By Clay Lucas
Former prime minister Paul Keating has attacked Melbourne City Council's plan to fund redevelopment of the Queen Victoria Market by building a massive skyscraper next to it.
As hundreds of protesters gathered on Friday morning at the market to object to the council's $250 million refurbishment, Mr Keating went on local radio to question whether the plan would destroy its heritage.
"Here is a city council looking to put a 200-metre-tower right on the periphery of it to sort of raise money to fix it up," Mr Keating told ABC Radio's Jon Faine.
"In essence it does not need fixing up."
Former prime minister Paul Keating says the Melbourne skyline 'is starting to look like Houston'.Credit: Peter Morris/Lowy Institute
The former Labor leader backed Planning Minister Richard Wynne, who has indicated he supports only 100 metres – or around 35 storeys – for a tower next to the market.
The council has sold a prime piece of land that it bought in 2014 for $76 million to developer PDG for $33 million. In return, PDG will build a car park and community facilities for the council.
Mr Keating said 200 metres was double the appropriate height for the site. "One hundred metres is about a 35 to 40 storey building. That is enough on the edge of a historic market of this kind," he said. A 200-metre tower equates to more than 60 levels.
Lord mayor Robert Doyle said he was "quite surprised" at the former prime minister's intervention.
An artist's impression of the 58-storey tower (right) Melbourne City Council wants to see built next to Queen Victoria Market.
He said Mr Keating had "been asked to make a comment and he's done so" but it was likely the former PM had not visited the markets for many years.
"He would need Google Maps and an Uber to get there," Cr Doyle said.
Phil Cleary speaking at a rally to stop redevelopment of the Queen Victoria Market on Friday. Credit: Stefan Postles
Cr Doyle said that little attention had been paid to protecting the heritage of the market before now, and the redevelopment plan meant this was now more likely to happen. The council has nominated the markets for national heritage protection.
But Mr Keating said the plan to have the market sheds federally heritage listed was ridiculous.
Supporters at Friday's rally. Credit: Stefan Postles
The city council's redevelopment plans will see the sheds temporarily removed and underground services built beneath them. The sheds will be repaired and then reinstalled.
"Taking all those market sheds down and putting them back up, that means they have got to strip the lead paint off," Mr Keating said.
"Imagine in this day and age, [the sheds] somehow being disassembled and re-riveted. All of the patina goes. Melbourne is trying to list this as a heritage site but there will be no heritage left; it will just be stripped-up new buildings."
Speaking more broadly about the recent surge of tall towers in Melbourne's city centre, Mr Keating was critical of the height of developments approved. "The skyline of Melbourne is starting to look like Houston," he said.
On Friday morning, the Friends of Queen Victoria Market gathered to protest against Melbourne City Council's plans.
Speaker Phil Cleary, who ran against Cr Doyle last year, said the market did not need the massive redevelopment planned by Melbourne City Council. This would only serve to hurt the market, he said.
"We have a foolhardy Little Nero sitting up in Town Hall who wants to destroy this market," Mr Cleary said.