Planning minister approves 11-storey tower at ex-ABC Elsternwick site
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has approved the controversial plan including 148 homes retail and office spaces, and 400-plus car parks atop a new Woolworths supermarket at the ex-ABC site, under the state's Development Facilitation Program.
It aims to streamline the planning process for projects that will increase Victoria's pipeline of residences.
RELATED: National Housing Accord up to 60,000 new homes short in first year
Dan Andrews' 'ghost' home legacy revealed as apartment towers stall
Iconic Melbourne pool site could sell for up to $3m
The development at 10-16 Selwyn St is located within the state government's future Activity Centre designated for the Elsternwick train station and tram zone, one of 50 earmarked for increased housing density across Melbourne.
While community consultation is yet to happen for the Elsternwick area, some of the other activity zones are expected to potentially have buildings of up to 15 to 20 levels constructed.
Previous plans for the Selwyn St site had also been set to add soaring towers, but prompted significant community backlash and didn't proceed.
Records show the ABC sold the address for about $51.7m in 2017, after using it for recordings of Shaun Micallef's Mad as Hell and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering.
Countdown, a show hosted by music and TV industry legend Molly Meldrum in the 1970s and 1980s, was also sometimes filmed at the studio, warehouse and office site in addition to another nearby ex-ABC studio on Gordon St.
In 2019, a group of residents held multiple protests against an earlier proposal to build two towers at the Selwyn St location amid overdevelopment fears.
The newest plan features a mix of one, two and three-bedroom residences, with 10 per cent of the homes to be designated as affordable.
A section of the development is set to become a community hub as part of Selwyn St's Jewish Arts Quarter.
Planning documents prepared on behalf of Pace Development Group – who are developing the site on behalf of Woolworths – state that the hub will include a function space, museum and library.
In addition to the studios, a heritage-listed former fire station on the site will be restored and repurposed as a BWS liquor store after Heritage Victoria green lit the suggestion.
The development is close to the Elsternwick train station and other public transport.
The planning documents state that the development is located in area where existing building heights range from one to 11 storeys.
More than 4950 new homes have been fast-tracked through the Development Facilitation Program since September 2023.
'Victorians are telling us they want more homes in well-connected areas – and this project will deliver almost 150 homes right in the heart of Elsternwick, close to the train station, tram and bus stops,' Ms Kilkenny said.
A local business operator, who asked not to be named, said although many residents were against too much development in the beachside suburb, there was a need for more density in Melbourne to help combat the housing crisis — and it should have been made taller.
'If Australia is genuine about solving the housing crisis, they will have to put up with density,' they said.
'And if ever there was a perfect site for density, it's this one.'
Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox.
MORE: Matthew Dellavedova sells bayside home after Melbourne exit
Toorak: $30m+ health-boosting mansion sold to overseas-based buyer
$36m blow to super fund-backed ISPT could hit Aussie retirements
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Herald Sun
an hour ago
- Herald Sun
When to sell: Vic homeowners lose six figures to crucial mistake
Thousands of Melbourne home sellers are shoving their 'head in the sand' every spring, amid shock new data showing the most profitable time to sell is March. Real estate experts are second-guessing the city's 'archaic' traditions and warning consistently flooding the market at the same time each year is actually helping buyers. Ray White economics team analysis of sales for the past decade show that the highest monthly median prices for houses and units across the city are set during autumn, with price gaps in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and even millions for elite suburbs like Toorak, when compared to their lowest ebb in other months. RELATED: $36m blow to super fund-backed ISPT could hit Aussie retirements National Housing Accord up to 60,000 new homes short in first year Huge blow for Australia's housing crisis It's also revealed that July is one of the best times to buy a home, with median prices this month historically at their most affordable in 108 suburbs. It narrowly outpaces January, when it's the best time to buy in 96 suburbs, however Ray White chief economist Nerida Conisbee said with a number of other suburbs recording their second or third lowest medians in January over the timeline, it was overall the most affordable month to buy a home in. While sellers in both months are likely to be very motivated to lock in a deal, potentially explaining the typically lower prices, Ms Conisbee said spring could also easily work in buyers' favour — especially for buyers who made a move before expected rate cuts drive prices up much further. 