PLANNING Minister Matthew Guy needs more time to say why he will not release the Ports and Environs report more than a year after receiving it.
The report contains recommendations for shaping development around Melbourne’s ports, including high-density residential development near major hazard facilities at Williamstown.
On February 29, opposition planning spokesman Brian Tee moved a parliamentary motion that Mr Guy release the report or state his reasons for withhholding it.
Mr Guy had two weeks to respond.
In a letter dated March 23, Mr Guy states: “As the response to the report is yet to go though the cabinet process and it is appropriate that both the report and response are released simultaneously, the government is not able to respond to the [Legislative] Council’s resolution within the time period requested. The government will respond as soon as possible.”
When asked for an update by the Weekly, ministerial spokesman Nicholas McGowan confirmed the report would be publicly released, but did not say when.
“Labor’s had more positions on this report than a football team,” he said.
“When they were in government they had the opportunity to release the report and failed.”
The report was given to former Labor planning minister Justin Madden on October 29, 2010, just before the state election.
Williamstown MP Wade Noonan said withholding the report just fuelled speculation that the government was worried about the recommendations it contained.
Last December, Mr Guy refused to answer “hypothetical” questions when the Weekly asked how he would deal with recommendations in the Ports report if they conflicted with his approval of uncapped high-rise residential development on the former Port Phillip Woollen Mill site.
