Better Balaclava

10/11/2025

Just a reminder that the CoPP's Carlisle Street streetscape proposal is out for community review and feedback.
You can find a PDF of teh proposal and have your say at:

We are seeking feedback on a new streetscape plan to make Carlisle Street look and feel better for everyone.

23/08/2025

The Report regarding public consultation for the sale of public land to Coles, held in May/ June was tabled at the Council Meeting on the 6th August. The report showed a fairly even split of attitudes to the sale, with the majority say "no" or "yes with conditions". Disappointingly very little time was spent discussing this important issue with more time spent discussing dog waste and pet control.
IMPORTANTLY at this meeting it was also announced that a final decision would be made by Councillors at the Council Meeting on September 17 2025.

Better Balaclava have repeatedly raised their concerns that:
• The Key Transaction Objectives are too simplistic and do not demonstrate true Community Benefit.
• The urban design and planning frameworks for the precinct are out of date and don't meet contemporary expectations.
• There is a very real risk that any future developer will use a state Government planning pathway, avoiding Council and any community consultation or right of appeal to VCAT.
• Any transaction may lead to land banking similar to the experience with Woolworths.

Better Balaclava have strongly petitioned and recommended to Council that rather than an immediate transaction of land, they should rather first enter into a Heads of Agreement with Coles, which would set up set up a set of criteria which could lead to a future transaction of land. This would:
• Give Coles the commercial confidence to begin their feasibility and design process.
• Allow greater time for consultation to define real community Benefit.
• Allow for consultation and engagement with the Council, Community and Local Traders regarding the design including the establishment of a Community Review Panel consisting of qualified professionals, community members and local traders.
• Give time to create easements to protect Local Traders remaining on Carlisle St.
• Use the above to develop a nuanced Section 173 which would be attached to any sale contract.
• Encourage prompt design work and avoid land banking.
This process has the potential to create less friction, allow time and consultation to more clearly define and create real community benefit and lead to a faster, fairer outcome.
You can still HAVE YOUR SAY by directing your thoughts to Councillors before they make their decision on September 17.
You can find their contact details here:
(Click "read more" under each Councilor for their email address)

Wominjeka. Council respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Kulin Nation. We acknowledge their legacy and spiritual connection to the land and waterways across the City of Port Phillip and pay our heartfelt respect to their Elders, past, present, and emerging.

14/06/2025

The consultation period on the sale of Council Owned Land is drawing to an end. If you haven't already, please visit the "have your say" site and let the council know your thoughts on the sale of our publicly owned land and also the Streetscape plan.
Development is important, but without the proper robust planning and urban design guidelines in place, it leaves developers guessing and the community vulnerable.

You can follow the link to the council sites.

Provide feedback on Council projects in the area

28/05/2025

Just a reminder to come down to the St Kilda Town Hall on Thursday 29 May to find out more about the sale of Council owned land to Coles as well as other council initiatives, such as the Carlise Street streetscape plan.

Better Balaclava will have a presence there so come and share your thoughts and let's have a chat about how we can all have our say and help shape this proposal so that it benefits all!

25/05/2025

https://haveyoursay.portphillip.vic.gov.au/balaclavatogether

This event is part of the City of Port Phillip's statutory requirement to consult the public when the sale of public land is proposed. The previous Councillors passed a resolution on the 21st of August 2024 to begin the process. The resolution is in the Minutes but the detail is in the Agenda, from p.704 of the PDF.

The City of Port Phillip intends to sell about 2,240m2 of publicly owned land directly to Coles Developments Pty Ltd, who already own about 8,130m2 of land in the block. This project is being run by the Property & Assets team within Council and the funds from the sale would be allocated to the Strategic Property Reserve, to be reinvested by buying new Council property, or improving Council’s existing properties across CoPP and NOT NECESSARILY REINVESTED INTO BALACLAVA.

This could result in a good outcome or a bad community outcome - it really depends on the Conditions of Sale and the planning scheme being strong enough and smart enough. That will only happen if the residents, traders and land owners of Port Phillip tell the Council what we want to see in Balaclava.

The proposed Conditions of Sale that we know of at the moment are:
Price: Coles will pay the market value for the land, which will be higher because it is now part of a bigger area. The price will also include any extra costs Coles needs to pay as part of the deal.
Supermarket: Coles will build a brand new, full-size supermarket to replace the smaller one that is there now.
Car Parking: Coles will build a new underground car park. All the current parking spaces on the surface will be moved underground. Parking will still be free and you won’t have to shop at Coles to use it.
Residential Area: The new development will include new homes or apartments.
Public Toilets: Coles will provide new, accessible toilets (male, female, and unisex) to replace the current public toilets on the site.
Public Open Space: Coles will be required to create a new public open area at the northeast corner of the development
While these all sound fine as aspirations, are they really enough to ensure a great outcome?

