unChain St Kilda | Save St Kilda Triangle unChain St Kilda | Save St Kilda Triangle

Port Phillip Council announced on Tuesday 8th December 2009 that had reached an agreement with developers and the St Kilda Triangle development would not proceed.

St Kilda Triangle development project scuttled after Port Phillip Council strikes deal for developer to walk away. HeraldSun

ONE of Melbourne's most controversial building projects has been scuttled.

The St Kilda Triangle will no longer go ahead after Port Phillip Council announced it had struck a multi-million deal with the Sydney-based developer to walk away from the project.

The decision is seen as a huge win for critics who have rallied against the plans since they were first tabled.

Developer Citta Property Group will be paid $5 million over three years under the agreement.

The announcement was met with furious applause by more than one hundred people who attended a last minute council meeting tonight.

Port Phillip councillor Serge Thomann, who was elected on the back on the protest against the development, said the community would finally get to have its say.

'This has been a huge issue for all of us,' Cr Thomann said. 'But I am pleased to put the motion to stop the Triangle development at St Kilda beach.

'The deal has been signed and the community has finally won the battle.'

Citta boss Stephen McMillan told the Herald Sun he was disappointed at the outcome.

"Under the circumstances it's an equitable settlement,"Mr McMillan said. "It was a fabulous project but given the huge community backlash it would have been very difficult to push ahead."

The triangle project was approved by Port Phillip Council in February last year despite fierce opposition from some residents who said it was too big and would create a "Chadstone on the bay''.

The decision to approve the project cost a number of councillors their seats including then mayor Janet Cribbes and Dick Gross who was also the president of the Municipal Association of Victoria.

Councillors will formally vote on the motiom next Monday, but six out of the seven councillors indicated they would support cancelling the agreement with the developer.

Janet Bolitho, the only surviving councillor to have voted for the triangle, last night indicated she would not support the motion to stop the development.

"I would like more time to prepare an argument,"Cr Bolitho said.

"News of these negotiations only came about this afternoon."

A report commissioned by the council last year found the redevelopment would inject about $600 million, support up to 2600 jobs and become a major tourist drawcard.

Read St Kilda Triangle development project scuttled after Port Phillip Council strikes deal for developer to walk away (HeraldSun).

unChain St Kilda

HELP save St Kilda foreshore for Melbourne. If you do not do something NOW, and help save the ST KILDA FORESHORE, it will be lost forever.

See below for latest updates:
-:- Artist Mirka Mora and actor Rachel Griffiths join rally.
-:- Port Phillip Council defers decision until January 24, 2008.

Letter from a local...
The problem seems to be the State Government cannot find $20Million to refurbish the Palais Theatre and are making the developers pay and now we have an oversized development.
As seen on the Port Phillip Council Website.

We cannot allow this to be built in the current form. The organisation www.unchainstkilda.org is campaigning to reduce the size of the development.

I handed out postcards at the end of the developers meeting on the 15/11/07. Many of the residents were leaving so emotional, in tears thinking they could do nothing to stop it. I have become totally active for the Silent Voices of the older people who have lived in St Kilda most of their lives and don't want it to become a huge shopping centre with 180 shops, nightclubs and a multiplex cinema.

I CAN'T STAND BY AND DO NOTHING, CAN YOU???

unChain St Kilda

We are a loose coalition of people who live, work and visit St Kilda, brought together by our outrage at the size and focus of the proposed commercial development on the St Kilda Triangle Crown land.

Those of us who participated in the lengthy community consultation process about the project are dismayed to see it deliver a vision that dismisses our input. The winning tender breaks many promises made to the community during the consultation, exposing the process as a sham.

We are disappointed that the City of Port Phillip has stifled criticism and debate by creating a perception in the community that this development is a done deal, leaving no room for change.

Our aim is to let people know that this is not the case and encourage them to air their concerns widely.

unChain St Kilda

-:- write to a politician today
-:- add your comments and be placed on our email mailing list
-:- If you're a Facebook member, link up to our Facebook page

Save St Kilda - The Triangle Site

www.savestkilda.org.au is a public place where locals and concerned people of Melbourne can sign up and 'Save St Kilda's Soul'.

The development of St Kilda Triangle is a CoPP Out!

As The Age newspaper reported on October 14, 2006, the 'Triangle Site' could end up being a 'mini-Chadstone'.

The Save St Kilda campaign has three objectives:

- To restore 3rd party objection rights (in order to enable a proper objection process)
- All 3 tenders include a huge retail component. We want to hold City of Port Phillip (COPP) to their promise the 'Triangle Site' wouldn't become a 'mini-Chadstone'
- To hold City of Port Phillip (COPP) to their promise the 'Triangle Site' would incorporate 'large' open public spaces like a 'town square' - a place for YOU, the locals to meet.

CoPP had promised that the Triangle Site would not become "retail intensive"and there would be a significant amount of open space. Our sources are telling us this is now not the case and all three short-listed developers are planning supermarkets and 70+ retail stores.

We have asked CoPP to confirm their original promise is being kept but they won't say anything, falling back on confidentiality agreements preventing them commenting.

We think this is 'bullshit' and we think the developers have all pushed for more retail than CoPP had originally envisaged and promised the community. Why can't we have a "European Style"town square / Piazza that the community can use and enjoy as public open space.

Surely, we have enough supermarkets and retail stores? Why can't CoPP just tell us that they have kept their promise and that NONE of the developers are being allowed to progress with "over-developed"proposals - surely that wouldn't break any confidentiality agreements and it would make the community feel better.

The three shortlisted bids for the 'Triangle Site' are:
- Babcock & Brown Ltd, with the Citta property group;
- R. Corporation with John van Haandel; and
- St Kilda Creative Hub, including Mirvac and companies associated with the Fox family, David Goldberger and David Wieland.

If CoPP really go ahead with one of these proposals WITHOUT the community having an opportunity to give their feedback, there's something seriously flawed with the whole process. The majority of the community needs to be on CoPP's side when they press the button and start building on the 'Triangle Site'.