LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Change for Williamstown

[Re: ‘No tower’ pledge for mill, Star Weekly, October 25] On Wednesday, October 29, I attended the Save Williamstown meet the candidates forum as the representative for Australian Greens Victoria.

Labor’s Wade Noonan and I were the only two candidates who bothered to show up.

The Greens’ position on this matter is as follows:

• This project was started under Labor, and continued under Liberals. The Greens’ Colleen Hartland has stood with the community for the whole campaign.

• The Greens support Hobsons Bay council implementing planning rules, particularly around height limits, over the development of the remainder of the Woollen Mills site.

This will stop any further inappropriate development.

• The Greens will refer a parliamentary inquiry into major hazard facilities and planning rules in the next term of Parliament.

We need far greater buffer zones between hazardous industrial sites and residential areas to ensure people’s safety, health and well-being.

• If the Greens get balance of power, which is certainly possible, we will be making real change for the west.

Simon Crawford, Greens candidate for Williamstown

Can we declare that the Heritage council themselves have “no significance” since it seems they’re not interested in preserving our heritage? Williamstown’s infrastructure is already hard-pressed to deal with the present population, let alone more apartments – not to mention the safety factors concerning the location. Williamstown’s historic character is vanishing one building at a time.

Concerned Resident, via web

Revisiting paid parking

Great to hear Maribyrnong council is voting again [on paid parking in Yarraville]. I hope the new mayor preserves the status quo by not using his vote in disregard of community wishes.

SedCG, via web

Boom gates the culprits

The proposed closure of the Aviation Road level crossing without making an alternate route for residents is shortsighted. How do we get to the other side of Laverton?

Do we have to get on to the freeway and then travel all the way to Kororoit Creek Road, then go back? The problem is not the trains – it is that the boom gates stay down during gaps between trains. The gaps can be on average eight minutes.

If the boom gate was raised during that time, the congestion on Point Cook Road would not be as great.

Wendy, Seabrook