Jennifer Pittorino
Hobsons Bay council is set to receive another petition regarding the future of residents facing eviction from Williamstown’s Techno Park.
The petition instigated by Better West, asks Hobsons Bay council to recognise and acknowledge the residential community at Techno Park in the Industrial Land Management Strategy (ILMS).
The petition comes six months after Techno Park residents were delivered eviction notices in their mailboxes on May 18, stating they were living illegally in an industrial zone and needed to find new accommodation.
As recently reported by Star Weekly, a separate petition created by Techno Park residents failed to pursuade council to retract the letters.
Advocating for public health, protection of the environment, and the cultural and social amenity of Hobsons Bay suburbs, Better West secretary Rowena Joske said Better West advocates created the petition in collaboration with Techno Park residents.
“At the last council meeting, council responded to a report on the Techno Park petition asking council to work with them to find a way that they could stay in their homes,” Ms Joske said.
“The report referred to a 15 year old industrial land use strategy. Because this out of date strategy did not envisage any residential land use at Techno Park, the idea of a planning scheme amendment or an overlay that would allow residents to stay in their homes would be dismissed.
“The report didn’t mention that this 15 year old strategy has actually been reviewed and updated.“
Ms Joske said the new 2023 strategy wasn’t mentioned in the report and the current industrial land use strategy is due to be considered for adoption by council in the next couple of months.
“Council just can’t deny that there is a really significant residential community living at Techno Park.
“The petition is saying to council, regardless of what their position is on these people living there, they need to recognise that this is a significant land use in that area, in that strategy.
“We hope that this community will be considered in the planning scheme amendments for this area, this would be a good first step.“
Hobsons Bay council said it was unable to respond until it received the Better West petition.
Details: www.change.org/RecogniseTechnoPark
