Save Williamstown is a community group representing residents and friends of Williamstown in a fight to preserve the intact heritage of our town into its third century, together with the local shipbuilding and maritime industries which have been the lifeblood of Williamstown since the settlement of Melbourne in 1835. 

Save Williamstown wants to STOP the developer Nelson Place Village Pty Ltd from getting planning approval for a HIGH RISE over 25 metre development (anything more than 7 storeys) on the area bounded by Nelson Place, Ann St, Cecil St, Aitken St & Kanowna St and make sure any development of the Former Port Phillip Woollen Mill Site is appropriate and sustainable in terms of heritage, jobs, buffer distance safety from the Mobil Pt Gellibrand MHF, fuel importation at Pt Gellibrand Pier, the Williamstown Shipyards, the Point Gellibrand Coastal Park, infrastructure and neighbourhood character. The developer initial plans are no longer available on a website (Save Williamstown does have file copies)  but with the recent planning scheme overlay signed by Planning Minister Matthew Guy we are anticipating the developer will submit new plans which could involve a very high tower - possibly up to 100 metres or 30 storeys.

Save Williamstown is not against development.  Williamstown is a working town as well as a residential suburb and it has always embraced changes since it was first settled almost two centuries ago in 1835.   Essentially it is a balanced town with development fitting into the unique character of the town and not aiming to dominate.  Features such as the original road pattern and widths laid out by the Government Surveyor, Robert Hoddle, in the late 1830s are still present and should be retained.  Modern development should respect height and precinct character. 

Save Williamstown knows from communicating with those who live and work here that the unique character is widely appreciated by residents, tourists, local workers and industries and in particular the film industry.  It is important that new development does not destroy any of the unique character particularly in the starting point of the colony - THE GOVERNMENT SURVEY HERITAGE PRECINCT

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The Former Port Phillip Woollen Mill Site which is the focus of our campaign is in the GOVERNMENT SURVEY HERITAGE PRECINCT and the community is concerned that any development on this site neither destroys the values of the precinct nor interferes with the shipbuilding industry and Port of Melbourne facilities leased by Mobil.

Save Williamstown is a broad based community group, we do not aim to be prescriptive but we aim to constrain development to appropriate sustainable development and encourage the sort of development which is complementary to our community and does not strain our communal infrastructure. 

Save Williamstown aims to represent the whole community and has conducted a community wide residential opinion survey to assess what the whole community of Williamstown thinks of the developer’s 2009 proposal for a 46.5metre residential tower. SURVEY RESULTS.pdf  Overwhelming the community rejects the developer’s scheme and supports the issues raised by Save Williamstown.  WIth the recent Planning Scheme Amendment C86 authorised by the Minister, we are pleased that the site has now been rezoned residential but very disappointed that the Minister went against his Port Phillip Woollen Mill Advisory Committee advice and did not mandate the maximum heights within the site.  He also did not prescribe developer contributions nor provide for the State Architect to review any plans.  Also the reference group for any submitted plans will be severely restricted and not include the wider community representation of Save Williamstown, WNSRA, POW, National Trust or Heritage Victoria.  We do not believe this respects the community and the heritage, local industry, jobs and infrastructure constraints.

Relevant parts of the Planning Scheme:

Hobsons Bay City Council's planning scheme amendment C33 set out guidance for industrial land management in 2008. Planning Scheme Amendment C11 set out height limits for Williamstown in 2003.  The planning scheme amendment C86 December 2011 effecting only the Former Port Phillip Woollen Mill Site allows indicative heights in contrast to the mandated heights of the whole of the rest of Williamstown.  What will happen next on The Strand when the strict height controls have been abandoned in C86? Pressure from developers to build high rise at any vantage points in Williamstown may lead to the ruination of our town as we know it.

Council's heritage overlays set out suitable height limits of the named heritage precincts.  The heritage is set out in planning scheme amendments C34 and updated in 2011 with amendment C68.  The Municipal Strategic Statement values the heritage of Williamstown.  We fought the previous State Government Planning Minister, Justin Madden’s unilateral decision to rezone the Former Port Phillip Woollen Mill Site to Residential when Mixed Use which included some residential and some commercial use would have been more appropriate and sustainable was clearly wrong.  In December 2011 the site has been rezoned Mixed Use which is a much more appropriate zoning.

