STOP PRESS: Kew Cottages Online AGM: 7pm Tues 7th March 2023 – Registration required – All Welcome.

Kew Cottages Remix101

This gallery contains 32 photos.

STOP PRESS: Kew Cottages Online Public Meeting: 7pm Tues 15th March 2022 – Registration required – All Welcome.

Planning Minister’s response to Kew Cottage Public Meeting Resolution, 21 April 2021

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KCC, Letter to R.Wynne, Kew Cottages Public Meeting Resolutions 31 March 2021

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KCC, Letter to J.Allan, Minister for Priority Precincts, Kew Cottages Public Meeting Resolutions, 31 March 2021

20210406kcc2jallan_kew-cottages-public-meeting-resolutions-re-minister-for-priority-precincts-31-march-2021Download

STOP PRESS: Kew Cottages Online Public Meeting: 7pm Wed 31st March 2021 – Registration required – All Welcome.

Newsletter March 2021

From the Archives

From the Archives

From the Kew Cottages Archives

STOP PRESS: Kew Cottages Public Meeting: 7pm Wed 26th Feb 2020 – Important Information Update – All Welcome.

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Vale Max Jackson, Former CEO of Kew Cottages

Photo: Max Jackson , The Melbourne Age, Mar 2017

Sad news from Kew Cottages Coalition

Max Jackson, Former CEO of Kew Cottages, and a founding member of the KCC has died of cancer at Cabrini Hospital in Melbourne.

“Max was a lovely guy and terrific advocate for the intellectually disabled. Max was a fantastic supporter of the KCC and all that we are fighting for,”  said Brian Walsh, President, Kew Cottages Coalition.

“Max never complained about his illness. He was always there when others needed help. The Kew Cottages Coalition will forever be in his debt,” Brian said.

When The Sunday Age ran its  front page story , “Where’s the Money from Kew Cottages” in March 2017, Max was there among the dilapidated heritage buildings to tell The Age and Victorian taxpayers how they had all been dudded by successive governments.

Max explained that, “The Kew project was supposed to be the revitalisation of disability services.”

“However, standing on the periphery of the redevelopment it appears that transparency has been the loser, and Walker the big winner.”

“This government has an opportunity to rectify a lack of transparency by successive governments and ministers,” Max  said.

He called on the Andrews government to “come clean”.

The Sunday Age Editorial said Max was right on the money..

” ….If the government truly wishes to learn from the experience of the development at Kew Cottages, an independent inquiry should be established into the outcome. At the very least, the auditor-general should be asked to examine the circumstances surrounding the deal.” 

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/kew-cottages-deal-must-be-examined-20170317-gv0ggd.html

>Read More

 

 

 

 

 

30 April 2019 – Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, says proposed apartments completion due by 31 Dec 2020

Walkers gets a warning for breaching the Heritage Act yet again…

20190225Gmail_HV2KCC_Response_to unauthorised_works_at_Kew_Cottages

STOP PRESS: Kew Cottages Public Meeting: 7pm Tues 26th Feb 2019 – Important Information Update – All Welcome.

Links:
Rod Quantock, MC

Guest Speakers:
Clifford Hayes MLC
Cr Phillip Healey

Download Print Version here 

Parks under pressure.

Kew Cottages Coalition Media Release
www.kew.org.au
Release Date: 26 April 2018
Renewed threat to Kew Cottages Parkland
Heritage Victoria’s second formal Permit refusal to allow a developer’s plans to build within the tree lined avenue approach to the former Willsmere Hospital is set to be reviewed by Heritage Council Victoria. (See Herald Sun / Progress Leader 31 Oct 2017)

Sydney billionaire developer, Lang Walker, has lodged an appeal against Heritage Victoria’s insistence that the whole of the avenue approach to Willsmere must be properly restored as parkland.

Brian Walsh, President, Kew Cottages Coalition, said today that, “Walker Corporation now appears to have spent over a decade trying to find ways to legally encroach upon this fabulous piece of public parkland.”

This is the Sydney developer’s fourth attempt to overcome the long standing Heritage permit conditions imposed on the Main Drive Kew housing estate development.

“It’s now gone beyond a joke”, Mr. Walsh, said. “Nothing surprises me any more.

“It appears to me that if developers have enough money, and access to Government bodies then they can go on appealing against the umpire for ever !

“One problem appears to be that although all of the land in question is still public land Walker has been permitted to use a temporary site office on part of it.

“Now Walker appear to be acting as though that temporary site office gives them ‘squatters rights’ !

” This is very strange, because I understand both the developer and the Government gave an undertaking to Heritage Victoria over a decade ago that they would remove the site office, and fully restore the parkland by 2012.

