Final stage of $300m Balmoral Quay development to go ahead after minister steps in
Five years in the making, the future of a contentious seven-storey, 83-apartment waterfront development has finally been settled by the state government’s planning minister.
A years-long saga involving a seven-storey waterfront development that one Geelong councillor last year labelled “greedy growth” has finally come to an end as the state government green lights the project.
Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has approved the stage five plans for Balmoral Quay at the former site of the Rippleside shipyard despite fierce opposition from local residents.
A notice in the Victoria Government Gazette on Friday cited an amendment to Greater Geelong’s planning scheme that was required for the 83-apartment project to proceed.
The approval comes almost 18 months after the previous Geelong council unanimously sided with residents whose opposition centred around the development’s density, impact on views, traffic congestion and parking issues.
Council referred the project to an independent panel in December 2023, only to ignore its advice to approve the project in July 2024.
The development group, led by Gersh Investment Partners’ Theo Axarlis, submitted revised plans in July this year via the state government’s development facilitation program (DFP).
Mr Axarlis said the plans factored in community feedback and planning panel recommendations by reducing building bulk along Balmoral Crescent and enhancing southeastern view lines.
The DFP allows the minister to approve projects without the need for council support as part of a streamlined process aimed at increasing housing supply at a faster rate.
The stage five development is the final piece of a $300m project that has seen the former shipyard completely transformed with 104 apartments and townhouses already built, waterfront walkways installed, and St Helens Beach rejuvenated.
“Featuring one, two and three-bedroom apartments with sweeping bay and park views, it will be a striking addition to Balmoral Quay’s luxury waterfront community, complete with a picture-perfect marina and the revitalised Rippleside foreshore,” Mr Axarlis said of stage five.
In February, the state government set a target of 77,500 new infill homes in Greater Geelong by 2051 and Committee for Geelong boss Michael Johnston said if that target was to be met, “projects like this must simply go ahead”.
“It is pleasing to see the government supporting good growth in our city,” he said.
“Geelong is ready for more development and I hope this outcome signals this to the market.”
Urbis Geelong played a key role in the project’s planning and director Nat Anson said Balmoral Quay was already an exemplary urban renewal development that brought substantial public benefit to the community.
“The final stage of this project is perfectly aligned to Geelong’s future growth strategy and sets the benchmark for delivering housing diversity in a regional city,” he said.
Positioned at the base of Rippleside cliff in the southwest corner of the site, the peak of the seven-storey structure will, due to the topography, sit at a similar level to neighbouring properties.
It will also feature 135 car parks and 115 bicycle spaces.
Mr Axarlis was furious when council rejected the proposal, a decision he said “clearly demonstrated a lack of understanding (of planning and growth strategies) by the current group of councillors”.
Former councillor Bruce Harwood was strongest in his comments at the time.
“I cannot support what I would call ‘greedy growth’,” he said.
The company behind the project is Balmoral Quay Pty Ltd, which is backed by the Bangkok-based Supalai group.
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Originally published as Final stage of $300m Balmoral Quay development to go ahead after minister steps in
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