Reject Activity Centres + DTP + the State Government Overreach
Ministerial Planning Permit: PA2604213
Kew Village – James Packer + Orchard Piper + Consortium
Former Leo’s Supermarket site - 26-36 Princess Street + 11-15 Brougham Street KEW
This is Australia, we are a democracy. A democracy, that system of government where power belongs to the people, allowing us to choose leaders and make decisions, often through voting. It literally means "rule by the people",
Our Australian values are fundamental in maintaining our democratic rights. Everyone plays an important role in supporting the freedoms we all share :
Citizens have a voice and can make changes in society.
We work towards a society where everyone is respected and free.
We get to stand for election and choose who makes decision on our behalf.
The rule of law for both citizens and the government – Everyone is equal before the law and must follow the law.
The Kew Village development and its fast tracking by the Department of Planning and Transport as an Activity Centre project, is a demonstration of the total rejection of our Australian democratic rights, processes and values.
It is now our turn to exercise those rights and stand up for ourselves and our community.
I asked for a fair listening and review by our Council and the State Government and got nothing.
Our turn.
I asked for support from the Liberal State Opposition and we have support for all of us in Victoria.
The Liberal State Opposition will propose a “disallowance motion’ with regards to Activity Centres in State Parliament shortly.
What is a “disallowance motion” :
“A disallowance motion in the Parliament of Victoria is a formal parliamentary procedure used to veto or cancel "subordinate legislation" (such as statutory rules, regulations, or local laws) made by the executive government, rather than passed directly as an Act of Parliament.
How the Process Works
Delegated Lawmaking: Parliament often passes laws that allow government departments or ministers to create detailed operational regulations.
The Motion: When these regulations are tabled in Parliament, any Member of Parliament (MP) can give notice of a disallowance motion to reject the regulation in whole or in part.
Why it Matters
This mechanism serves as a vital check and balance. It allows Parliament to ensure that the executive government does not overreach its powers, abuse its rule-making authority, infringe on personal rights or create laws that contradict the original intent of the primary Act of Parliament ( the above “democracy” ).”
Parliament grants the executive government, in this case Jacinta Allen and Sonia Kilkenny (ministers and departments) the power to make detailed rules so they don't have to vote on every single administrative change.
A disallowance motion acts as a vital parliamentary check and balance. It prevents the government from overreaching or implementing unpopular, unlawful, or poorly drafted rules without legislative oversight.
And this is where we are with “activity centres” and with the State Government Development Facilitation Program ( DTP).
The Liberal State Opposition is preparing the motion for State Parliament.
What you can do :
1. Write to those members of Parliament who will hear and vote on the motion.
What we are asking for :
· Reject the DTP
· Reject Activity Centres
· Return the power and process of Planning Permit Applications back to residents and their community
· Reasons : this is what has happened to us and our communities -
The planning permit process in Victoria is a structured and lawful procedure managed by local councils to assess how land is used or developed. It involves pre-application advice, application lodgement, a period for public advertising (if applicable), council assessment, and a final decision, with a statutory timeframe of 60 days for most standard applications.
The key checks and balances we have lost :
Public Notice (Advertising).If the development might affect neighbours or the community, you will likely need to advertise the application. This typically involves sending notices to adjoining property owners, displaying a sign on-site, and advertising on the council’s website for 14 days.
Objections: Community members can lodge objections during the advertising period. The council may facilitate a consultation meeting to resolve issues between you and objectors.
Permit Decision : VCAT Appeals If you disagree with the conditions, the application is refused, or you are an objector opposing an approval, you can lodge an appeal for a review with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
The statutory framework that regulates planning permits is set by the Planning and Environment Act 1987.
This State Government does not believe the rule of law and the protections it offers to all of us applies to them
If you want to : write to the voting members of Parliament :
Legalise Cannabis members : david.ettershank@parliment.vic.gov.au rachel.payne.mp@parliament.vic.gov.au
Libertarians - david.limbrick@parliament.vic.gov.au
Animal Justice - georgie.purcell@parliament.vic.gov.au
One Nation - rikkie-lee.tyrrell@parliament.vic.gov.au
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers - jeff.bourman@parliament.vic.gov.au
Independent (formerly Labor) - adem.somyurek@parliament.vic.gov.au
Greens - sarah.mansfield@parliament.vic.gov.au
anasina.Gray-Barberio@parliament.vic.gov.au
katherine.copsey@parliament.vic.gov.au
aiv.pugliell@parliament.vic.gov.au
Points for inclusion in letter :
1. The State Government vetoed the Planning Permit process for their Activity Centres.
2. The State Government removed are rights to our statutory democratic rights
3. We did receive sufficient notice as individual homeowners
4. Our community and impacted people in the wider community received no notice
5. The Planning Permit Application advertised did not detail is was 4 towers of – 1 x18 storeys, 1x 14 storeys and 2 x 4 storeys.
