‘I’m really outraged’: Brighton’s fury as premier avoids locals over high-rise plans

Brighton residents say the state government’s plan to spur high-rise development in the area will “irrevocably damage the suburb” as the premier was heckled by furious locals outside a press conference on Sunday.

Residents woke to learn their wealthy Bayside suburb was one of the latest areas to be targeted in Jacinta Allan’s housing density push after she revealed 50 new activity centres would be zoned for fast-tracked apartment development.

Neighbourhoods surrounding the transport connections of Toorak, Armadale and Hampton were among the first 25 to be named. The new centres are concentrated in Melbourne’s east and south-east, which have some of the city’s highest property prices.

With barely an hour’s notice, about 100 locals descended on Brighton’s quaint low-rise shopping strip on Church Street and gathered outside the upmarket Half Moon Hotel, which Allan had chosen as the location for her media conference.

But the Half Moon’s main doors remained locked while Allan and Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny used a back entrance to avoid the waiting crowd.

Residents only grew angrier, chanting: “Shame, premier, shame!”

Brighton’s Deborah Henderson is dismayed by the government’s announcement that high-rise developments will be fast-tracked in her suburb. Credit: Chris Hopkins

Many were there after receiving a text from their local state member, Liberal James Newbury. Others, such as Deborah Henderson, joined the demonstration after walking past for their morning coffee.

“I'm really outraged. I can't believe it,” Henderson said. “It will irrevocably damage the suburb and change the whole reason why a lot of us choose to live here.”

Henderson said she had lived in apartments – including in Brighton – and felt the main strip could support buildings of up to four storeys, but no taller.

“The government should be investing in infrastructure in the outer suburbs and unlocking land,” she said.

Brighton residents James Loveluck, Robbie Klaesi and Stav were shocked by the plans for their neighbourhood.Credit: Chris Hopkins

“I want my children to own their home and that home needs a garden. This is not the answer to the housing crisis.”

Among the Liberal Party members who attended the protest were former federal MP Tim Wilson and Bayside council candidates Jenson Galvin and Colleen Harkin.

Hampton resident and town planner Nikki Taylor asked: “Why did the premier bother coming to Brighton if she didn’t want to face the residents?”

Many accused Allan’s activity centre plan of picking on safe Liberal seats.

“I was shocked, but she’s got nothing to lose by trying to dictate that here,” Taylor said.

“The government wants to make our protests seem like NIMBYism. That’s actually not the case. There is a place for apartment buildings in our communities, but not 20 storeys.”

Robbie Klaesi said he was “gobsmacked” by the geographic layout of the activity centres.

“I don’t think it’s been well-thought-out and don’t think it’s appropriate,” he said. “Are these also the right suburbs for young people? It’s not going to be cheap.”

A key complaint among Brighton protesters was that 20-storey buildings would be too high for their neighbourhood.

Ten activity centres were unveiled in August, specifying apartment buildings will vary between three and 20 storeys, with high-rises immediately around the transport hub “core” and then low-rise and townhouse developments within 800 metres of train stations.

It is not yet known what the height limits will be for the new tranche of centres, including the one in Brighton, but the government has insisted that these would be decided following consultation.

Councils are in caretaker mode due to local government elections on October 26, limiting their ability to object to the government’s plan to seize planning controls.

Bayside council staff only found out about the government plans from Sunday morning’s media reports. The council’s chief executive, Mick Cummins, said he was disappointed with the lack of consultation and detail.

“Bayside is supportive of the need for more housing however this must be achieved through active engagement with council and local communities,” he said.

Bayside council candidate Fiona Stitfold demanded to see strategic justification for the new activity centres and accused the Allan government of “blatant disregard for democratic principles” by making crucial announcements at a time when councils were effectively silenced.

Kylie McIntosh, president of the Bayside Climate Crisis Action Group and another council candidate, questioned how the government planned to manage liveability, open space, schools, health services and traffic.

Allan said her government wanted to build more homes “whether you’re here [in] Brighton, Brunswick, Bentleigh or in Bendigo”.

“It’s taken a long time for us to get to this point, and it’s a change that won’t happen overnight,” she said. “But community by community, house by house, brick by brick, we are determined to get on with this important task.”

Allan said expert advice was to build housing near public transport, with the government’s investment in level crossings, trains and the Metro Tunnel allowing them to take the next step and develop homes around areas benefiting from these projects.

Opposition Leader John Pesutto said the government’s housing plan was leaving Victorians “with no voice and no choice”.

On Sunday afternoon, Pesutto fronted a crowd of about 200 residents in Moonee Ponds to hear concerns about activity centres in Niddrie and Essendon North.

“All reasonable Victorians accept that we need more development,” Pesutto said. “We need to bring more homes online. But the problem with the government’s flawed and desperate approach is it’s saying everything should go into a very small number of municipalities, and that’s not sustainable for those local communities.”

Allan said “the status quo is not an option” and accused the Liberals of blocking housing – something Pesutto labelled as insulting for Victorians who were concerned about their suburb’s future.

Newbury said Labor was forcing the residents of Stonnington, Boroondara and Bayside to shoulder the bulk of Victoria’s population growth. “It’s desperate, it’s nasty, and it will fail.”

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