SEPTEMBER 2018 ISSUE 78 PRICELESS WWW.SOUTHBANKLOCALNEWS.COM.AU : SOUTHBANK_News The voice of Southbank, South Wharf & Montague ■ Community partners ■ Fishermans Bend governance Page 3 Page 10 ■ Rothelowman wins at VCAT ■ A sustainable merger Page 5 Page 12 Taking our Green Spine higher By Sean Car Developer Beulah International will put forward a proposal to the state government for Australia’s tallest building at 118 City Rd, Southbank, after announcing the winner of its design competition last month. After a six-month global search, the transform the public realm by eroding the twin-tower proposal Green Spine by hard edges that are prevalent in Southbank.” Dutch architecture firm UNStudio and Given the nod ahead of five other competing Melbourne-based Cox Architecture was proposals by a design jury of experts, which announced as the winning design for the $2 included the likes of Victorian Government billion plus BMW Southbank site. Architect Jill Garner, Green Spine offers a Conceived as a conceptual extension of world-class entertainment and community the new Southbank Boulevard linear park, precinct in Southbank. Green Spine proposes a vertical city of green Along with a 252.2 metre tower, which spaces, with the taller residential tower will house commercial offices, a hotel and to be crowned with a publicly-accessible specialty bars and restaurants, the lower botanic garden. levels of the towers will make space for a Reaching 356.2 metres, the tower would vertical school, day-care, library, cinema, become Australia’s tallest tower if approved auditorium and an Australian-first BMW by Minister for Planning Richard Wynne. experience centre. Competing against five other ground- Despite offering an impressive proposal, When Jenny met Sally! breaking designs, Beulah International the City of Melbourne’s assistant chair of executive director Adelene Teh said planning Cr Rohan Leppert took to Twitter Green Spine showed work by a strong, after the announcement last month to City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp recently presided over multidisciplinary collaborative team that highlight that the design was actually was a bold, yet thoroughly-considered prohibited under the planning scheme. her first citizenship ceremony with almost 100 people from 37 approach. “If the design progresses to an application different nationalities. “At a macro scale, the two-tower silhouettes to overrule the planning scheme and create with twisting forms provide a new, site- site-specific rules to permit an otherwise “As my first citizenship ceremony as Lord Australians. Originally from England, she has responsive and elegant visual beacon in the prohibited development, this would extend Mayor, it was a very special occasion been a Southbank resident for four and a half precinct,” she said. the Crown tower precedent further in the for me,” the Lord Mayor said. “It is a years. central city,” he wrote. momentous occasion to accept citizenship “In its details, the scheme displays a strong “I was very impressed with the ceremony," of another country and there were a lot of intent for well-considered public and Jenny said. “I think it’s very important to Continued on page 2. proud and emotional people in the room.” private amenity and at a street level, the commit to a country that you have been proposal displays qualities that will truly Jenny King was among the new staying in for a long time.” EAT. DRINK. SHOP. ORGANIC 26 Fanning Street, SOUTHBANK 2 SOUTHBANK LOCAL NEWS ISSUE 78 Taking our Green Spine higher Continued from page 1 “[This is] certain to erode the planning Suite 108, 198 Harbour Esplanade system and signal to the industry that if PO Box 23008 Docklands 8012 the site and financing is big enough, don’t Tel: 8689 7980 Fax: 9602 2929 bother with the planning scheme: instead www.southbanklocalnews.com.au get the state government to write special Ashmor wins rules for you.” Editor: Sean Car Cr Leppert also criticised the involvement of preselection Publisher: Hyperlocal News Pty Ltd both State Treasurer Tim Pallas at Beulah’s ABN: 57623558725 design symposium on July 27 and Jill Garner in helping select the winning design, Local lawyer, entrepreneur, Tel: 8689 7980 Fax: 9602 2929 for giving the perception of government community volunteer and [email protected] support. mum Kate Ashmor has been Reader contributions are welcome. While acknowledging a “stunning” design, Please send articles and images to he said an approval by the government preselected as the Liberal [email protected] would represent “a victory for PR”, as well Party’s candidate for the as the use of architects as a PR tool, over Deadline for edition 79 is October 4. orderly and publicly accountable planning ‘Green Spine’ by UNStudio and Cox Architecture. Federal seat of Macnamara. processes. Southbank Residents’ Association president Ms Ashmor won preselection to contest