d567bb3c-a574-44b1-bc7e-cb993982779f

<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p>Construction industry leaders have expressed cautious optimism about the sector&#x27;s future beyond Covid-19 amid the rollout of state government construction stimulus packages and the fast-tracking of priority projects such as social housing and government infrastructure.</p><p>Despite construction sites being classified as &quot;<a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/victoria-nsw-construction-sites-stay-open-shutdown">essential</a>&quot; services during the coronavirus shutdowns, builders, subcontractors, suppliers and developers across the nation have <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/construction-industry-further-stimulus-liquidated-damages-coronavirus">grappled with</a> unforeseen conditions in delivering projects that would otherwise have run to schedule and without disruption. </p><p>Speaking as part of <em>The Urban Developer&#x27;s</em> expert <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/events">webinar</a> series, Sarah Slattery, managing director of national quantity surveying firm Slattery, said the release of Building Victoria&#x27;s &quot;project fast-track&quot; eligibility criteria could signal the beginning of a recovery period driven by projects with a <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/construct-30000-social-housing-dwellings-boost-jobs-acoss">social welfare</a> agenda. </p><p>&quot;It gave us a lot of confidence, it&#x27;s aligned with what we&#x27;re hoping to see in terms of affordable housing because of the social benefits as well—it&#x27;s a great time to get our homeless in housing over the next couple of years.</p><p>&quot;It will be interesting to see in the next few weeks what the other states do in terms of stimulus, but we&#x27;re probably not expecting too many differences between the states,&quot; Slattery said.  </p><p>It was to be hoped government projects in the areas of health, education and justice might be among those hand-picked by the states to help speed their economies through the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, Slattery said.</p><p>Industry colleague Alison Mirams, chief executive of <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/roberts-pizzarotti-to-deliver-341m-concord-hospital-redevelopment">Sydney-based</a> construction firm Roberts Pizzarotti, expressed a sense of gratitude for &quot;enormously supportive&quot; government initiatives as well as the unions industry bodies that joined forces to ensure continuity of work.</p><p>“They say every cloud has a silver lining, and there are certainly positives that we need to, as an industry, take out of this coronavirus period,” Mirams said.</p><p>With the industry learning to live with the “challenge” of social distancing on work sites—and the attendant slowdowns in productivity, particularly on more exposed projects such as high-rises, due to accessibility and people movement issues—attention has also turned to what the future pipeline of work will look like.</p><p>Hutchinson Builders associate director Jack Hutchinson said that while a lot of private development had been paused he was &quot;definitely more comfortable now than a month ago&quot;.</p><p>Hutchinson said the Brisbane-based firm has benefited from picking up some “small state government projects that had been brought forward”. </p><p>Like Mirams, Hutchinson believes that government stimulus could go a long way to keeping people employed—and social housing initiatives as part of that are “a very good idea”.</p><p>The Victorian government has formed a taskforce identifying a pipeline of shovel-ready priority projects for fast-tracking that are aligned to “broader Victorian government policy objectives including affordable and social housing and emissions reduction”.  </p><p>Building Victoria&#x27;s Recovery Taskforce, which is overseeing the fast-tracking program, was spearheaded by planning minister Richard Wynne and treasurer Tim Pallas, and will initially focus on expediting planning approvals using ministerial powers, where decisions have been delayed due to coronavirus-related impacts on the planning system.</p><p>Led by former Lendlease Victoria head Roger Teale, Victorian Planning Authority chairwoman Jude Munro and chief executive of government agency Solar Victoria Stan Krpan, the taskforce has already given the <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/victoria-green-lights-mega-projects-to-boost-economy">green light</a> to fast-track four large-scale projects for approval and commencement, in a bid to boost the state&#x27;s pandemic-stricken economy.</p><p>In the spirit of <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-construction-worker-coronavirus">collaboration</a> that saw unions and the construction industry sector unite to keep construction sites open amid government-ordered coronavirus shutdowns, the taskforce will be guided by a steering committee involving representatives from industry peak bodies and unions to ensure workers&#x27; safety isn&#x27;t compromised by the push for continuity of work on existing projects.</p><p>In New South Wales, the first tranche of a similar fast-tracking program for <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/construction-to-start-on-macquarie-parks-ivanhoe-estate">shovel-ready</a> projects has been rolled out as part of the state government&#x27;s planning system acceleration program. </p><p>Announcing the first 24 projects identified for expedited assessment, premier Gladys Berejiklian, said the program was key to the state&#x27;s recovery post-Covid-19.</p><p>“By fast-tracking assessments, we will keep people in jobs and keep the construction industry moving as we ride out the Covid-19 pandemic and set our sights on economic recovery,” Berejiklian said. </p><p>Like their Victorian counterparts, submitted projects need to “deliver a public benefit, demonstrate an ability to create jobs during construction”.</p><p>Planning and Public Spaces minister Rob Stokes said decisions will be made on the first tranche of projects within the next four weeks.</p><p>“This will mean shovel-ready projects can get under way and the construction pipeline can continue to grow,” Stokes said.</p><p>Elsewhere, stimulus packages such as WA&#x27;s Construction Panel and Queensland&#x27;s &quot;roads of strategic importance&quot; roadworks initiative will bring some relief to the embattled construction and building sectors.</p></div></div></div></div></div>

 A coronavirus task force will identify projects to keep Victoria’s construction industry running, including social housing initiatives ...

