By Vanessa Chircop
THE former Port Phillip Woollen Mill site was a hot topic last week.
Hobsons Bay City Council, which received a planning permit application to demolish buildings and structures at the site, last week moved to seek further ministerial intervention to rezone the properties as part of Amendment C86.
The issue also set more than a few tongues wagging in Parliament last week.
Member for Williamstown Wade Noonan said the State Government’s decision to approve a planning scheme amendment would pave the way for the developer to lodge a planning permit application with the council.
Last year, Minister for Planning Matthew Guy handed down his decision for the site, handing back decision-making power on the controversial development to the council.
While the council welcomed this decision, it was unhappy about the decision not to have mandatory height limits as recommended by an advisory committee.
“The developer can now quite legally pursue 15 storey towers for the site and argue their case all the way through to VCAT,” Mr Noonan said.
Greens MLC Colleen Hartland described the saga as a game of keepings off between the former Labor Government and the current Coalition Government.
“Labor took the planning power away from the community.
“On election day, it tossed the planning control to the Coalition Government over the heads of the community.
Members from Save Williamstown believe the application to demolish structures at the site threatens the future of manufacturing jobs at the Williamstown shipyards. The group believes the structures on site act as a barrier between industry and residents and once torn down will raise the prospect of noise complaints to the EPA.
The application will be on public exhibition until 16 February before a decision is made by the council.
