Fishermans Bend

The University of Melbourne bought the site in 2018 for a new engineering campus. DELWP has been secretly working with the university to prepare Planning Scheme Amendment C371 governing the site. This is contrary to the spirit of the Heritage Act. The minister should make public the Heritage Council’s report and proceed to a determination of the registration and, as is usual, the extent of registration, i.e., exactly what is covered, before planning proceeds.

We learned on 4 July that plans for the site would be considered at the Future Melbourne Committee of CoM on 7 July. The CoM officers found that the plans would reduce the heritage to a few façades, greatly restrict public open space, and allow 141 m towers in an area with an 80 m recommended maximum. We made a strong submission to Future Melbourne Committee, and their resolution reflected our views.

On 13 July, we wrote to the minister and to the vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne urging them to proceed with registration and then to planning, in line with the opinion of CoM planners and the decision of Future Melbourne Committee on 7 July (see https://architectureau.com/articles/university-of-melbournes-2b-campus-plan-progresses/#).

The Vice-Chancellor’s reply promised ‘to create a distinct campus rooted in its ecological, indigenous and industrial legacy – that celebrates history, while allowing for change, adaptation and regeneration of the local ecosystem’. The minister’s reply, dated 29 September, ‘noted’ our request for registration and refused to release the Heritage Council report on the site.

We await the outcome of the ministry’s work with the University.

READ MORE:

1) The RHSV’s letter to the Hon. Richard Wynne, MP, Minister for Planning, 13 July 2020

2) The RHSV’s letter to Professor Duncan Maskell, Vice-Chancellor, The University of Melbourne, 13 July 2020

3) The RHSV’s submission to the Heritage Council supporting registration of the GMH site