MORNINGTON Peninsula Shire councillors have been presented with a recommendation from officers that the shire lodge an objection to the Arthurs Seat Eagle’s planned upgrades, with the objection set to be voted on at the 2 December council meeting.
The upgrade of the Arthurs Seat Eagle was mooted last year with the expansion of both the bottom and summit stations, the addition of a pedestrian bridge over Arthurs Seat Road, the building of an observation tower, and the building of a “luge-style” ride down the escarpment.
The plans were subsequently altered after community feedback, including the scrapping of the pedestrian bridge, and the shortening the proposed luge track (Eagle plans scaled back but community still concerned, The News 28/8/25).
At the time, the CEO of Arthurs Seat Eagle, Matthew Mulkearns, said “Through the process of engaging with the community, Arthurs Seat Eagle has sought to incorporate a variety of constructive suggestions for the upgrade project’s ongoing improvement, including redesigning the luge track and observation tower so that these proposed introductions are in even greater harmony with the existing environment.”
But critics of the proposal, including the Save Our Seat community group that has strongly opposed the plans from the beginning, say the changes don’t go far enough. They believe the state park would be in “grave danger” if the plans went ahead, and that the proposed “roller-coaster-style luge” is inappropriate.
Such is the upgrade’s scale, the planned redevelopment has been deemed a “project of significance” under Victorian planning provisions. This designation removes decision making authority for the project from the shire, with the ultimate authority resting with the Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny.
The removal of authority from the shire does not preclude it from objecting to the project.
The report to councillors seeking an objection to the proposal states “It is acknowledged that there is strong policy support for the proposed development as an expansion and enhancement of the existing Arthurs Seat Eagle leisure and recreation facility”.
“This policy support however must also be balanced against the vision to protect the environmental and landscape values and important natural features that are unique to the peninsula and make the peninsula a popular place to live, works and visit.
“Shire officers have concerns that certain elements of the proposal (the proposed tower and the luge track) do not meet the vision and objectives of the planning policy framework in this respect.”
In the report, shire officers deemed the main issues to be a lack of use approval for the luge, the visual impact of the project, and the lack of critical information in key areas.
The shire officer’s report stated that the Applicant has not sought use approval for the luge track. Lack of use approval for the luge would be considered a gap in the approvals being sought, in order to enable use conditions to be appropriately applied to any permit that may be granted.
Further, the shire’s report questioned the visual impact of the luge track and observation tower on the significant landscape of Arthurs Seat and its environs.
Also considered by the officers was their belief the Application lacks critical information in some key areas to be able to draw conclusive assessments on vegetation clearance, fauna impact, landslide risk, noise, and parking and traffic.
Mulkearns told The News “We are aware of the officer’s recommendation and pleased it provides a level of support. While constructive in parts and recognising it acknowledges strong policy support for our proposal, aspects of the report inaccurately present or overstate concerns that have already been addressed through detailed expert studies and confirmed as satisfactory by state authorities. Therefore, it is disappointing the ultimate weighting and presentation does not fully support our proposal”.
“Arthurs Seat Eagle is committed to delivering a well-planned upgrade that supports the peninsula’s visitor economy while responsibly managing environmental and cultural values.
“With key agencies raising no objections subject to conditions, we believe the state is best placed to assess the proposal on its merits. We look forward to continuing to work constructively with council and the community on this important project.”
Save Our Seat said it welcomed the report from the shire’s planning department. Spokesperson Kylie Greer told The News that “Although the Minister for Planning is the decision-maker, council is a very important stakeholder and the Minister will have to take council’s submission into account”.
Greer believes the officers report highlights many of the issues SOS has raised from the beginning including the visual impact of the luge track and observation tower on the significant landscape of Arthurs Seat and its environs.
“The planning team notes that the Eagle’s application lacks critical information in key areas such as vegetation clearance; fauna impact; landslide risk; noise; and parking and traffic, meaning it’s difficult to draw conclusive assessments on these critical issues,” said Greer.
“Save Our Seat urges all councillors to listen to the experts in their planning department and to adopt the recommendation to lodge a submission opposing this development.”
The public, and council, have until 10 December to lodge submissions with Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny before she makes her decision.
First published in the Mornington News – 2 December 2025
