A veteran Maribyrnong councillor has called a proposal to expand the Port of Melbourne planning scheme into Maribyrnong, “one of the most egregious actions” he’d seen by a state government during his career.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny recently wrote to Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay and Port Phillip councils requesting amendments to the planning and environment act to change planning boundaries between the Port of Melbourne and their council areas.
Under the proposal, land at 2 Somerville Road, Footscray, 111-151 Whitehall Street, Footscray and 221A and 2218 Whitehall Street, Yarraville would be excised from the Maribyrnong planning scheme and incorporated into the Port of Melbourne planning scheme.
Maribyrnong council’s development committee voted unanimously oppose the minister’s request at a meeting on Wednesday, September 11.
“This is one of the most egregious actions I have seen from any government institution in the I don’t know how many years I’ve been doing this, I’d hate to think, going all the way back to 1967,” said Cr Michael Clarke speaking in support of the motion to write to the minister refusing consent for the amendment.
He said if the boundaries were changed and the Port of Melbourne assumed planning control for parts of Maribyrnong, the local community would suffer.
“The port has no interest in the Maribyrnong community whatsoever,” he told the chamber.
“Their remit is the development, expansion, maintenance of the port.”
Cr Bernadette Thomas said the proposal would put local residents and the environment at risk.
“We have a history of living through and suffering the effects of environmental hazards,” Cr Thomas said.
“Those who lived here for decades know the Coote Island explosion and we’d really like to avoid that level of impact and even the lesser impacts of vapes, potential small spills, trucks and moving hazardous materials through our residential neighbourhoods, which an expansion of the Port of Melbourne planning scheme into the existing Maribyrnong planning scheme has the potential to allow happen.”
“I am baffled,” said an exasperated committee chair Cr Anthony Tran.
“Time and time again council staff, council laws and the community have policies that are in place that are then practically vetoed by the state government.”
The office of planning minister Sonya Kilkenny was contacted for comment.
Cade Lucas