Full disclosure: we don't think so. There are ways in which quite a few of these conditions could be satisfied that are detrimental to Carlisle Street and/or the neighbourhood. There is also no mention of design quality, or enhanced outcomes for the community.

Coles and their development partners have a mixed history when it comes to delivering developments; Surry Hills Village in Sydney is good (they had a design competition), Richmond Traders is okay (looks good, the inside works, but has poor street engagement (and Bridge Road is still waiting to be revitilised) and Coles Elsternwick is disappointing (while the supermarket inside is good and they've retained an entry on to the street, the building above is not, and it presents long wall of blank glass to the street which is detrimental to other traders). Coles have been part of the Balaclava community for at least 70 years. We want them to deliver a great project on this site.

To achieve that, we need the Council to negotiate the right Conditions of Sale and put in place the right planning conditions to make it happen.

You can see our previous forums on YouTube, Forum 1 (October 2024) and Forum 2 (April 2025)

Don't forget to register and come talk to Better Balaclava at the Community Forum on 29 May 2025!

14/05/2025

Hi All
Better Balaclava have reviewed the information provided by Council as part of the public consultation regarding their intent to sell Council owned land and roadways to Coles. Our opinion is that the information provided to the public in its current form is inadequate for us to make a well informed decision. Most importantly, Council have not provided the actual Section 173 conditions on which they are relying to provide urban design and positive community outcomes.

While the intent sounds good, there is not enough solid information provided to tell if a good quality outcome is guaranteed and what will be done to help the street stay alive in the interim. For example there appears to be no strategy to ensure the shops facing Carlisle Street don't become a blank wall of frosted glass, like Coles on Chapel Street, which would will be a terrible outcome for the character of street and existing nearby businesses and provide another blank stretch of shopfront that will encourage loitering.

We want development and regeneration of our already wonderful and unique Balaclava to happen, but we want to make sure what happens actually makes it better.

Please have a look for yourself on the Have Your Say website, and let the Council know what you think and what you would like to see happen. You can ask questions there, complete the survey and there is an email address you can write to, or contact your local Councillors.

https://haveyoursay.portphillip.vic.gov.au/laneways-balaclava

The Consultation Period ends on the 15th of June. After this a report will be written for Councillors taking into account the public feedback provided during the Consultation period and the Councillors will vote on the proposal in September.

And please tell your friends and neighbours too!

We are seeking your feedback on a proposed sale of land, and changes to laneways, in Carlisle Street Carpark - to support improvements to this important retail precinct.

10/05/2025

One of the big take aways from Andy Hoyne's presentation is the time time that a developments like the Coles site take.
We are looking at possibly a two year planning and design phase followed by construction which may finish in 2029 at the earliest and possibly even as late as 2033. In addition to this we need to think of what happens while any council upgrades to Carlisle Street happen.
With that in mind, it's hugely important that we support all our amazing high quality traders along Carlisle Street (there really are too many to mention here) during this transition and encourage full occupancy of vacant shops with quality retail that reflects those great business we already have!
And that's really easy... Shop eat and drink local!

10/05/2025

Public Consultation has begun on the sale of land to Coles & the Carlisle St streetscape proposal.
You can find further details and have your say here:
https://haveyoursay.portphillip.vic.gov.au/balaclavatogether?fbclid=IwY2xjawKLkWVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHoaxW7BenFy_z52wnrmdktv3gRJqOcoaHrOIkZ-No5NhBNBpnFUtKQ0O8tzV_aem_wYx4CUgbb-jcfPvsGSQbRA

Provide feedback on Council projects in the area

12/04/2025

Thursday night's Community Forum was a great success!
Please find below a recording of the forum where you can hear updates from Councillor Libby Buckingham and Andrew Hoyne's insightful and inspiring presentation.

COMMUNITY FORUM 01: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1o1xSPjNAI

Contents
0:00:00 Intro & Welcome
0:02:44 Update by Councillor Buckingham
0:13:09 Andrew Hoyne's Presentation
1:00:09 QnA with Andrew Hoyne and Councillor Halliday
1:29:00 Close

09/04/2025

One day to go!
Join us to hear Andrew Hoyne talk on the possibilities for a future Carlisle Street!
Zoom meeting ID: 819 7855 9616
Passcode: 895017
Or scan the QR Code on the night!

Look forward to seeing you tomorrow night.

05/04/2025

Just 5 Days to go until our Zoom Community Forum on the health and potential for Carlisle St! Thursday 10th April at 6:30pm!

Updated ZOOM meeting info
Zoom meeting ID: 819 7855 9616
Passcode: 895017
Or scan the QR Code on the night!

Look forward to seeing you there.