6. The Activity Centre proposal is not in line with agreed community established landscape, character or built form standards
7. Because of this Activity Centre process we now have a mega development proposed, which is :
a. 4 towers of 1 x 18 storeys, 1 x 14 storeys and 2 x 4 storeys
b. Detrimental visual intrusion – block from every angle/view
c. 6000 sqm of blocks of buildings – too high, too overwhelming physically and mentally and too imposing
d. New dwellings will overlook us in our homes and in our gardens
e. Blocks are sunlight from all its angles
f. Create huge shadows from all angles, over our homes and streets and the War Memorial
g. Throw off direct solar reflections from the building
h. Create glare off the building that can be harmful and dangerous
i. Building will be a blaze of artificial lights
j. minimum of 194 (up to 400 people as they are not 1-bedroom homes) more people in dwellings, a larger supermarket and 18 new shops and some extra 300 car spaces. This is all significantly more people in the same space – the space and neighbourhood have suddenly not gotten bigger to accommodate all these extra people and movements.
k. Significant noise created by all these people and cars
l. Significant impact to our environment : emissions, waste
7. No robust TRAFFIC ASSESSMENT of how this proposal will impact the current congested Kew Junction car traffic and public transport
a. No traffic impact assessment to the arterial road – Princess Street
b. No traffic impact assessment to the major arterial road – Studley Park Road
c. 60 Denmark Street ( old Vic Roads ) is being redeveloped for 500 dwellings, this will also add to them traffic of Kew Junction
d. No traffic impact assessment of the major arterial road that is High Street – or the Tram Stop at the corner of High and Brougham Street where we walk onto the road to get onto the tram
e. No traffic impact assessment of the 5metre wide/one way Brougham Street.
The current lived reality of Brougham Street is that it is always busy, already carrying more traffic than ever anticipated it would ever carry when the neighbourhood was built a 100 years ago.
f. Traffic survey commissioned by Traffix Group at the intersection of Princess Street/Council Carpark, Brougham Street/Council Carpark, Brougham Street/High Street and Woodford Avenue/Princess Street. The traffic survey took place on Friday 29th August and Saturday 30th August 2025. NEGLIGENCE.
The survey based on this 2-day survey states that the level of traffic generated as a result of this proposal “ is acceptable “.
The projection that the proposal will generate an additional 163 vehicle movements during the AM peak hour, 236 vehicle movements during the PM peak hour and 262 vehicle movements during the Saturday peak to and from It is not acceptable that the additional vehicle movements proposed are deemed acceptable. Where are all these additional vehicle movements going to go – into the already current high traffic volumes.
The proposal will make us all less safe and will put us in the community walking / accessing Public Transport / and those driving through is harm’s way.
This is what happens when established legal processes created democratically are dismissed by the State Government and the State Government believe their “Activity Centre” proposal should just be accepted by us.
Further Information :
The Sunday Age May 10th, 2026 Page 3
From Orchard Piper Director Luke Mckie: “[Kew Village]strongly informed by community feedback”. ??
Kew tower fight: Residents battle 18-storey apartment plan backed by James Packer
The Herald Sun May 14th. The state government has sparked outrage by fast-tracking a contentious 18-storey apartment tower that exceeds the suburb’s 'activity centre’ height limits.
FULL STORY https://bit.ly/4wLsG3B
Kew Junction is widely recognised as a traffic congestion / accident hot spot.
Also been called “spaghetti “ All Roads Lead to Kew: the story of Kew Junction
Controversial new housing plan that has Kew locals seeing red | 7NEWS
Channel 7 New May 14th
Contentious developments receiving fast-tracked approval under affordable housing pathway - ABC News
9News Melbourne | Sunday May 10 | Full Episode at 10.10mins
2. Sign the following petition to support the ‘disallowance motion’
https://www.jesswilsonkew.com.au/survey/protect-kews-character-review-the-leos-site-development