However after the Port Phillip Woollen Mill Advisory Committee held 3 weeks of consultation and the minister has now ignored the recommended maximum heights, the change to Mixed Use is a win diminished by the removal of mandated maximum height restrictions. The lack of democracy has angered the community. 

The community is very disappointed, election material authorised and distributed by the Liberal Party in the electorate promised ONLY THE COALITION WILL STOP LABOR’S HIGH-RISE DEVELOPMENT PLANS (Click to view the election material)

Brief History

Originally the owner of Former Port Phillip Woollen Mill Site, Nelson Place Village P/L completed an application to Hobsons Bay City Council in August 2009 for a planning scheme amendment to allow 46.5 metre apartments . The council did not cause any delays in processing the application. The only delays were those of the developer. Yet the former minister called the application in on the request of the developer on the basis that the council was not dealing with the matter expediently.

The former Minister unsuitably rezoned the Former Port Phillip Woollen Mill Site Residential 1 and appointed an Advisory Committee with specified Terms of Reference.  The published Terms of Reference included additional parcels of adjacent land which were still zoned Industrial 1.  With the change of government, the Advisory Committee continued and held Public Hearings in February 2011.  On the committee’s advice the new Planning Minister, Matthew Guy, has determined to approve the Port Phillip Woollen Mill Advisory Committee Report except he has passed the decision on the application to Hobsons Bay Council instead of deciding the application himself.  He also approved C86 Planning Scheme Amendment setting out the “Design and Development Controls”  which Hobsons Bay Council must use in reviewing any developer application.  As a normal town planning process, if the developer is unhappy with Council’s decision then the application could be referred to VCAT. 

And so the community must continue to evaluate any plans and play a part in ensuring that a sustainable and appropriate development follows.

Background to what happened in the advisory committee.

The committee accepted relevant submissions up to 27th August 2010 and held Public Hearings in February/March 2011 to which specific authorities, organisations, community groups and individuals were invited to be heard. More details on OUR WEBPAGE “WOOLLEN MILLS SUBMISSIONS”  

This was the only formal opportunity the community had to tell the Minister that the community was concerned about:

1. •heritage controls, height & density controls remaining the same as the neighbouring streets in the heritage area.
   

2. •the irresponsibility of introducing 1000 new residents into the Williamstown Peninsular. within the buffer distances for a Major Hazard Facility where fuel importation by ship occurs and preparing for the consequences of a major incident with the necessary emergency response
   

3. •industrial amenity buffer zones and the noise/light spill buffer distance required for the Williamstown Shipyards
   

4. •community infrastructure imposition of the development on traffic, transport and schools/child care services
   

5. •open space needs of the development. 
   

Save Williamstown was named as a group to be heard by the committee.  See Submissions for details of the submissions received by the Minister’s Advisory Committee. Also see summary of the hearings day by day

The closing date for written submissions was 27th August 2010.  

Thank you to those in the community who sent copies of individual submissions to Save Williamstown. We pledged to bind together the submissions from the community as part of our submission to make sure that all voices of our community members were heard by the Advisory Committee. 

Now that the Design and Development controls have been established by the Minister Guy in December 2011, the developer is expected to be submitting plans through normal planning processes to the Hobsons Bay City Council.

Under current legislation, developers can seek fast tracking of plans through VCAT based on the high value of the project.  However hopefully the specific requirement that the council decides on the plans at this site, should hopefully mean proper planning process through council first.  So once again the community needs to be vigilant and hope that  "normal" planning process prevails.

HISTORY - HOW SAVE WILLIAMSTOWN WAS ESTABLISHED

In late April 2009, the community learnt of a proposal to build high-rise apartments at the Former Port Phillip Woolmill site on Nelson Place (Location and photos of the site).  The proposal requested a Planning Scheme Amendment with Development Plan Overlay (Amendment 75) to allow building to 46.5 metres (which in the DPO documents includes dotted lines for buildings up to 17 storeys). This would tower over the nearby historic landmark of the TIme Ball Tower at Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park, endanger local jobs at the shipyards and will cause a planning precedent which will allow towers at many more locations throughout Williamstown, Newport  and and the inner west foreshore..