24 Chapel Street Windsor Melbourne

<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has rejected plans for a 20-storey residential tower in the Melbourne suburb of Windsor.</strong></p><p>The proposal for a 681sq m tower at 24 Chapel Street was lodged by SMA Projects mid-2017 only to be rejected by the City of Stonnington. The developer then referred the case to VCAT. </p><p>The proposal outlined plans for 45 apartments across 15 levels and five levels of retail, commercial and car parking spaces to be built above a 17-metre-wide railway line.</p><p>The proposal also included the requirement of a $4.5 million payment by SMA Projects for use of the air rights above the railway line.</p><p>After an eight-day hearing the JCB Architects-designed tower was found to be overscaled and would not integrate well with low-rise heritage scale of the area.</p><p>Related: <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/chapter-group-adds-400-million-to-its-pipeline-in-melbournes-inner-ring">Chapter Group Adds $400 Million to Project Pipeline</a></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/8b67c61e-5975-4ba7-a3f4-6b81aac7747d.jpg" width="1600"/></picture><div><span style="float:right;opacity:0.8">Image: JCB Architects</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><br>VCAT representatives said the the tower would negatively impact several heritage shopfronts along Chapel Street and was void of a distinct podium or setback.</p><p>“Any new development must be sensitive to the sense of place in Chapel Street with new buildings limited in scale and providing setbacks adequate from the street wall as to not erode the distinctive character and mix of uses in the neighbourhood,” council said.</p><p>“However we agree with the council in that the site constraints should not in themselves override the problems we have identified with the proposal. </p><p>“Not every site will be developable.”</p><p>In response to the planning permit application for the proposal, 77 objections were received and Council decided to issue a notice of refusal.</p><p>“The project presented an opportunity to think more creatively about the possibilities for development in Windsor,” SMA Projects development manager Robert Murphy told <em>The Urban Developer.</em></p><p>“Particularly how we can be better utilising developable space in these inner-city suburbs to cater for the rising demands from purchasers.”</p><p>“The project set a benchmark for sustainable design in Melbourne and we believe it leaves a strong legacy to refer to when considering future development in the area.”</p><p>Council also cited concerns for the proposed tower&#x27;s lift shaft and lower levels impacted the Chapel Street streetscape.</p><p>Project architect Graham Burrows’ view was that having the proposed 20-storey tower on the subject land would provide a “moment of difference” on Chapel Street, reinforcing the value of the street&#x27;s heritage.</p><p>SMA were unable to provide details on the future of the site.  </p></div></div></div></div></div>

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal has decided to reject plans for a 20-storey residential tower in Melbourne's suburb of Windsor. 

207dbec6-145a-44c7-a6f3-08b4ceb2b2c0

<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>A long-standing stoush between developer Tim Gurner and Victorian planning minister Richard Wynne has come to a head, with the developer lodging a claim against the minister in the Victorian Supreme Court. </strong></p><p>In an extraordinary move by the property developer, his legal team has lodged a claim this week contending that the minister has “misapplied his discretion” and &quot;acted beyond his power&quot; when he intervened to block Gurner’s latest apartment project in Collingwood.</p><p>The project, one of three Gurner sites frozen in planning due to height controls, was halted when the planning minister approved an interim amendment with immediate effect that covered all “live” planning permits on the inner-city Johnston Street.  </p><p>Related reading: <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/developer-criticises-fishermans-bend-development-halt">Gurner Criticises Fishermans Bend Development Halt</a></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/1476c4cd-b6a7-4291-90d5-cb72467e87ad.jpg" width="1302"/></picture><div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><br>The statement of claim relates to Gurner&#x27;s 12-storey apartment project at 23-33 Johnston Street. </p><p>The amendment mandated a maximum height limit of between 21 and 31 metres – up to 10-storeys – on six sections of the street. The street is at the heart of minister Wynne’s Richmond electorate which he holds by a narrow margin from the Greens. </p><p>The developer’s high-flying legal team is seeking a declaration that the minister&#x27;s decision to approve the amendment (Amendment C237) was affected by legal error, was invalid and of no legal effect. </p><p>The developer is also seeking costs. </p><p>Related reading: <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/gurner-switches-gears-with-120m-office-project-">Gurner Switches Gears with $120m Office Project</a></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/50623966-98d5-49e3-89e6-69694ef4433a.jpeg" width="1023"/></picture><div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><br>The minister has previously imposed what the developer calls “site specific” height restrictions on the Gurner’s <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/gurner-ditches-las-vegas-design-and-wins-council-approval">controversial 26-56 Queens Parade</a> site in North Fitzroy.</p><p>A <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/gurner-submits-mixed-use-scheme-south-melbourne-site">third site</a>, at the Fishermans Bend precinct, was caught up among a swathe of apartment projects after the Minister put on hold $4.5 billion worth of high-rise developments.</p><p>The developer has publicly questioned the motivations of the planning minister, accusing Wynne’s actions of being “site specific to our proposals without any fair or reasonable consultation process.”</p><p>&quot;For the Planning Minister to intervene in such a way – without following any correct consultative process and without any transparency – is very concerning for the industry and the planning system,&quot; Gurner said.</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><blockquote><p><b>&quot;We have formally issued Freedom of Information requests to the Planning Minister, the Premier&#x27;s office, the Department and Council, to ensure that we can discover the true motivations behind this radical action, that was site specific to our proposals without any fair or reasonable consultation process.&quot;</b></p>--– Gurner founder Tim Gurner.</blockquote></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p>Gurner goes on to claim that Wynne “deliberately manipulated” the timing of two of the three cases in order to ensure that his applications would fail to receive a permit at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.</p><p>The minister has previously said that the amendment will protect the Collingwood arts precinct – which neighbours the 1800sq m site – from overshadowing and visual bulk which could lead to an “unreasonable loss of amenity”. </p><p><em>The Urban Developer</em> reached out to Richard Wynne for comment, but the minister had not responded by the time of publication. </p></div></div></div></div></div>

A long-standing stoush between developer Tim Gurner and Victorian planning minister Richard Wynne has come to a head...

VICTORIAN CIVIL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL