A community groundswell is building in Coburg, Victoria, with more than 3,300 people signing a petition urging Merri-bek City Council to reconsider elements of its Central Coburg Structure Plan, including an eight-storey tower proposed opposite the Presentation of Our Lord, Greek Orthodox Church.
Amid intensifying community concern, a Merri-bek City Council spokesperson told The Greek Herald that the Council “values Merri-bek’s Greek community” and is committed to working closely with the Church and congregation “to reach the best outcome for central Coburg.”
The spokesperson said the Council had received “extensive, detailed feedback” from both the Greek and wider community and stressed that the draft concept is still under review.
They noted the Council “cares deeply about central Coburg’s future,” which is why it is taking the time to listen carefully to all submissions to “ensure we get the balance right.”
Importantly, the spokesperson confirmed that changes to the draft plan are likely, with a full update to be released in the new year outlining next steps.
“In the meantime,” they said, “please keep sharing your ideas and feedback. Together, we can create a thriving future for central Coburg where people can live, work, shop and connect.”
A community hub at risk
The Ypapanti precinct hosts far more than weekly services. It operates as a metropolitan-scale community centre, facilitating festivals, education programs, addiction recovery initiatives, welfare services for the homeless, and major rites of passage – from christenings and weddings to funerals.
Petitioners argue that these high-demand programs “cannot be sustained” if parking, accessibility and safety are compromised.
Concerns also remain over the fragility of the consecrated building, which houses hand-painted iconography, relics, and spaces not easily relocated or protected from construction impacts.
Parking and traffic fears dominate community concerns
Central to the community backlash is the anticipated loss of essential on-site and street-level parking. The petition states elderly parishioners, families with young children, funeral attendees and welfare program participants rely on this daily access.
Traffic modelling for the precinct has not been publicly released, nor have shadow diagrams, prompting fears of congestion, overshadowing and increased safety hazards during peak church periods such as Easter and major feast days.
A proposed multi-deck car park remains “unconfirmed in scope and utility,” leading signatories to question whether it can realistically support peak loads or accommodate essential service vehicles.
Local voices: ‘Our church is the heart of our community’
Dozens of supporters have left deeply personal messages underscoring the church’s cultural and social significance.
Madeline, who signed the petition, wrote: “This church is more than a building, it is the heart of our family and our community. It’s where my husband was baptised, where we were married, and where we plan to baptise our daughter next year… Father Leo and the parish do incredible work that touches countless lives… Our church deserves protection, not disruption.”
Another supporter, Teena, expressed how deeply the proposed tower would impact the spiritual life of parishioners: “As a Greek Orthodox woman and parishioner, I’m heartbroken. Ypapanti is our spiritual home… This development would overshadow a sacred place that generations have built with love and faith. Please protect our church and the heart of our community.”
These comments reflect a broader sentiment throughout the petition: that the proposed redevelopment risks dismantling a vital cultural anchor for Coburg’s multigenerational communities, including Greek, Middle Eastern, South-East Asian and African families.
Calls for transparency and genuine consultation
Petitioners have outlined several key requests to Merri-bek Council, including:
- Scrapping the eight-storey tower opposite the church and redistributing height elsewhere.
- Guaranteeing no net loss of accessible parking.
- Conducting a full independent traffic and parking impact assessment.
- Releasing all shadowing, noise, wind and safety modelling publicly.
- Funding a structural dilapidation survey before construction begins.
- Engaging in co-design workshops with the Church Committee and community groups.
- Supporting welfare and addiction-recovery programs that operate onsite and “save lives.”
What the draft plan proposes
According to the draft plan, extensive modelling – including traffic, overshadowing, wind, financial and infrastructure assessments – guided its initial design. Building heights were chosen to balance overshadowing and wind impacts with the creation of new public spaces and more diverse housing.
The concept proposes retaining around 80 percent of existing off-street parking – nearly 900 spaces – including accessible parking. Staging assumptions suggest new parking would come online before existing spaces are removed.
Our Daily Bread: Key welfare program faces uncertainty
The draft concept proposes demolishing the former supermarket building north of Victoria Street – the current storage and logistics base for the Our Daily Bread food-relief program – later in the redevelopment.
The Greek Herald understands Council would work to identify a suitable nearby relocation site to ensure continuity.
Still, volunteers worry about accessibility, adequate storage and the length of any displacement. They warn that any disruption could directly affect vulnerable individuals who rely on regular assistance.
Political pressure builds
Concerns reached Victorian Parliament this week after Liberal MP Evan Mulholland challenged the Minister for Planning over the proposed tower.
Speaking exclusively to The Greek Herald, Mulholland condemned the draft plan, arguing that the Victorian Government had enabled the crisis through its statewide Activity Centre policy.
“This is cultural vandalism. This eight-storey tower is set to crush the spiritual heart of the Greek community in Coburg and the church’s aspirations, enabled by sheer state government negligence,” he said.
“The Liberals stand with the Greek Orthodox Church of the Presentation of the Lord community.”
Mulholland also criticised the Planning Minister for failing to intervene.
“To threaten the accessibility, parking, and safety of the Greek Orthodox Church is to threaten the very fabric of our community and the vital welfare services it provides,” he said. “The Premier must intervene immediately, scrap this devastating tower, and preserve this treasured site.”
The Minister now has 14 days to respond to Mulholland’s Constituency Question.
What happens next
With community pressure mounting and the Council now publicly acknowledging that changes are likely, parishioners and residents say they will continue campaigning until the church precinct, its programs and its accessibility needs are meaningfully protected.
Public consultation remains open until December 18. Have your say: https://conversations.merri-bek.vic.gov.au/central-coburg
