Parliament Moves To Block Palace Theatre Redevelopment

The fight to save Melbourne’s beloved live music venue The Palace may have just stepped up a notch, with the Victorian Parliament lodging a planning objection to the proposed demolition of the building to make way for a 21-storey luxury hotel.

This is believed to be the first time Parliament has ever lodged a planning objection, with upper house president Bruce Atkinson stating concerns about the proposed $180 million W Hotel, which is just metres from Parliament, would overshadow the building at certain times of the year:

“At the moment there are height limits in place for this precinct. The Palace Hotel seeks to pursue a development that is much higher than those.”

Mr Atkinson told The Age that there was no conflict of interest in the complaint. “The government is not the Parliament and the Parliament is not the government… it’s the Parliament that is indicating its concern with the development.”

Plans to convert the venue were announced back in July by the new owners of the site, Chinese property investment firm Jinshan Investments, and met with outrage from live music lovers. Music Victoria have backed an online campaign to save the beloved Palace, and Planning Minister Matthew Guy has previously stated that the government is unlikely to approve the plans as they were first proposed.

(via The Age)

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