“We are a seaside town. Do you think that 12-storey buildings are appropriate for here?” Ilhan asked, distinguishing Brighton from developed suburbs such as South Yarra which were “closer to the city”.
Many residents are not against increased density, but the speed, manner, method and scope of the government announcement, which affects not just Brighton but 25 “train and tram zone activity centres” in middle-ring suburbs near transport links, all earmarked for greater housing density.
Brighton rich-lister Patricia Ilhan says there is no appetite for high-rise development in her suburb.Credit: Simon Schluter
But Brighton has never cared much for goings-on elsewhere. Besides, the Bayside local council trumpeted that it was on track to hit its goal of 30,000 new homes by 2051, as confirmed by this masthead’s analysis in August.
“We are not blockers,” said Bayside Mayor Hanna El Mouallem. “We have been working with our community to deliver on housing targets in appropriate areas. Our job is to ensure that future livability is maintained.
“Increasing density is going to happen. We are delivering.”
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He urged the community to get involved in local consultation, but worried that school holidays would overshadow the feedback period.
The mayor also expressed concern that new planning rules could allow for three-storey or four-storey homes over most of Brighton, where only one or two-storey homes exist – and that the government was not going to pay for increased amenities the extra residents would need.
“We are hoping the limit goes lower after consultation.”
It was last October when Premier Jacinta Allan, via The Age, wrote an open letter to the residents of Brighton, telling them she was a builder, not a blocker, and promising “gentle density”.
“We can’t lock out young people. Let’s find space in our suburbs and in our hearts for the next generation – and build more homes and more opportunity for everyone.”
A view of Bay Street, North Brighton, where buildings up to 12 storeys are proposed.Credit: Paul Jeffers
Liberal Party member and pro-development YIMBY advocate Ryan Reynolds is a former Brighton resident who was forced to move away in 2019 after his landlord sold up and he could no longer afford the area with his young family.
“I don’t see what the big fuss is about,” Reynolds said in reference to the development plans.
He pointed out Brighton was already dotted with quality three or four-storey residential developments and noted the previous government activity centre announcement was made last year.
“We have done this consultation to death. When is something going to get built?”
The mayor’s family owns The Dendy Deli, and on a blustery Wednesday former Nine executive and president of Collingwood Football Club Jeff Browne sat in one corner and nursed a cappuccino while musing on the impact of the new plans on local traffic. In another, Fergus Watts, a former AFL player and founder and non-executive chairman of Bastion communications, conducted an online meeting.
Further up Church Street, a vigilant waitress at the White Rabbit restaurant shooed away an ABC reporter from interviewing one of her patrons in front of Woolworths, where the government will permit a 12-storey development, according to the map.
Mark Gasperino, whose family has lived in the Brighton area for five generations, said Allan was trying to needle residents with the proposed changes.
“She doesn’t really care about where people live and what they need … I think it’s very much a political statement, just to annoy people who vote in this area,” he said, glancing over at Middle Brighton train station.
“We just do not have the infrastructure here. We don’t have enough schools [or] parking in all of the backstreets.
“Everyone’s entitled to live here, that’s no problem. But you can’t just suddenly throw a whole lot of people into the area and impact all of the people who have already been here.”
James Hill, 83, an architect who has lived in Hampton since 1942, said plans for a string of “Gold Coast” high-rises along Hampton Street would be an “absolute disaster”.
“High-rise of even eight storeys – the street would become a dark wind tunnel overcrowded with cars. The environment would be destroyed,” he said.
But Woodards Bayside real estate director Sam Paynter said “six to eight storeys was a reasonable and appropriate development”.
Luxury three-bedroom apartments in the area can sell for between $3 million and $7 million, he said.
“That’s where the market is. That’s what the market wants. The market doesn’t want tiny little one to two-bedroom apartments. And the developers wouldn’t be able to purchase and build them for the price that the market would pay for it.”
Mark Gasperino outside the Half Moon pub in Brighton. Credit: Paul Jeffers
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