” Perhaps Walker are hoping that the Andrews Government has quietly forgotten all about that promise made to the people of Victoria way back in 2005 ?” Mr. Walsh said.
“This application is also frustrating because it directly stops the creation of the new Kew Arboretum that has been proposed by the Kew Cottages Coalition and mirrors the initial vision of Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller who designed this area (and the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria).”

The Heritage Council will hold a Public Hearing commencing on the 18th June 2018 to review Heritage Victoria’s rejection of Walker’s application to build private apartments on the parkland.

For more information:
Brian Walsh
President
Kew Cottages Coalition
M. 0414 979 300
W. www.kew.org.au

Heritage Council of Victoria
T. 03 9651 5061
W. http://heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au

Fraud and Corruption Control

The Victorian Auditor General, Andrew Greaves,  has reported to Parliament on

Fraud and Corruption Control

The Report includes  recommendations following his assessment of Major Projects Victoria (MPV)

The Auditor General says that:

“… MMRA and MPV were included in this audit because their work involves high-risk factors for fraud and corruption, including:

• high levels of procurement
• use of contractors
• partnerships with the private sector.”

Read More >>

Political donation standards may change in Victoria | The Age

An Open Letter to the Minister for Major Projects

20170703_An Open Letter to the Minister for Major Projects

STOP PRESS: Editorial

Call for independent Inquiry into Walker Development

ENotice: Invitation to ‘Round the Bend’ Exhibition Opening 6pm Fri 3 March – Kew Court House RSVP M. 0438 370 967

KEWfest 1974-2017
3-19 MARCH

Kew Festival Program​

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For further information on KCC ENotices please contact:
Brian Walsh,
President,
Kew Cottages Coalition
T: 0414 979 300
Website: www.kew.org.au

If you do not wish to receive further email information from KCC please reply to admin@kew.org.au with the words ‘CANCEL EMAIL’ in the subject line.

If you have friends who do wish to receive KCC ENotices please ask them to email

* admin@kew.org.au with the word "SUBSCRIBE’ in the subject line.

STOP PRESS: Kew Public Meeting: 7pm Thurs 23rd Feb 2017 – Important Information Update

Link: www.kew.org.au

Major Projects Victoria (MPV) Revives Walker Contract: 9 December 2016

Kew Residential Services Development Agreement:  Expired 27 October 2016

Sixth Deed of Variation Signed: 9 December 2016

Published Vic Gov CPS:  January 2017

Link: Victorian Government Contract Publishing System Website (CPS)

Walker Kew Cottages Contract Expired 27 Oct 2016

Walker Corporation withdraws its high-rise Heritage Permit Appeal: Public Hearing Cancelled

Wooden Horse

The Heritage Council of Victoria has cancelled the final day of their Kew Cottages appeal Public Hearing that was scheduled to be held tomorrow Friday 6th May 2016. The cancellation follows Walker Corporation’s sudden withdrawal of their Permit appeal to the Heritage Council. (Link: here)

Kew Cottages Coalition President, Brian Walsh, said today,”There has been an enormous amount of public opposition to Walker’s proposal. The message is clear. ‘Building high-rise on Melbourne parkland is just not on.’

“It appears now that Walker Corporation finally realised they were not going to win their appeal to the Victorian Heritage watchdog. So they have made a sensible decision to withdraw.

“I sincerely hope the Andrews Government has also made a sensible decision, and told both Walker and Major Projects Victoria (MPV) to stop wasting more time, and to now just get on with the job of properly restoring the State Heritage listed buildings and parkland at Kew Cottages before the Government Contract with Walker Corporation expires in October this year.

“It is time for MPV and Walker to finally deliver on the Government’s long standing State Heritage commitments at Kew Cottages, for the sake of all Victorians” Mr. Walsh said.

Background.
Last year Sydney based developer, Walker Corporation, was refused heritage approval to build blocks of high-rise apartments on the parkland next to Main Drive Kew and Willsmere.

Walker appealed the decision to the Heritage Council. The Council appointed a Panel to hear Walker’s Appeal. Public Hearings commenced, and were due to resume in February. However, Walker claimed that it wasn’t getting a fair hearing. Walker applied for the Heritage Council to be reconstituted, and for the whole Appeal process to be re-started.

On 24 February 2016, the day after the Progress Leader broke this story, a packed Public Meeting at the Kew Civic Centre called on the Andrews Government “to direct Walker Corporation to withdraw its application for the Heritage Council to be reconstituted.”

On March 10 2016 the Heritage Council announced that it had rejected Walker’s application for the Panel to be reconstituted, reset the Permit Appeal Public Hearing date to 6th May, and requested final submissions be lodged by 28th April.

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