The developer of the Port Phillip Woollen Mill site in Williamstown has threatened to demolish the historic Nugget factory and build 930 dwellings on the site instead of 700 if mandatory height limits are introduced.
Hobsons Bay councillors voted unanimously at last Tuesday night’s meeting to ask the planning minister to approve a planning amendment to introduce mandatory height controls, parking requirements and developer contributions for the mill site.
As reported exclusively by Star Weekly, Williamstown MP Wade Noonan vowed the government would approve any amendment put forward by the council to limit building heights to 25 metres on 60 per cent of the site.
Cr Peter Hemphill said former Labor planning minister Justin Madden, who rezoned the site to residential, had started the planning “rot”.
“It was made worse by the next minister, [Matthew] Guy, and fortunately we’ve had our local member and Labor premier give us an opportunity to probably stop some of that rot,” he said.
Ashley Williams, managing director of Evolve Development, offered to save the historic Nugget factory, which is approved for demolition, if the council reconsidered mandatory height caps.
“It doesn’t have to be a trade-off,” Cr Hemphill said.
“They can do that any time they want and I encourage them to do so.”
Mr Williams said the Nugget factory would not be saved unless agreement could be reached on a wide range of issues.
“Unfortunately, Peter Hemphill and the rest of the council have yet again failed to demonstrate leadership, preferring to push responsibility to the planning minister rather than rolling up their sleeves and working with us to reach a wide agreement on a range of matters,” he said.
“In 10 years, will residents notice if a building is eight levels or nine levels or 10 levels?
“Or will they lament the loss of the Nugget factory, which could have been retained?
“Or will they wonder why the council made a decision that actually led to an increase in the number of dwellings from 700 to 930.”
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