Perth Voice Interactive

THE big bottleyard apartment project on Palmerston Street has been approved.

The 125-unit project on the sandy site exceeds the usual three storeys allowed in the area, but the developer was granted six for good design and environmental credentials with one of the largest residential solar arrays in the hemisphere.

Handle Property Group chief Peter Burke originally aimed for five storeys for the owners. After negotiating with locals he agreed to move one of the storeys away from residences and stack it on top over near the Robertson Park where people wouldn’t be so bothered by it, making the sixth.

Mr Burke—son of former premier Brian—said the final $30 million plan was greatly improved from the first draft, which someone had described at the time as “shit”. Many neighbours remained unhappy with the size but it was approved three-two by the local DAP, with Megan Bartle and Cr Josh Topelberg opposing.

The bottling plant on the site was once owned by Alan Bond and demolished years ago, leaving an empty lot for archaeologists to dig through. Some 3337 ancient bottles were dug up, some of the rarer ones worth $1000 each. That collection was almost sold to private hands but it was instead offered to the WA museum. Vincent council had sold the site for a song to Ocean Bird Nominees, and it’s now owned by the evocatively named Bizwest Corp and Tripleview Holdings.

by DAVID BELL