THE plans for a $25m redevelopment of Arthurs Seat Eagle are currently with Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny and at the “request for information” stage, while community opposition to the proposal mounts. The planned redevelopment, announced in September, would add a new observation tower, pedestrian bridge over Arthurs Seat Road, function centre, luge ride attraction and an “experiential interpretive centre designed to celebrate the natural wonders of the Mornington Peninsula”. The redevelopment is expected to be undertaken in three stages with stage one the base station upgrade, stage two the development of the luge ride from the summit to the base, and stage three the summit station upgrade.
The Eagle first opened in 2016 at a cost of $20 million, but soon hit turbulence, falling into administration in March 2020 (Arthur’s Seat Eagle falls into administration, The News 25/3/20). Although blamed on covid and the preceding bushfires, it was thought to have been triggered by a shareholder dispute. The attraction reopened again in December 2020 under the ownership of billionaire Peter Gunn and former Rio Tinto director, AMP chairman and Macquarie investment banker, and current National Australia Bank director, Simon McKeon.
A statement from Arthurs Seat Eagle in September stated “As a result of securing further capital from the destination’s investors, the upgrade intends to diversify the types of experiences offered to tourists, extending the average customer dwell time and providing additional opportunities for year-round visitation.”
The CEO of Arthurs Seat Eagle, Matthew Mulkearns, said the masterplan vision resulted from 12 months of extensive research and consultation with environmental, planning and tourism consultants on the future needs of the precinct.
“The feedback we sought from our community of locals and visitors has strongly indicated a greater desire for observation and viewing facilities to afford even greater aspects of our spectacular natural surrounds.”
Claims of community consultation have been disputed by “Save Our Seat”. A spokesperson from the group, Kylie Greer, rejects the notion saying community members have been left in the dark and would be overwhelmingly opposed to the “vast” development. A planning application was submitted on 6 September 2024 through the Development Facilitation Pathway, but the first community consultation session was held on 3 October, nearly a month later.
Asked how consultation had been undertaken when the first “community consultation” was nearly a month after plans had been submitted to the Minister, Mulkearns told The News “We sought feedback via a local area survey, issued via digital channels including Facebook, Instagram and e-newsletter”. “The Facebook and Instagram activity was a combination of posts to our own 25,500 followers, as well as paid advertising to an additional 3,000 local users geographically targeted to the Mornington Peninsula region.”
One of the issues raised by the group is the Eagle’s decision to bypass the shire’s planning procedures and go directly to the Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, for a decision. Due to the value of the redevelopment, the upgrade has been deemed a “project of significance” under the Victorian Planning Provisions and therefore qualifies for “State Project” status. This means the project is subject to a streamlined approval directly from the Victorian Planning Authority, avoiding scrutiny and potential limitations by Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Members of the “Save Our Seat” group attended the shire’s council meeting last week (3 December), and tabled questions asking the shire to state their position on the project. The group asked if the shire has concerns regarding the expansion application, and asked that the shire give notice to the Minister that council intends to make a submission expressing it’s concerns when the application is put on public notice. The shire took the questions on notice and have not yet provided a response to the group.
An email from the group last week, seen by The News, stated they had attracted over 7000 signatures in opposition to the development in the past three weeks. The email also stated that “Any expansion would be inappropriate private commercial use of a publicly owned, taxpayer paid for state park for wildlife, and unsustainable for the natural amenity and wildlife on the site”. “It would ruin this unique natural asset which is so special and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.” It is believed the email had been circulated among shire councillors.
A source inside the shire expressed “concern and dismay” to The News regarding the proposal, especially the “luge ride”, saying that the same people who opposed the Harry Potter event; a temporary event in a wildlife sanctuary, should also oppose the suggestion of a permanent “luge ride” attraction running the length of Arthurs Seat in a state park, set aside for the protection of fauna and flora. It is also believed a number of councillors are against the proposal.
Mulkearns acknowledged the “community concerns” raised by members of the public at the community consultation on 3 October. Specific issues acknowledged by Arthurs Seat Eagle include preserving the natural beauty of the state park, mitigating environmental impacts, managing visitor congestion and reducing fire risks.
Arthurs Seat Eagle state that their consultant team is “currently reviewing this valuable input to incorporate these priorities into the upgraded plans”. The News asked Mulkearns to outline the changes that are under consideration as part of incorporating “community concerns” into the plans. Mulkearns told The News “We have met with over 20 local representatives and community groups since the initial community information session, who have brought us constructive suggestions on various elements of the masterplan”.
“We are currently modelling various outcomes based on the feedback. These will continue to inform the schematic design process as it is finalised. “The masterplan scheme is a broad design plan, with detailed schematic design on the specific areas of the plan still to be completed which can be influenced by the community feedback we are receiving.”
Mulkearns said that feedback included wanting to achieve better connectivity between trails, responding to design element concerns, responding to broader strategic concerns, and alternative pedestrian safety measures with respect to roads and traffic. No specific details of changes that were under consideration as a result of community consultation were provided. The News believes that Mulkearns has sought to meet with representatives of “Save Our Seat”, to discuss the issues.
First published in Mornington News – 10 December 2024