his Acting Minister Robin Scott have granted three approvals (as of late March). A fourth application, which drew objections, has been given a “notice of decision” to grant a permit.
These are: a 34,700 square metre office development of $100 million at 2-12 Batmans Hill Drive, Docklands; a notice of decision for a $174 million, 12- and 17-storeys, 275-apartments and 3500 square metres Freemasons headquarters development at 300 Albert Street, East Melbourne; a 15-storeys, 135-apartments, $30 million development at 4 Neilson Place, Footscray and a $240.5 million 52-and 68-storeys, 728-apartments, hotel, office, retail development at 380 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Melbourne Council planning chair councillor Ken Ong said while they expected the three approvals, they were still waiting on others to come through.
These included a Singapore developer’s application for an apartment and hotel complex at Power Street, Southbank and a Grocon application for 85 Spring Street, Melbourne, which was refused in early April. 
Wynne ruled the proposed 46-level Grocon tower at 85 Spring Street was too high and too close to other buildings in the precinct, preferring the advice of city hall over his planning officers, who had recommended in favour of the tower, with conditions.
There is no height limit at 85 Spring Street, occupied now by a 16-storey office tower which Grocon acquired in 2013 for about $45 million.
Wynne confirmed it was his first development refusal since assuming the Planning Minister role.
"I have to balance up advice. In this circumstance there was competing advice," Wynne was reported in the Australian Financial Review.
"If you look at what else is around it, the rest are substantially lower buildings."
Everyone was waiting because there had only been three approvals for four or five months, Ong recently noted.
“Industry’s concern is we need some sort of response and certainty one way or the other.”
“It is important to have some sort of result because we don’t want the industry to come to a grinding halt suddenly because no new projects are approved.”
Melbourne Council planning deputy chair Stephen Mayne said Minster Wynne had been constrained due to ill-health and not having handled the planning portfolio while in Opposition.
Last month Mayne said, it was time for the minister’s “first refusals”.
“There are probably 20 to 30 decisions pending so he needs to let everyone know where he stands,” Mayne said.
“It has really come down to decision time on the large in-tray he has got.” 
Mayne said the previous Planning Minister Matthew Guy (now State Opposition Leader) approved about 100 towers in Melbourne. 
“Matthew Guy only refused five applications. He was far too permissive in hindsight” Mayne said.
“I think we need a period of more consistent decision making in accordance with the planning scheme.”
Wynne said on winning office, his government had 12 outstanding planning permit applications for central city developments. 
“One of these - for the redevelopment of Dallas Brooks Hall by Fitzroy Gardens- had been in the pipeline for over 400 days,” Wynne said.
“We have now issued a permit for this development, and at a height that better responds to the surrounding context and does not overshadow the gardens.” 
Wynne said he had also given approval for a development at 380 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, where “the developer had worked hard to come up with an amended scheme that achieved better activation at the street level and gave Melbourne a new laneway”. 
“I would like to assure the industry that I am resolving the remaining permits in an orderly and timely fashion,” he said.
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NeelimaChoahan-KvJxBRzept

Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne refuses Grocon application while list awaiting approval lengthens

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Point Cook continues to be a magnet for first home buyers with house prices recording an increase of just 39.5% over the past 10 years, new data reveals.
The latest PRDNationwide figures show that the median price for a house in the popular western suburb of Melbourne rose from $336,750 in 2004 to $470,000 last year.
However, unit prices dipped from  $310,000 to $298,000 in the same period.
PRD Nationwide research analyst Harrison Hall said Point Cook remained one of the most affordable suburbs in Melbourne.
“The Point Cook market has been growing steadily at an average of 4% per annum for the past 10 years,” Hall said.
“This means owners are getting good returns but it has still maintained its affordability for people looking to enter the local market. 
“Whereas the Greater Melbourne market has become more unaffordable with median prices rising 7.3%, which means it’s becoming harder for people to buy in.” 
However, he said buyers needed to be wary of the constant new supply in the area, forcing vendors to sell their older properties below the cost of new ones.
“Sellers would have a very hard time selling their property for more than a comparable new property,” Hall said.
“There will be consistent development for years to come which means this will always be an issue.”
Point Cook had over $460 million worth of new projects to be completed in 2015, including more than 360 new dwellings and large-scale subdivisions. 
He said the suburb was also slated for infrastructure and commercial projects including a $48 million extension to the Point Cook Town Centre with a major super market, 14 speciality shops, car parks and commercial facilities to be completed by 2016.
CoreLogic RP Data spokesperson Robert Larocca said Point Cook remained sought after being just 21km from the Melbourne CBD.
“It has proved popular, because for the same price you have got to live 30km or 40km away from the CBD in the east,” Larocca said.
He said the suburb’s performance varied depending upon the location.
“There are some very exclusive parts of Point Cook and there are much more affordable properties,” he said.
“For instance, it is a suburb where (last year) you saw 155 homes sold under $400,000 and 14 sold for over $1 million in the same period. 
But he said most of the properties sold from $400,000 to $600,000.
Hockingstuart Real Estate Altona sales executive Tony Anile said Point Cook’s affordability made it strong property market.
“There is a lot of new homes being built, a lot of vacant land being developed,” Anile said.
“There are a lot of young families moving into the area.
“It is a place where you can get into for a good family-sized home.”
Oliver Hume Real Estate project manager Nick Lacarruba said demand for land and housing packages had picked up again after a slump in 2011. 
“Consumer confidence is back and there are a number of different projects that are coming to the market,” Lacarruba said.
“The size of the market has increased.”
Lacarruba said land sizes generally varied from 300 square metres to 600 square metres on average.  He said there was a prevalence of double-story homes ranging from 20 square metres to 50 square metres.
Photo of Point Cook courtesy of <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/boobook48/" target="_blank">Lorraine Phelan</a>/flickr.
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Neelima Choahan

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