State Planning Minister Matthew Guy has hit back at criticism over his handling of planning in the inner-west.
Earlier this month, Maribyrnong councillors took Mr Guy to task over a 24-storey, $280 million multi-tower development on the former Le Mans Toyota site in Footscray.
The council has previously slammed Mr Guy’s approval of neighbouring developments of up to 32 storeys amid fears of overshadowing and poor existing infrastructure. But Mr Guy told the Weekly that residents and the council must let go of the past and accept they are part of Melbourne’s changing skyline.
“Footscray has a vital role to play in terms of accommodating population growth in the inner-west,” he said.
“It is changing inexorably from a small, quaint area to one of Melbourne’s key activities and residential areas, as a jobs hub for the inner-west in the future.”
Mr Guy said the transition won’t necessarily be easy, but the changes were already well under way.
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“It’s never easy in terms of transforming from a small suburb to an activities centre, but if you look at Footscray it has already changed and it’s going to continue to change.”
Although the final decision on many Footscray sites rests with the minister, he says the council can still play a role in informing the decision.
But he questioned the willingness of Maribyrnong councillors to work with him, noting their mounting criticisms of his decisions.
“There has been some pretty immature stuff. It is just silly; it’s not going to advance things,” he said.
“What advances the community is a serious dialogue. It is important to have a strong relationship.”
Mr Guy also called on the council to look at the benefits of high-rise towers in protecting the character of other neighbourhoods.
“They are the same heights being proposed in places like Box Hill, Frankston and other areas of the city. This is not unique.”
Mr Guy said the former Binks Ford site, adjacent to Footscray station and owned by Places Victoria, needed to be carefully managed. “I would think the greater the level of density the council can achieve, then they can apply a neighbourhood residential zone as an offset.”
Mr Guy also promised stricter controls for development along the Maribyrnong River but was unwilling to confirm specific sites.