'Spring is a time when we see so much stock coming to the market, which is great for buyers – but for sellers it's far more competition,' she said. 'Even so, I would be starting to search right about now. 'That's also because rate cuts are coming, and we know as they do we will get more and more competition from buyers.' For those thinking of selling a home, the economist warned the high numbers of homes for sale in spring could be a reason to reconsider. 'On average, it does seem to be the autumn months that are better for prices,' Ms Conisbee said. 'Maybe it's time to rethink selling season. 'It's definitely well worth considering selling outside of spring because of the competition.' Professional auctioneer Andy Reid said a rethink was urgently needed by Melbourne home sellers. 'Summer and autumn have become the new spring; you launch in summer, in February, and sell in March,' Mr Reid said. 'Everyone has their head in the sand. Melbourne is the most archaic capital city when it comes to selling real estate.' He warned the city's obsession with auctioning homes at 11am on Saturday was also likely hurting sellers. 'You are putting your auction in the middle of the most productive day for any working family, so they have no time to do anything at the start of the day and then no real time to do anything proper in the afternoon.' That causes friction, which can cause some buyers who might have bid to be forced to choose between that and family events, their children's sporting commitments and their social life. Midweek auctions and those held earlier on Saturdays, at 9.30am, reduced that friction and could suit buyers better. 'We are clinging to a mentality that's stuck in the 90s,' he said. 'This is probably all working out in favour of the buyers, but with an asterisk — because it's still not fully convenient for them. 'We're adding friction to sales and that reduces competition, which the seller doesn't want, but a motivated buyer does.' The auctioneer added that for buyers who were willing to move against the crowd, there were reasons that others avoided midwinter and midsummer. 'In January, everyone has spent all their pennies on Santa, and in July everyone is waiting for their tax return to come through and boost their deposit,' Mr Reid said. He added that by maintaining the status quo, home sellers were effectively playing into the hands of home buyers. Cohen Handler buyer's advocate Nicole Jacobs said while buyers shouldn't pass over the right property in the hopes of timing a purchase, there were definitely times of year that gave them the upper hand. 'Now is a really good time to buy, and six months ago was a really good time, too,' Ms Jacobs said. 'But I wouldn't be waiting to January. You will be getting a few interest rate cuts between now and then.' For those considering selling, the buyer's agent said the core reason for a spring timeline was for homes that had a reason for doing so – which many don't today. 'If you do have a botanic garden in your backyard, you'd be crazy not to sell when it is at its peak,' she said. 'You may think you need to wait for spring, but if you don't have much of a garden, why?' She also noted that home sellers should be aware agents would try to time their sale to suit their calendar, and workflow – and not necessarily work in their best interests. 'If the agent doesn't have a lot of other listings going, they will try to persuade the seller to do so now, rather than wait,' she said. While she said she did traditionally buy a lot of homes in spring, when volumes of homes for sales were typically higher, December was also a good time to 'mop up' a lot of the properties that had struggled in the prior months. But not every suburb struggles at the same time, Eltham is among the 12 Melbourne suburbs that defy the odds and score the best results in July — when 108 others are historically at their lowest level. Jellis Craig Eltham director Tom Kurtschenko said he wasn't overly surprised, having worked solidly through winter for the past 20 years – despite agents in many other areas heading off on holiday when the weather cools. 'We like the winter months … though ideally you wouldn't book an auction on the key weeks of school holidays,' Mr Kurtschenko said. 'And, in spring, there can be a lot more choice for buyers.' He added that at the moment he was seeing a lot of people in the area looking to buy a home before selling, noting that the market would support that approach for many as prices rose. Loan Market broker Jacob Decru said there had been a surge in homebuyers seeking home approval in the past quarter, with large numbers now ready to go — and more on the way. While that could be good news for home sellers thinking about spring, Mr Decru said many of those looking to buy were hoping to make a move in July or August to beat any future rate rises that might drive prices up. 'The sentiment among buyers now is that it's a good time to buy,' he said. Sign up to the Herald Sun Weekly Real Estate Update. Click here to get the latest Victorian property market news delivered direct to your inbox. MORE: Inside Vic's $2bn housing shake up Toorak: $30m+ health-boosting mansion sold to overseas-based buyer Matthew Dellavedova sells bayside home after Melbourne exit
