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Wednesday May 23, 2012

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Windsor Hotel redevelopment approved

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 18 March, 2010 - 12:05 PM
Hotel Windsor, Melbourne

PLAYING NOW: Neil Mitchell asks listeners whether they trust embattled Planning Minister Justin Madden, who has now approved the Windsor Hotel redevelopment.

Have your say on the decision in this blog. We are particularly interested in how you view the decision in light of the Madden advisor email affair, detailed below.



Dazed and confused 'Harry'

Planning Minister Justin Madden - no stranger to controversy WANTED - YOUR SAY: Justin Madden could be hauled before an Upper House committee after it was revealed his staff proposed faking community consultation. Read more and listen to Madden's bumbling chat with Neil 'John' Mitchell.

DAVID ROOD (The Age): Planning Minister Justin Madden has approved a controversial $260 million redevelopment of Melbourne's historic Windsor Hotel.

Mr Madden said there was "no reason a permit should not be granted" to redevelop the Spring Street landmark.

He said he accepted the recommendations of an independent advisory committee that the development should go ahead.

"The advisory committee found that in terms of permissions required under the Melbourne Planning Scheme there was no reason why a permit should not be granted,’" he said.

"In fact it found that without the redevelopment the hotel would only decline and that the expanded hotel required at least 300 new rooms to make the refurbishment economically viable."

The Windsor project cleared a major hurdle on Tuesday, winning the backing of Heritage Victoria - to the dismay of the National Trust.

"By issuing this permit, Heritage Victoria is clearly not standing up for this historic site and precinct," Martin Purslow, the chief executive of the Victorian branch of the trust, said.

A heritage permit was issued for the redevelopment, but the approval was conditional on significant alterations, including reducing the height of a planned 91-metre tower behind the 1883 hotel.

The redevelopment is at the centre of a scandal over a leaked media strategy for Planning Minister Justin Madden that proposed manipulating public opinion in order to reject the redevelopment.

The permit has 18 conditions on the redevelopment, such as lowering the height of a building to be located next to the Windsor on the corner of Spring and Bourke streets and archaeological work at the site.

Heritage Victoria executive director Jim Gard'ner said one of the factors considered in the approval was whether refusing the heritage application would affect the "reasonable economic" use of the site.

A parliamentary inquiry is probing the media plan, which suggested the government release a report approving the Windsor redevelopment for public comment, and then use the reaction as a pretext for rejecting the project.

The author of the plan, Mr Madden's press secretary Peta Duke, was dumped from her media role and the minister appointed an independent auditor to oversee the planning process.

The heritage approval came as the Housing Industry Association lashed out at the state government over land supply.

Check out the design here and let us know what you think:
http://www.windsorfuture.com.au/

Re-development to spark debate

Windsor development Neil Mitchell speaks to the man behind the design for the re-development of the historic Windsor Hotel, and seeks the opinion of 3AW town planning expert Bill Kuznirczuk to see whether the idea will get up. Click the image on the right for more archive content.

Blog comments Your Say

  • I HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR 76 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH AN EMBARRASSING CLOWN BEING ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR US.
    FOR PITY'S GET RID OF HIM!!!!!

    Kenn Greenberg Thursday 8 April, 2010 - 1:57 PM

  • no i dont trust him or his government.i carnt stand the man and his goverment is full of spin m fraser

    m fraser Monday 29 March, 2010 - 9:17 PM

  • Brumby CANNOT afford to stop Madden, because the moment he takes any punitive action against him, automatically he has to set up a Crimes Corruption Commission which will ultimately investigate his own party and severely question the integrity of selective Brumby appointed bureaucrats. Madden knows he just has to ride out the storm because it will never happen~! Bureaucrats are there for one reason- to provide the government with timely advice relating to any potential problems or embarrassments - END OF STORY~!

    Lenny Sunday 28 March, 2010 - 4:01 PM

  • Get rid of this vandal !

    Sean Friday 26 March, 2010 - 10:50 AM

  • Do I trust Justin Madden?
    NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!

    Dazza Tuesday 23 March, 2010 - 10:31 AM

  • The whole thing was cringe value in the extreme. Justin Madden is completely out of his depth. If it wasn't so serious, it could be hilarious. But this man is making decisions that impact on our lives. Someone (you Brumby) must stop him.

    lorraine Monday 22 March, 2010 - 5:00 PM

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