City council urges Planning Minister Richard Wynne to reject Docklands towers
Lend Lease's ambitious plan for Victoria Harbour in Docklands - five towers with more than 1500 apartments.

City council urges Planning Minister Richard Wynne to reject Docklands towers

Clay Lucas

When Lend Lease’s plan first emerged for one of Dockland’s largest remaining chunks, it was for a row of largely low-rise apartments. That was back in 2010.

Times have changed: now the ASX-listed developer wants more. Much more.

But councillors on Melbourne City Council this week – in election mode ahead of next month’s council poll – decided the developer’s new plan for Victoria Harbour went too far.

With around 1500 apartments, the five-tower proposal was set to help the company, controversially dumped by Labor from the East West Link tollroad, earn a fortune on the project.

Planning Minister Richard Wynne will now have the final say on whether to approve plans for the six-hectare site. Officers at Melbourne City Council had advised councillors to approve Lend Lease’s proposed development plan.

Docklands' Collins Wharf, circa 1925. Docklands’ Collins Wharf, circa 1925.

But Greens councillor Rohan Leppert on Tuesday night moved a motion urging Mr Wynne to reject the plan.

Cr Leppert said the 2010 proposal was “wonderful and respected the heritage of Victoria Harbour”.

“But what is proposed here is simply a wall of towers that step up to Bolte Bridge,” he said. “It’s a very poor outcome for that end of the city. We don’t make the final decision on this, but the minister has to say no to this application.”

The rejection by councillors was unanimous, with a request to Lend Lease and the planning department to redesign the project so that it “steps down to the water”, with the new buildings “better reflecting the heritage of the wharf” by being lower rise.

A Lend Lease spokeswoman said the company would keep working on the plan despite the council declining to back it. “We’ll continue to work …[on] our Collins Wharf proposal,” she said.

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