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
‘Oh my god, let it go!': The ABC show getting (almost) too close to dangerous animals
ABC nature journalist Dr Ann Jones, best known for her ornithological series, The Secret Lives of Urban Birds and Meet the Penguins, has revealed her wilder side. In the new six-part series, Dr Ann's Secret Lives, she swaps the gentle art of backyard bird-watching for the choppy seas off Queensland and Western Australia, and the jungles of Borneo, chasing bull sharks, sea snakes, orangutans, sea turtles, dugongs and pangolins. The scientists dedicated to monitoring their survival are as much a focus as the animals. 'We don't exist separate to nature,' says Jones, who lives with a strictly indoor Maine Coon cat named Bubbles and a freshwater prawn called Prawn Connery. 'All natural history documentaries are made on the back of research from people, like those featured in this program,' says Jones. 'I think it's important to not shy away from how we get information, which sometimes means that you're uncomfortable. But that's how we find out things that will protect the species.' In the series, marine ecologist Nicolas Lubitz remarks that the work of biologists is, '95 per cent boredom, 5 per cent chaos'. Jones agrees: 'The majority of the work that a scientist does will be based in an office or a lab, in front of a computer. And so what you see [in the series] is the high point of the year when they actually spend time with the animals. Fieldwork is addictive. I think it fuels the rest of their year.' In the first episode, Jones joins Lubitz and his team on a perilous expedition tagging bull sharks off the coast of Townsville, during which she becomes visibly distressed as the thrashing fish is roped. 'I was scared, but I expected to worry more about myself,' says Jones. 'But the way in which they subdue a shark is by catching it and then turning it upside down, and then it goes into a sleepy state. And to see this animal so completely vulnerable – I'm just a complete softie. And this is probably why I'm a broadcaster and not a scientist. I'm just like, 'Oh my god, let it go! Let it go!'' In Moreton Bay near Brisbane, the seagrass-munching dugong stole her heart. 'They were surprisingly muscular. They have really dense whiskers, triple the thickness of a cat whisker. And their breath smells like grass.'
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Oh my god, let it go!': The ABC show getting (almost) too close to dangerous animals
ABC nature journalist Dr Ann Jones, best known for her ornithological series, The Secret Lives of Urban Birds and Meet the Penguins, has revealed her wilder side. In the new six-part series, Dr Ann's Secret Lives, she swaps the gentle art of backyard bird-watching for the choppy seas off Queensland and Western Australia, and the jungles of Borneo, chasing bull sharks, sea snakes, orangutans, sea turtles, dugongs and pangolins. The scientists dedicated to monitoring their survival are as much a focus as the animals. 'We don't exist separate to nature,' says Jones, who lives with a strictly indoor Maine Coon cat named Bubbles and a freshwater prawn called Prawn Connery. 'All natural history documentaries are made on the back of research from people, like those featured in this program,' says Jones. 'I think it's important to not shy away from how we get information, which sometimes means that you're uncomfortable. But that's how we find out things that will protect the species.' In the series, marine ecologist Nicolas Lubitz remarks that the work of biologists is, '95 per cent boredom, 5 per cent chaos'. Jones agrees: 'The majority of the work that a scientist does will be based in an office or a lab, in front of a computer. And so what you see [in the series] is the high point of the year when they actually spend time with the animals. Fieldwork is addictive. I think it fuels the rest of their year.' In the first episode, Jones joins Lubitz and his team on a perilous expedition tagging bull sharks off the coast of Townsville, during which she becomes visibly distressed as the thrashing fish is roped. 'I was scared, but I expected to worry more about myself,' says Jones. 'But the way in which they subdue a shark is by catching it and then turning it upside down, and then it goes into a sleepy state. And to see this animal so completely vulnerable – I'm just a complete softie. And this is probably why I'm a broadcaster and not a scientist. I'm just like, 'Oh my god, let it go! Let it go!'' In Moreton Bay near Brisbane, the seagrass-munching dugong stole her heart. 'They were surprisingly muscular. They have really dense whiskers, triple the thickness of a cat whisker. And their breath smells like grass.'
