Brunswick East apartment building near CERES environment park headed to VCAT before Moreland Council has its say

A PROPOSED apartment building in Brunswick East that was rejected by VCAT last year is headed there again — before it has even been seen by Moreland Council.

Residents and CERES are fighting a proposed six-storey apartment building. Picture: Ellen Smith

A PLANNED apartment building next to CERES environment park is headed to VCAT for a second time, after the developer applied for a tribunal hearing before Moreland Council even debated revised plans.

A six-storey building containing 75 apartments at 269 Stewart St in Brunswick East was set to be discussed by the council last night.

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However, Minter Ellison, providing law advice on behalf of the developer, has already taken the step of appealing to VCAT, with the hearing set to begin on November 19.

An applicant can appeal to VCAT if its application is not seen by a council within 60 days, and the plans were submitted in March.

Residents are getting ready to head back to VCAT. Picture: Ellen Smith

CERES chief executive Cinnamon Evans said the park had offered a compromise of a four-storey height, but was rejected.

“VCAT urged the developer to be responsive to this sensitive location. But this proposal is not the rethink we expected, just an adjustment of the plans rejected by council and VCAT last year,” she said.

Panos Mitiadou, the managing director at Lucent Group, which is responsible for the development, said the alternative plans were not viable.

“We genuinely believe this will be a community-based set of residences … we hope to create a fantastic place that will live and engage with the current neighbourhood,” he said.

Nearby resident Jenni Wanigasekera said the development was more than double the height of the tallest surrounding building.

“We will effectively have a cruise ship towering over us,” she said.

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