A RESCISSION motion submitted to Brimbank City Council a day after the same motion to remove the heritage overlay on specific properties was lost last week, will see the agenda being presented again before councillors at next council meeting.
Cr Anthony Abate called for the removal of the heritage overlay on the St Albans Uniting Church and on other properties whose owners were opposed to the overlay.
The heated discussion lasted for more than an hour with more than 40 church members present.
The church’s the Reverend Andy Tiver said there needed to be expansion because its 240 members could not fit into the 95-year-old building.
Its Filipino congregation shares the venue with the Vietnamese community on Sundays and provides an after-school program for Sudanese children.
“We talk tonight about being the brothers and sisters of Abraham,” Cr Abate said. “Well, here is a chance to make Abraham happy. Let them build their church,” Cr Abate said.
Six councillors opposed his motion, with Cr Sam David presenting his alternative recommendation amendment, which is before the minister for planning, requesting that the minister appoints a panel to conduct a hearing into each unresolved submission and that council adopts the recommendation in relation to the submissions.
Cr Natalie Suleyman described Cr David’s recommendation as “shaky”.
“You have a report that’s been prepared by experts and councillors putting forward an amendment that for some reason, whether it’s favouritism, two churches are deleted (from the heritage overlay) and one isn’t,” Cr Suleyman said.
“I think it needs to go back to the drawing board; it needs an explanation to the submitters and the residents that are affected by this. The matter here is listening to the residents and the residents say they don’t want this proposal,” she said.
Cr Kathryn Eriksson said the amendment contributed to the community’s identity.
“We have a duty under the act to identify areas that have heritage significance, wherever they are. I appreciate the heritage and I want to preserve it,” Cr Eriksson said.
Cr Miles Dymott argued that the absence of heritage provisions would allow buildings to be demolished without a planning permit.
“When you run for council you take responsibilities,” he said.
The environment act requires us to protect heritage overlays,” Cr Dymott said.
The Rev Tiver said the members present during the meeting were “very angry” about the outcome.
“We were particularly angry at Cr Eriksson because we felt betrayed by her,” he said.
“We thought that she was acting as the councillor for dead people that lived in the area 60 years ago rather than being a representative for that community that’s there today.”
“We thought that she was trying to defend an Anglo heritage when the current make-up of St Albans is predominantly a multicultural community,” he said. “We have no interest in the past, we’re about the community that’s there now.”
