By Brooke Bowman
HOBSONS Bay City Council has received 23 new planning enforcement matters in the past month, bringing its current open case load to 161.
Councillor Peter Hemphill told Star last week he was concerned that so many planning matters were received this month and a such a high number of existing matters have yet to be resolved.
Cr Hemphill said he only knew of about four cases being received by the council in the previous month.
“We get probably 1000 planning applications a year, so that’s a fair whack,” he said.
“It’s usually because we’re chasing up information or waiting on works to be done, but there’s still 161 outstanding.”
The current enforcement matters involve a range of infringements, including lapsed permits, demolition without permits and orders to make balconies safe and modify verandahs.
Cr Hemphill said heritage issues, in particular, concern him, especially if they constitute the majority of enforcement matters.
“If people go out and get planning permits and then flout them openly or otherwise, that’s a bit of a worry,” he said.
A recent enforcement matter involved a 114yearold, singlestorey Victorian villa in Rupert St, Newport, one of the area’s oldest dwellings.
The building surveyor who issued the permit for the partial demolition of the significant building in a Heritage Overlay – without a valid planning permit – was subsequently fined $1500.
“Sometimes I think some of the enforcement action or the penalties by the courts on enforcement actions has been very lenient in the past,” Cr Hemphill said.
“It’s pretty easy to destroy 100150 years of history, but you can’t just recreate these things if you have destroyed them.”
He admits his interest in joining the council stems from an enforcement action he took out against his neighbour, who was building outside the area designated by his building permit.
“These are things that other municipalities wouldn’t have to deal with, but we have to because we’re a heritage area and we need to protect that area,” he said.
A statement released by the council’s planning compliance team said the number of matters being dealt with should not necessarily be seen as “an indicator of threat to maintenance of the community amenity”.
The team stated that its “proactive liaison approach resolves the matters expeditiously”, and without the need to enter VCAT or the magistrates court.
