Hobsons Bay council has expressed concern about the likely closure of a Williamstown North caravan park situated on land slated for rezoning from industrial to residential.
The council has requested the planning minister appoint a planning panel to consider unresolved submissions relating to the rezoning of 222-238 and 240-258 Kororoit Creek Road.
Rezoning would pave the way for a two-storey aged care home and four-storey apartments.
Concept plans showing a five to seven storey development with five or six towers have been prepared for the Hobsons Bay Caravan Park site, according to an authoritative source.
Perry Town Planning, acting for the caravan park, has objected to the council’s proposed maximum building height of four storeys.
Asked if his objection indicated plans to build higher than four storeys on the site, director Frank Perry replied: “No, it’s not an indication of anything. It’s just an indication that it should be consistent with the way in which the residential growth zone has been handled statewide.
“I guess that a lot of ideas come and go from time to time, but there aren’t any plans at the moment.”
Cr Angela Altair told last week’s council meeting there was a threat to the caravan park, which houses up to 80 people, including some who have lived there for decades.
“We do acknowledge the threat to the residents of one of the most significant low-cost housing enclaves in our city … and while there’s nothing we can do directly, we can certainly do our best to advocate on behalf of any vulnerable residents about accessing affordable housing.”
Cr Paul Morgan said the council was working with the caravan park operator and government departments to see if there were other viable alternatives for a caravan park.
“While we obviously welcome that an operator is prepared to build an aged care centre in Hobsons Bay, which is an obvious need, we are a little bit saddened to see that the proposed rezoning of the caravan park would result in the loss of quite an asset in that we have a number of residents there who require low-cost housing in that vicinity which otherwise cannot be provided in Hobsons Bay.”
As reported by Star Weekly, Exxon Mobil is opposed to residential development 700 metres from its Altona oil refinery.
Mobil said the land provided an important buffer zone between residents and the major hazard facility, and its residential rezoning would be counter to the recent Plan Melbourne strategy which defined the area as a significant industrial precinct.
