Jennifer Pittorino
Hobsons Bay council is sticking by its decision to evict the residents of Williamstown’s Techno Park despite a petition with 20,000 signatures asking that residents be allowed to stay.
Six months have passed since Techno Park residents were delivered eviction notices in their mailboxes on May 18, stating they were living illegally in an industrial zone and need to find alternative accommodation.
On Wednesday, October 11, Hobsons Bay council responded to a petition from Techno Park residents, voting in favour of eviction as recommended by council officers.
The petition urging Hobsons Bay council to stop the mass eviction of the more than 100 residents who are living on Industrial 1 zoned land, has now amassed more than 20,000 signatures.
The petition was intended to be heard at Tuesday’s council meeting, when mid-way through the meeting the gallery full of Techno Park residents was notified the discussion involving Techno Park and the petition would be held ‘in-camera’ behind closed doors.
The decision to make the discussion private was made, “following correspondence received on October 9, from a lawyer representing some Techno Park stakeholders advising that legal proceedings would shortly be lodged,” council said in a media statement.
“The recommendations contained in the published council agenda were adopted, along with two additional recommendations relating to communicating the decision quickly.”
The council officer recommendations state that council cannot withdraw the May letter, as council is obligated to execute its responsibilities under the Planning and Environment Act 1987, and the site is not suitable for residential use.
In the same recommendation, council said it will support the establishment of a Techno Park Housing Solutions group.
Council said this group will bring together local service providers, key state government agencies, Williamstown MP Melissa Horne, Techno Park stakeholders, council, and others as needed.
“To work to identify opportunities and develop alternative safe and secure housing solutions for people currently living in Techno Park,” it said.
Hobsons Bay Mayor Tony Briffa said council understands why some of the owners and tenants of Techno Park have exercised their right to take legal action against council.
“Unfortunately, this meant that council’s discussion about the petition needed to be confidential to protect everyone’s legal rights,” said Cr Briffa.
“I’m pleased the report remained publicly available and that I can now let people know about council’s decision.
“I look forward to all parties genuinely working together in the Techno Park Housing Solutions Group to help people live in appropriate, safe and secure housing.”
Techno Park resident John O’Hagan said the events at the council meeting and the days following were “another kick in the guts” for him and his family.
“The so-called ‘Techno Park Housing Solutions Group’ the council claims to be setting up is just a re-branding of their existing plan to force people from their homes,” said Mr O’Hagan.
“They are completely ignoring residents’ pleas to work with them to find solutions that allow people to stay in their homes, and rigging the game by ruling out any such solutions in advance.
“They hide behind phoney legal reasons, pretending they can’t answer questions or debate Techno Park publicly, but are somehow able to issue a press release dressing up the mass eviction as some kind of public service.”
