Box Hill: Sky One apartment owners blindsided by Ocean 13 Club plans

When Phil Ward bought into Melbourne’s tallest tower outside the CBD, he was told there would be shops in his building. But now he faces the prospect of living near a boozy nightclub — and he can’t even have a say on liquor-licence plans.

Phil Ward is outraged he wasn't told Sky One would host a nightclub when he bought one of its apartments. Picture: Andy Brownbill

A man who is about to move into Box Hill’s Sky One as part of his retirement has been shocked to learn a karaoke bar is planned for the building — and what’s more, he’s excluded from the list of residents allowed to vote on whether it gets a liquor licence.

Almost 1280 people living around the new 36-storey apartment building are this month being asked to say if they support a late-night liquor licence being granted to Ocean 13 Club, which would open on Level 2, in line with the state’s Dry Laws.

But the hundreds set to take residency in the 438 apartments above the club in the coming weeks have been denied the chance to vote, with VEC laws requiring voters to have lived at an address for a month.

The bar is planned for level two of Sky One.

Phil Ward said had been outraged by the double blow.

He said when he bought his apartment off the plan two-and-a-half years ago potential buyers weren’t given an indication there could be any type of entertainment venue in the building.

“There’s three levels of retail — that’s what we were told,” he said.

Mr Ward said he only heard about the plans for a karaoke bar — which has been suggested could stay open until 5am — in the past few weeks, and knowing about the plans would definitely have affected his decision to buy the apartment.

Sky One is right next to Box Hill Central.

“We’re happy to live in Box Hill because there are no pubs,” he said.

“There’s no drunks staggering around the street.”

But he said what was worse than the information being kept secret was future Sky One residents being disallowed to vote on the club.

A VEC spokeswoman Marie Guerin confirmed residents had to have lived in the voting area for at least a month prior to July 5 to be included in the poll.

The voting area itself — set by the VEC — has also been subject of criticism from Box Hill residents, with many people outraged they weren’t included in the zone.

Mr Ward has been living on Brougham St for 40 years — three blocks from Sky One — but still wasn’t included in the vote.

The voting area set by the VEC.

He said it took him just 10 minutes to walk to the building, meaning people in his street could “absolutely” be affected by the bar’s patrons.

Others have taken to Facebook to complain about not being included in the voting area.

“We are not far out of Box Hill Central and are already feeling the increased demand for parking at night, people walking home drunk and shouting, singing, fighting late at night,” one wrote.

“Decisions like this don’t just impact the immediate vicinity.”

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Ms Guerin said the poll’s boundary had been approved by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.

“The VEC considers what would be a reasonable proximity to the location of the premises specified in the application,” she said.

Whitehorse Councillor Blair Barker said he was “deeply concerned the people living in the building would not be getting a say” on the liquor licence.

Whitehorse Leader understands the council is set to start advertising the plans for Ocean 13 Club’s permit in the coming weeks.

Sky One developer Golden Age did not respond to requests for comment.