Hartland moves to restore democracy on Whitten Oval development
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Thousands sign St Kilda Triangle petition to parliament
13-03-2008 Greens MLC Sue Pennicuik today tabled a petition in parliament from 2,453 citizens of Victoria who have major concerns that a commercially focussed over-development plan for the Crown land known as the St Kilda Triangle site has been approved, in part, because no state government funds have been allocated to the refurbishment of the heritage Palais Theatre or for decontamination and remediation work required on the site.
The petition called on the government to provide sufficient public funds to restore and refurbish the heritage Palais Theatre and to ensure that any development on the site is primarily for cultural, entertainment, recreation and public open space as was always promised to the community.
"Many years were spent by the community, in good faith, developing the Urban Design Framework that outlined the vision for the site for the public benefit. A development of this size was never envisaged and the shopping and commercial focus is inappropriate for scarce urban public land – there is plenty of private land for that," she said.
"Despite the claimed scaling down of the Development Plan, it is still way too big. Iconic views to the foreshore and to Port Phillip Bay from the Upper Esplanade are still blocked – views that are integral to the original Catani design of the St Kilda foreshore that is world renowned and has been loved and appreciated by locals and visitors for more than 100 years.
"No wonder thousands of people made submissions to Council, thousands attended the Council meeting that regrettably approved the DP, and thousands signed the petition I presented today. They are saying that the Triangle development, and the process that led to it, are wrong.
"This development and the processes that have led to it - the lack of support from the state government, the removal of third party appeal rights and the multiple, conflicting roles of the Council as proponent, committee of management and planning authority - set a very unhappy precedent for the use of Crown land all around Victoria," Ms Pennicuik said.
As 'unChain St Kilda' say: "the Triangle need not be controversial. With public investment, the current plan could be rejected and the developer invited to work with the community on a new plan, which will respect the heritage and history of the site and its location at the heart of a unique and quirky part of Melbourne"
Mrs Andrea Coote, also a member for Southern Metropolitan Region, also presented a petition on the Triangle site to parliament today.
For further information: Sue Pennicuik 0407 000 270