unChain St Kilda - the proposed St Kilda Triangle site development is FAR TOO BIG

A yellow brick road to nowhere...
This popular seaside location, marked by the yellow line, is Crown (public) Land. This land is being handed over to private developers Babcock & Brown and Citta (BBC), who propose to fill the whole site with multi-level buildings housing a 3,200sqm Safeway supermarket (Woolworths) as the anchor tenant with a further 16,000 sqm of chain and franchise stores around it, pubs, nightclubs, bars and restaurants to fit 6,000 patrons, as well as a hotel and gym. The total constructed area will be around 115,000 square metres.

The new structures will block views to beach and sea from the public realm of the Upper Esplanade, because the green slopes will be reconfigured to slope upwards, making way for buildings underneath. Proposed high rise buildings around the Palais Theatre will destroy it as a landmark feature of St Kilda.

Results of a public consultation process regarding this development were misconstrued or ignored, and the normal right of residents to appeal to VCAT was removed. The decision by Council to go ahead with the commercialisation of a unique and beautiful foreshore crown land for boozing and shopping has Victoria-wide implications on how governments treat public land in their custody. We are taking our fight to the Supreme Court.

The Triangle is but the tip of the iceberg... read about other issues strongly contested in the City of Port Phillip, such as the Skate Park.

Special Fundraiser Gig

The Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
fundraiser gig
Bob Starkie (Skyhooks) & the Purple Gang, with special guest Ross Wilson (Daddy Cool), are uniting for a special Saturday afternoon gig at the St Kilda Bowling Club in aid of our legal fighting fund.

Saturday 26th July, 2pm
St Kilda Bowling Club
Fitzroy Street, St Kilda
$10 door donation
snags on the barbecue

Specially commissioned St Kilda painting by Greg Irvine

We have commissioned iconic artist Greg Irvine to paint a new work, called "St Kilda from the Pier". It shows the Upper Esplanade viewed from the breakwater.This wonderful view will never be the same once the Triangle site's bulky new buildings appear.

Find out more and place your order.

Xmas in July Luncheon
Come one, come all. Brighten these dark days at our Yule fire, with a hearty traditional Christmas dinner and selected wines. Join more than 50 other diners on Saturday 19th July at Dogs Bar. Make a booking.

Cheers! unChain St Kilda's exclusive fundraising wine release

To help raise funds for our forthcoming legal case, two excellent South Australian (2006) wines have been specially selected for us by famed Melbourne restaurant Vue de monde's sommelier Raúl Moreno, a St Kilda resident. Read more.

Final St Kilda Triangle plans lodged
BBC lodged the final development plan on Friday 13th June (interesting choice of date!). The Council officers are currently reviewing the plans and will release them to the public when approved. We will send out an email as soon as the plans are publicly viewable, and will post links on our site. Our team of lawyers and town planners will also get involved and our legal action will start.

The Wizard and the White Witch of Clown Hall...
The article Costly magical spell cast on Port Phillip Council (The Age, 19 May 2008) reveals how deeply the City of Port Phillip is suffering due to lack of clear leadership by its Councillors, and how costly this has been in human terms for employees and in dollar terms for ratepayers. We can only speculate why Councillors could not see and hear the culture of fear, the low staff morale, the break down of communications at the most senior levels, and the lack of due process in tendering for consultants. We can only wonder why they failed to act on legal advice to redress the excess of chief executive David Spokes... read more

St Kilda Triangle Public Hearings
The Select Committee has released an interim report. unChain St Kilda agrees with the conclusion of the report that "if the State Government had contributed funds for the restoration of the Palais Theatre, the scale and commercial focus of the proposed development could have be considerably reduced." We also agree with the Committee that "the State Government should reassess its approach to this site and consider a solution involving a much reduced development footprint on this iconic piece of public land."

We strongly disagree with the Minority report written by the members of the Labor Party. We believe that the Committee has done an invaluable service to community groups concerned about the treatment of public land, by drawing attention to the process of commercialisation of these valuable State assets and challenging the Government's process. Not surprisingly Labor members objected.

For background, download our Submission to the Select Committee on Public Land Development, submitted on 5th March 2008.

Triangle propaganda
Council PR machine in overdrive! Age writer Julie Szego, friend of Cr Dick Gross and wife of sitting State Labor MP, Tony Lupton, has launched a tirade of abuse against people who speak out against the Triangle process and its outcome. The Age, in publishing this article, appears to believe it contributes a balanced view to the Triangle debate. What do you think? Read comments and post your own.

Timeline - from consultation to confrontation...
The planning of the Triangle development started more than eight years ago with extensive community consultation. Local resident, Krystyna Kynst, who was involved from the beginning, reflects on a process that started with high hopes and culminated in a call by over 2,000 people for Port Phillip Councillors to resign over their decision to approve the current Triangle development plan... read more

What's the real deal on the Triangle?
City of Port Phillip and the State Government have entered into a Development Agreement with developers Babcock & Brown and Citta (BBC) on your behalf. But they will not reveal the terms of the 99 year contract. We were unable to secure the release of the Development Agreement via Freedom of Information. Why the secrecy? What is really in the Development Agreement? Write to Councillors and the Premier and demand that they REVEAL THE DEAL.

The elections for Port Phillip Council will be held in November. The problem with the Council's Triangle decision is the tip of a very big iceberg. The Council has lost its way.

UnChain St Kilda is developing a set of principles and policies to combat this democracy deficit disorder. We will support high quality candidates with genuine community links and expertise to be outstanding Councillors. We will also recommend to voters that they give last preference to the five councillors who supported the Triangle decision.

Whether you want to do a little or a lot, unChain St Kilda needs you in the election campaign. Are you interesting in running as a candidate, being a campaign manager, letterboxing pamphlets, handing out how to vote cards, developing policies for the next Council or simply telling us about the issues in your area? If so, call Peter Holland on 0411 470 651 or email him.