By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A six-storey apartment tower with a parking shortfall in central Noble Park has been fast-tracked by Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny.
Ms Kilkenny directed that Greater Dandenong Council issues a planning permit for the mixed-use building at 51a Douglas Street, which was proposed in late 2021 to have a 76 car space shortfall.
The council-issued permit will be exempt from planning requirements to “enable a prompt decision, meaning no public submissions will be allowed.
The building will be on 5.9 hectares of VicTrack-owned land, which Ms Kilkenny also approved for a two-lot subdivision and a commercial 1 rezoning.
In her published reasons, Ms Kilkenny noted public concerns about the loss of vegetation, parking reductions, excessive height and insufficient affordable housing.
She stated that the proponent responded to overshadowing and affordable housing concerns.
Ten per cent of dwellings will be set for affordable housing for key workers or for housing or disability accommodation providers.
Ms Kilkenny also ordered “additional tree protection measures”.
In an explanatory report, the final parking shortfall has not been specified but it was said to stimulate increased use of the nearby railway station.
The “pedestrian-focused” building “emphasises and encourages public and active transport modes through reduced car parking provisions and increased bike parking and pedestrian access”.
The proponent Flametree Property Pty Ltd originally applied for a 97-dwelling building with ground-floor retail.
It would provide 49 on-site car spaces, well short of the statutory minimum of 125.
Flametree argued that car parking demand would be less than the statutory standard.
This is due to car ownership rates in Noble Park, the site being close to train services and bike lanes, and the dwellings being priced “affordably”, it stated.
“The development is targeted at low-medium income residents. ABS data indicates a lower rate of car ownership amongst lower income people.
“The provision of car parking spaces also increases the cost of housing.”
Gaye Guest, who formally objected to the project, said the Government was having a “fire sale to the highest bidder of what they determine – not what the residents determine – to be surplus need to cover their debts, especially created by the Level Crossing Removal Project”.
She said residents didn’t want “inferior” over-crowded living standards.
“This is a “quick fix” solution by a Government who has no forethought for what it is impacting on the future generations.
“Who wants to live next to a train line for goodness sakes with the noise pollution that will be heard 24/7?”
In the Government’s explanatory report, the tower is described as a “priority project” which was expedited to help Victoria’s post-Covid economic recovery.
It would provide “affordable housing in a key location” and extra commercial activity on what was “underutilised” land.
Under the council’s Noble Park structure plan, the project is one of seven high-rise ‘key redevelopment sites’ with preferred height limits of six storeys.
