This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
After stalling at the council level for three years, plans for 245 new homes at the former Pentridge Prison site in Coburg have been approved, following intervention at the state level.
With intervention from planning minister Sonya Kilkenny, the revitalisation project will move ahead, with the sustainable precinct to feature 11- and 12-storey residential buildings.
The buildings will be located near Coburg Station, tram stops, five schools, parks and playgrounds, shops and a cinema, with a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, in addition to underground parking and bicycle spaces and new open spaces.
The approval has been delayed after Brisbane-based developer Shayher Group clashed with the Merri-bek Council over the plans exceeding height limits defined in the masterplan.
With the council voting unanimously against the now approved heights in April, with the original application broadly welcomed despite being one storey above the preferred limit, before being amended with another two storeys added to the plans last December.
“The Allan Labor Government proudly continues to drive the revitalisation of Central Coburg through this latest housing approval,” said Anthony Cianflone, member for Pascoe Vale.
“By continuing to unlock and rehabilitate the former Pentridge Prison site, we’re working to solidify Central Coburg as a jobs, skills, cultural and housing hub for Melbourne’s north.”
Over the last 12 months, Kilkenny has intervened on or fast-tracked the approval of 10,700 homes, an increase of more than 100% on previous years.
This includes through the Development Facilitation Program, which streamlines the planning process for shovel-ready projects to create more homes for families and young Victorians.
“We’ve stepped in to ensure hundreds of homes are built at this great location in Coburg because we know homes don’t get built when they’re held up,” said Kilkenny.
“We’ll work with councils to make good decisions faster, but everyone needs to be working towards the same goal: more homes for Victorians – close to jobs, transport and services.”
This comes after the first stage of Tim Gurner’s $1.7 billion “futuristic wellness and anti-ageing utopia” in Melbourne’s Docklands was also approved with intervention from Kilkenny for the first three towers of the project, Elysium Fields.
