Winsor hotel

History of Windsor Hotel Redevelopment

By sarahcraig

  • Windsor Hotel Proposal Announced

    Indonesian-owned Halim Group proposes to build a 25-storey tower behind the original facade of the Windsor Hotel as part of a $260 million refurbishment. The Statutory Approvals Group within the Department of Planning and Community Development receives the applicaion.
  • Period: to

    History of Windsor Hotel Redevelopment Proposal

  • Further Detailed Information Requested

    Statutory Approvals group within the DPCD requests further detailed information from the Halim Group regarding the Windsor proposal.

  • City of Melbourne Receives Formal Notice

    The City of Melbourne receives formal notice of the application. The application is also referred to the Director of Public Transport for consideration.

  • Application Publicly Advertised in The Age

  • Application Publicly Advertised in The Melbourne Times

    The objections made against the application were registered by the DPCD and made available for public inspection.

  • Planning Minister Briefed by his Department about the Application

  • Planning Minister Approves the Establishment of an Advisory Committee

  • Advisory Committee Report

    The Hotel Windsor Advisory Committee report, commissioned by the Planning Department, is submitted. It recommends that Mr Madden grant a permit for the redevelopment.

  • Leaked Email Scandal.

    Email from one of Planning Minister Justin Madden's media advisors, leaked to the ABC, details a plan to run a sham public consultation process over the Windsor Hotel redevelopment. Mr Madden denies any personal wrongdoing and orders his department to appoint a probity auditor to oversee the process. Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu calls for Mr Madden's resignation.

  • Minister "Redeploys" Media Adviser

    Mr Madden removes the media adviser who wrote the leaked email, Peta Duke, from her role within the media unit and the Department of Planning. He describes Ms Duke as using "inappropriate language" and rejects calls for his resignation.

  • Madden Loses No-Confidence Motion

    Mr Madden faces a parliamentary vote of no confidence, which is passed with 19 votes to 18. In the preceding debate the Opposition calls for Mr Madden to be sacked. Victorian Premier John Brumby says he has full confidence in the Planning Minister.

  • Parliamentary Inquiry into Leaked Email

    Mr Madden causes disruption and anger after attending the Upper House inquiry into his department's behaviour without an invitation. Further controversy caused by Attorney-General Rob Hulls' advice to Ms Duke to ignore a subpoena and not attend the hearing.

  • Heritage Victoria Approves Plan

    Heritage Victoria issues a conditional permit for the Windsor Hotel Redevelopment. The National Trust responds with a media release criticising Heritage Victoria and describing the permit as a "no wins" for the Windsor.

  • Internal Audit Review Released

    Internal Audit review of the Winsor Hotel Redevelopment Planning and Heritage Permit Applications is released. Undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the review found that the DPCD and Heritage Victoria had complied with all obligations.

  • Probity Report Released

    A probity report commissioned by the Planning Department clears Mr Madden of any wrongdoing.

  • Planning Minster Approves Redevelopment

    Mr Madden approves the $260 million proposal. In a media release, he says he accepts "the recommendation of the independent advisory committee to grant the permit following an open and comprehensive planning process, as verified through the independent probity advice".

  • Save the Windsor Rally

    The National Trust holds a rally on Parliament steps in a bid to force the withdrawal of the state government's support of the proposal. Speakers include National Trust CEO Martin Purslow, Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown and Roq Quantock.