NewQuay Central approval

Planning minister Matthew Guy has approved two of the buildings featured in MAB’s controversial NewQuay Central masterplan.

The master plan was originally unveiled in 2011 and featured a plan to turn the NewQuay Piazza into NewQuay Central by building five new towers and creating a 5000 sqm public park.

The plan was met with public protest in October 2011, with locals arguing that the development would cause overshadowing and would eat up public space.

Mr Guy approved the NewQuay Central masterplan last year, however MAB still needed to obtain permission to build each of the buildings in the plan.

The recently approved buildings are a 43-storey residential tower with 244 apartments and a 16-storey tower with 181 apartments.

The 43-storey tower will be built on the western side of the closer to the waterside.

The 16-storey tower will be built behind the 43-storey tower, closer to Docklands Drive.

The approval of the $400 million project comes as a blow to the locals who protested against the NewQuay Central masterplan when it was originally released.

President of the Docklands Community Association Roger Gardner led the group of local protesters in 2011.

He said the approval of the first two towers was disappointing for a lot of people.

“It [the development] might be useful for commercial purposes but this needs to be balanced with the needs of existing residents and maintaining amenity,” Mr Gardner said.

“We don’t mind having new developments as long as they are balanced with the needs of the residents and we don’t feel this development is.”

The remaining three buildings in the NewQuay Central masterplan are yet to gain ministerial approval.

They consist of another two residential towers and a third building, which had originally been earmarked as a 15-storey hotel.

However, the building may now end up being used as a residential tower.

A MAB spokesperson said the building had the flexibility of being either a hotel or an apartment tower.

Work to dismantle the Pavillion at the Piazza started on February 4, suggesting MAB is preparing the area for the development.

The dismantling process is expected to be completed by February 18.