Living in high rise in Melbourne

At Residents 3000’s November meeting three guest speakers gave an insight into a number of important issues relating to owners’ corporations (OCs) …

• Anton Block, principal lawyer, KCL Law, outlined a recent decision of the Victorian Civil Administrative Tribunal, the effect of the amendments to section 18 of the Owners Corporation Act 2006 and its implications for residents. 
• Hedley Gaudin, general manager of Australian OC Management gave some strategies used by OC managers to deal with rule breaches. 
• John Dall’Amico, from CBD Facility Management, presented an informative presentation on apartment security, highlighting the unique safety and security challenges that are faced by residents living in vertical or high-rise density residential developments within the city of Melbourne.

A key takeaway from the evening’s meeting … invest in strategies to live harmoniously and safely in Melbourne’s CBD.

Intended outcomes, going forward, should include risk reduction, avoiding unnecessary costs, ensuring safety, avoiding damage and most importantly creating a harmonious living environment for residents. Strategies were outlined to achieve best practice outcomes of communal fairness, respectful communication and navigating difficult conversations.

My experience

Data shows our city is experiencing some of the fastest growth in the country. Although I had lived in high-rise as an expat abroad, I had always lived in detached homes in lower density neighbourhoods while residing in Australia.

When returning home in 2002, I moved from suburbia into Melbourne’s CBD. It was indeed a steep learning curve.

Navigating city living was quite different to living in a Melbourne suburb. In the early days I walked the city streets of an evening understanding the laneways and streets and discovering some hidden treasures.

The night life was divided up into city precincts with clubs etc in certain districts, similar to the present, however rooftop venues have become a feature of our nightlife. Cafes and restaurants in and around the main streets and adjoining lanes grew into the culinary capital of Australia with the best chefs inhabiting the CBD and nearby suburbs.

Later I accepted a nomination as a committee member on our body corporate and the experience opened my eyes to the need to understand fully security and safety within my home building and city living in general.

My next big challenge was the legality associated with OC management. Luckily other committee members were familiar with this aspect, and I listened and learned much! In hindsight a meeting as convened by Residents 3000 on these topics would have been so helpful back then.

Notes from all three presentations will be posted on Residents 3000’s website in due course.

Next Forum 3000 – The first for the new year 2026:

Topic: Metro Tunnel Update – Recently Opened – What’s Next!

February’s Residents 3000 meeting will explore the newly opened Metro Tunnel, a new end-to-end rail line from Sunbury in Melbourne’s west to Pakenham in the south. From Sunday, February 1, a new timetable is being introduced with more than 1000 extra services and Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury Line trains running exclusively through the Metro Tunnel.

Residents want to know what the tunnel users think of the new service. When will it be totally completed? There were plans for further developments associated with the tunnel. What are they? We are sure that our members (and their guests) will want to know the whole story.

Thursday, February 5, 6pm for a 6.30 start. Kelvin Club, 14-30 Melbourne Place.

Further details will be found on our website: residents3000.org.au.