Carlisle Street Precinct · Balaclava

A once-in-a-generation site.

Let's get it right.

Council is set to sell the last publicly owned land and laneways behind Coles for a major redevelopment. Once it's sold, planning control moves to the State — this is our last real chance to lock in genuine community benefit.

View our petition to Parliament What's actually being decided →

Backed by local residents, traders and neighbours across Balaclava.

View the official COPP map at the Have Your Say Balaclava consultation page

s173

The Section 173 Agreement is the one legal document that can bind Coles to real, enforceable community benefits.

What's actually being decided

The City of Port Phillip is selling a public asset it manages on behalf of the local community - the car park and laneways behind Coles, the last piece of public land Coles needs to complete a major redevelopment of the Carlisle Street precinct.

Once that land is sold, planning control passes largely to the State Government, and our ability to shape the outcome drops sharply. The Section 173 Agreement attached to the sale is the one remaining tool that can lock in real commitments — on public space, housing, design quality and sustainability — before that happens.

This is the narrow window where resident voice still counts. After the sale, it's a much harder fight.

WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR

5 things worth insisting on

Not opposition for its own sake — a specific, achievable list of what "getting it right" looks like on this site.

01

Open public Space

Create a real town square for Balaclava.
A place for locals to gather, celebrate and connect. Something sadly lacking at present.
As part of the public space we want to see priority retention of mature trees on the site perimeter which provide shade and should be part of the Greening Balaclava program. They are currently home to a broad range of native bird species

02

Design Excellence & Governance

Quality design outcomes that respect local character, utilise premium durable materials, and enrich the historical streetscape of Balaclava. Establish an Expert Architectural Review Panel to oversee design quality alongside a Project Reference Group to facilitate meaningful engagement with community and trader representatives and provide feedback on the development of plans for the site.

03

Access to Parking

The removal of the current car park will severely impact local businesses, residents and workers. There must be provision for adequate free 24 hour public parking on this site to ensure there is no net loss in existing community amenity

04

Affordable Housing

Clear, enforceable minimum targets for affordable, social/community and key-worker housing that will provide affordable homes for locals to own and rent

05

Sustainability

Best-practice environmental performance, including solar generation, water retention and reuse, rooftop greening, urban heat mitigation and waste reduction and recycling measures.

Add your voice

The Section 173 terms are still being written. That means there's still time.

The more residents who are visibly counted, the harder it is for Council or Coles to treat this as settled. Here's what actually moves the needle:

View our current flyer →

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