HOBSONS Bay City Council has written to the State Government expressing its opposition to aspects of the Port of Melbourne’s expansion project.
Williamstown Ward councillor Angela Altair is pushing the issue on behalf of waterfront residents concerned their city views will by spoiled by wharf development.
“Are they going to be looking at a great mountain of containers?” asked Cr Altair.
Cr Altair hopes it will be an advantage, that the final decision-maker is the new Minister for Roads and Ports, Tim Pallas, a Williamstown resident.
“We’d hope to engage his interest and get him to have a good look at the issues that we’ve raised, and give them all consideration,” Cr Altair said.
“I appreciate that at the moment there’s a panel hearing but of course the results of that panel hearing and the recommendations of that panel will go to the minister, so in other words it’s Minister Pallas who has the last say on these things.”
The council is awaiting a response from another high-profile Williamstown resident on the topic, Premier Steve Bracks, after sending him a letter on 1 December in which it raised concerns about the expansion project.
“We’ve all got major concerns about it,” Cr Altair said.
The council submitted a 30-page submission to the panel hearing for the Port of Melbourne New Format Planning Scheme (PoMPS) in November.
The submission outlines that all documents the PoMPS released over several weeks have led councillors and officers to “considerable confusion and frustration”.
“There are all these different documents but no synergy between them, they don’t link up,” Cr Altair said.
The council is also concerned that PoMPS will take over areas not previously used for port related activities, and adversely impact its amenity.
“The other issue is that we are very worried about what it will do about increasing freight traffic through the town,” Cr Altair said.
“What we’re saying is the draft-planning scheme does not adequately address these things.
Cr Altair said the council has also asked that Commonwealth Reserve be included in the planning scheme considering its strong heritage values.
“We need to address this now, otherwise it will be too late,” she said. “Once this planning scheme is approved, the chance of objections is extremely limited.”
Mr Pallas did not return Star’s calls before deadline.
