Tribunal Clears Way for Hallmarc Highett Project

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) has approved the third and final stage of Hallmarc’s 10-building masterplanned community, in Melbourne’s southern suburbs.

Agreement was reached at a tribunal-mandated compulsory conference between the Melbourne-based residential, commercial and retail developer and the Bayside City Council.

The decision allows Hallmarc’s plans for four buildings with 245 apartments to go ahead in Highett, about 16km south-east of Melbourne CBD.

The buildings will include a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, as well as a cafe, gym, swimming pool, cinema, business lounge and a network of communal open spaces.

Hallmarc said it had sold out the two previous stages of the masterplan, made up of a total six buildings.

▲ Plans include a network of communal open space between the four buildings.

It’s the third time this year Hallmarc has gone through VCAT for rulings.

In January the tribunal came down in the developer’s favour, approving a 184-warehouse project at Lots A and B, Akuna Drive, Williamstown North, after planning permission was refused by Hobsons Bay City Council.

And last month the developer won approval from the tribunal for a mixed-use residential building in Melbourne’s north-western suburbs, amending and deleting a series of conditions imposed by the Banyule City Council.

In that case, Hallmarc had applied to build an eight to 10-storey mixed-use structure after the council agreed to sell the air rights above one of its owned and operated carparks at Heidelberg, about 11km from Melbourne city centre.