By Matthew Sims
The Maribyrnong council City Development Delegated Committee has granted a permit for the construction of multiple dwellings on a lot at 336 Nicholson Street in Yarraville, despite a previous lost motion to approve the permit and a number of objections to the permit.
During the committee’s Tuesday, February 28 meeting, councillors voted in support of granting a permit, four votes to three.
The permit application has outlined plans for the construction of four dwellings on one lot, with each dwelling consisting of three bedrooms, open plan living areas and two car spaces, estimated to cost $1.5 million to build.
Despite being presented with a motion including a number of conditions resolving issues with the street setback and site coverage, the committee voted against the motion to grant the permit during its August 2022 meeting, with the motion being lost five votes to two.
However, the council did not pass a motion to refuse the permit, meaning the permit application remained live and the original motion returned unchanged after three months had passed following the original decision.
Additional conditions included that amended plans be submitted back to Maribyrnong council for approval, which would be modified to satisfy a number of clauses within the Maribyrnong Planning Scheme and vehicular crossings must be constructed and/or modified to the road to suit the proposed driveways.
The application was advertised and 18 objections were received relating to neighbourhood character, amenity, parking, legal right to use Parkes Lane, traffic volumes and overdevelopment.
Maribyrnong councillor Anthony Tran spoke in support of the permit approval and said while he appreciated there were grey areas, he said there was a need for more affordable housing.
Berry Street resident Bonnie Hamilton said having the permit approved after believing the permit was lost was “very upsetting”.
“It just seems ridiculous,” she said.
Mrs Hamilton said she believed justifying the approval of the planning permit due to the value of providing affordable housing was “incorrect”.
“The council is supposed to be about protecting the future of the area.”
Mrs Hamilton said while she had a number of concerns about the development, its impact on her property’s exposure to sunlight was especially significant for her family.
“We have two young kids who play in this backyard,” she said.
“Having only one to three hours sunlight for the majority of the year will be dreadful.”
Nicholson Street resident Shaun Farrell said the proposal represented an overdevelopment of the subject land.
“[It] will result in visual and built form bulk that does not respect the neighbourhood character of the locality,” he said.
