开发商Antipodean Land Developments计划将墨尔本苏瑞山一所历史悠久的孤儿院改建为76套公寓[1]。该项目采用四层设计，超过该地区现行的两层高度限制[1]。开发商通过维多利亚州规划部长Sonya Kilkenny绕过当地议会直接获得批准，这一途径适用于投资规模超过5000万美元、提供10%平价房或贡献建筑成本3%到平价房基金的项目[1]。
通过该部长权限批准的项目不可在维州民事与行政法庭上诉[1]。这一审批方式引发了规划界和市政部门的担忧。墨尔本苏瑞山市长Wes Gault直言该提案在现有高度限制下属于"非法的"[1]。规划师Patrick Fensham则表示，"部长行使自由裁量权缺乏程序约束、公众无法参与，这对规划系统的完整性原则构成风险"[1]。
该地点距城市中心较远，不在州政府指定的活动中心区域内，但项目所在地配备有巴士站，距离火车站仅500米[1]。
A developer's plan to convert a century-old orphanage in Melbourne's Surrey Hills into 76 apartments has ignited debate over state government powers to bypass council approval processes.[1] Antipodean Land Developments secured approval from State Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny to construct the four-storey complex, which exceeds the area's existing two-storey height limit.[1] The project proceeded through an expedited pathway available to investments exceeding $50 million that provide either 10 percent affordable housing or contribute 3 percent of construction costs to an affordable housing fund.[1]
The approval mechanism has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and planning experts who question both its legality and implications for democratic oversight. Melbourne's Mayor Wes Gault described the proposal as "unlawful" under existing height restrictions.[1] Planner Patrick Fensham warned that the minister's discretionary powers lack procedural safeguards and public input, creating "risks to the integrity of the planning system."[1] Notably, decisions made through this pathway cannot be appealed in Victoria's Civil and Administrative Tribunal.[1]
The site in Surrey Hills is located distant from the city center and outside state-designated activity centers, though it does benefit from bus access and proximity to a train station 500 meters away.[1] The project represents a broader tension between government efforts to increase housing supply through planning reform and concerns among councillors and professionals that circumventing traditional approval processes may undermine public confidence in the planning framework.