Minister for Planning Richard Wynne CONNECT Tony Penna said the proposal was “bold and the long-held Labor seat ahead of the defended Mr Pallas, noting that, except from Keep up to date with local news & events. edgy.” likes of the Liberal Party’s previous being at a public event where the project was candidate Owen Guest, as well as City of “I commend the developer with encouraging Follow us on Twitter raised, the Treasurer had not discussed the Port Phillip councillor Marcus Pearl. @SOUTHBANK_News project with the developer. ideas from across the globe, and congratulate our own Cox architecture,” he She will go head to head with Labor A spokesperson for Mr Wynne told said. “While it’s the perfect location for such candidate Josh Burns and Greens Like us on Facebook Southbank Local News that he had not had a development, I am sceptical that what candidate Steph Hodgins-May at the Southbank Local News any communications regarding the project won the competition compared to what next election, which could occur as soon with the developer. will be delivered will not be the same as in as March 2019. Current sitting Labor Like us on Instagram “The minister has no view on the proposal it’s current form it doesn’t comply with the member Michael Danby, who has held SouthbankLocalNews as no application has been submitted,” the planning scheme. In any case, it is a step in Macnamara (formerly Melbourne Ports) spokesperson said. the right direction. for 20 years, will retire after the election. ISSUE 78 SOUTHBANK LOCAL NEWS 3 Push for Metro 2 Following the State Government’s pledge to build the Suburban Rail Loop if re-elected in November, the business community is looking for a similar commitment to deliver Metro 2 to Fishermans Bend. With the new proposal to terminate at connect rail via Southern Cross Station and Werribee, doubt has also been raised about Fishermans Bend. whether or not the government might even While welcoming the government’s consider Metro 2 redundant. Southbank Residents’ Association president Tony Penna and Montague Community Alliance convener Trisha Avery $300 million pledge to start planning at the Boyd Community Hub Assembly Hall last month. Transport spokesperson for The Greens, Sam for Suburban Rail Loop, the Property Hibbins, put the matter on the agenda at the Council of Australia’s Victorian executive Metropolitan Transport Forum at Melbourne director (acting) Matthew Kandelaars Town Hall on Monday, August 13. said the industry was hoping for a similar Community partners commitment for Fishermans Bend. The Metro 2 train network would connect the South Morang and Werribee lines, “The proper integration of transport and bringing rail to Fishermans Bend and allow land-use planning is vital to the success of The Southbank Residents’ Association (SRA) and the Montague for extensions to outer suburbs including Fishermans Bend as a once-in-a-generation Community Alliance (MCA) will work together for the first time Doncaster. urban renewal project. In particular, its success will rely in large part on the timely as part of the Southbank Meet the Candidates event ahead of Committing $100 million to start planning delivery of mass transit to the precinct.” the project, Mr Hibbins said it was the November’s Victorian state election. piece of infrastructure that would “define “We would like a commitment to deliver liveability in Melbourne”. the infrastructure Victoria needs, including To be held at the Boyd Community Hub Fishermans Bend. significant planning for Melbourne Metro at 207 City Rd, Southbank on Tuesday, “Today we’ve announced The Greens’ policy Having met with SRA president Tony Penna 2 and the Suburban Rail Loop, in the next October 30, current sitting Labor member on committing $100 million to start planning last month to confirm the partnership, term of government.” for the seat of Albert Park Martin Foley, Melbourne Metro 2,” he said. “It’s a far better MCA convener Trisha Avery thanked Liberal candidate Andrew Bond and investment than the North East link or the The state government included $1 million the Southbank community for providing The Greens candidate Ogy Simic will all West Gate Tunnel or the East West link.” in this year’s budget for the next stage of Montague locals with the opportunity to feature. planning for a new connection between address the candidates. “Planning for Metro 2 needs to start now so Fishermans Bend and the CBD, including While the MCA had initially proposed we can get it built and the benefits can be “It is a warm strategic partnering that will the development of transport and to host its own event, a tight campaign realised as soon as possible. We can’t wait result in strengthening our messages to the economic assessments of river crossing schedule in lead up to the November state another decade for this project to get up and candidates about the areas important to options.