Frankston Beach Association has been a strong advocate for our beach and precious foreshore environment for over 35 years.
The final outcome of this process including the Panel’s recommendation ‘to ensure that development along the Western and Southern boundaries of the Sub-precinct 1B responds to the sensitive interface with Kananook Creek and the surrounding foreshore and established residents area’, which is before Councillors tonight, will NOT celebrate a ‘sensitive interface’. The built concept has been pushed as far as it possibly can and shows no sign of sensitivity whatsoever. All our concerns and those of other community groups have fallen on deaf ears.
A series of 20 metre buildings with a few small wind tunnels on a beautiful coastal strip creates a dividing line/disconnection/blocking to the rest of the central business district and to the community at large.
FBA submits that Council should adopt the Planning Practice Note 60: the Victorian Government’s guide to the drafting of Structure Plans for Activity Centres, which clearly states that mandatory limits will be considered in exceptional circumstances which are identified as –
- Sensitive coastal environments where exceeding the height limits will unreasonably detract from the significance of the coastal environment, and
- Significant landscape precincts such as natural waterways…
Precinct 1B fronts onto both of these environments.
Geelong is the only other designated Activity Centre with a coastal aspect. Obviously this Practice Note 60 is directed towards these two Activity Centres.
Geelong has observed this Practice Note and has introduced lower height levels overlooking its waterfront. It shows preferred building heights – Western Beach to be 9 metres and the inner Wedge precinct a preferred height of 20 metres.
Frankston’s Amendment C123 has ignored Practice Note 60. Why?
FBA recommends under 12 metres for a ‘sensitive’ interface’.
Furthermore, FBA recommends that Councillors, before approving C123, consider the Nightingale Projects – inner city housing developments built for growing populations, which adhere to the Nightingale pillars of social, environmental and financial sustainability. There are currently 12 projects in active development. The Nightingale Project is a visionary concept which delivers multi-residential housing in cities which is environmentally sustainable, financially affordable and socially inclusive and which promotes better health and wellbeing outcomes for residents.
Let us also be visionary. Thank you for your attention.