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