When members of WNSRA (Williamstown Newport Spotswood Residents’ Association) & POW (Preserve Old Williamstown) & others in the community heard of the proposal and the fact that the developers were not responding to Hobsons Bay City Council’s request for further information but seeking to have the Minister call-in the Planning Application to a Priority Development Panel, they hastily called a public meeting on 23rd May. The meeting showed the extent of community disquiet and went on to form an Action Working Group who then called another Public Meeting on 6th June at Seaworks.  500 people attended this meeting and determined to call the group SAVE WILLIAMSTOWN.

Our first RALLY held on Sunday 28th June was a huge success with over 1000 people.  Joan Kirner former Premier of Victoria and former member for WIlliamstown and a long term resident of Williamstown addressed the Rally.

On July 16, the community received good news when Councillors and the Minister met and determined that the application will remain with Council and the developer  must provide the required additional information to Council by 31 July (delivered on 7 August). DUE PROCESS WOULD PREVAIL and the community would then be invited to comment when the application was advertised. Links to additional information. 

In July 2009,  our petition of over 3000 signatures opposing the development was presented to Wade Noonan MP on 24th July to be tabled in State Parliament (Photos). Copies of the petition were also presented to Hobsons Bay City Council by Councillor Angela Altair.

On 1 December 2009 Councillors voted to not support the proposed amendment application C75 because it was incomplete and failed on a number of important planning issues.  They asked the developer to revise his proposal in response to concerns relating to height, proximity to the shipyards, impact on heritage, the port and coast, infrastructure and services in the community. A mixed-use development was suggested with residential in part - this was in line with response Save Williamstown has received from the community.  Council and the community agreed.

SEE THE COUNCIL’S DRAFT MINUTES Council rejected the application on i December and said that the applicant should resubmit.  If the developers resubmitted documents are accepted then the application would have proceeded to advertising when written responses from third parties would be invited.

Hobsons Bay City Council has issued THREE Fact Sheets and independent Urban Design Advice concerning the proposed planning scheme amendment. They can be viewed here.

However on 26th March  2010 the Minister Justin Madden decided to ignore the democratic process and rezone the site RESIDENTIAL and appoint an “independent” committee to decide on what can be built on the site. 

THE APPLICATION IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF THE MINISTER.

A PROTEST MEETING WAS HELD AT THE SITE ON 29TH MARCH 2010.

Local ALP Member of Parliament for Williamstown Wade Noonan has issued his own Press Release, and Save Williamstown has also issued a press release.

A further public meeting was held at which Colleen Hartland Greens member of the Legislative Council explained that she would move in parliament for the MInister’s decision to be disallowed on the grounds that he was acting against the Planning and Environment Act in rezoning part of the defined area of the Williamstown Shipyards when he was not allowed to rezone it until he had a Strategic Plan for the Shipyards accepted by both houses of Parliament and gazetted.  Also at that meeting it was decided to hold another Rally “Public Funeral for Local Democracy”.

On 14th April 2010 Colleen Hartland moved the motion in Parliament but both the ALP and Liberals didn’t support it.  Save Williamstown members demonstrated on the steps of Parliament House in Spring St.

On 8th May 2010 the “Public Funeral for Local Democracy” was held with 600 attending.  See the webpage Funeral Gallery for photos and report.

In July/August 2010 Save Williamstown supported individuals in the community in preparing submissions for the Port Phillip Woollen Mill Advisory Committee. We held a writing workshop and pledged to join together all submissions so that those who were not able to present individually could have their views expressed to the committee.

We organised the first PROPER community survey for many years in Williamstown and Newport. A random stratified sample of 400 residents of varying ages who were interviewed in person at their door.  The survey was distributed by volunteers in our community and showed the strength of community opinion against high rise, huge increase in population and inappropriate residential development in the safety zone of a major hazard facility.

In September 2010, Save Williamstown made presentation at the Ports and Environs Advisory Committee hearing regarding safety issues and fuel importation by ship - the report of which has still not been made public.

In October and November 2010 Save Williamstown attended the two directions hearings for the Port Phillip Woollen Mill Advisory Committee in October and November.

When the government changed we challenged the new government as to whether the Port Phillip Woollen Mill Advisory Committee would still be sitting.

In January 2011 we had 5 days to prepare expert witness reports after the papers of the developer and council were made available.  Our expert witnesses were from Williamstown - a fact which was challenged by the legal representatives of the developer and which caused the chairman of the committee to relegate their evidence to that of a submitter. However those witnesses who were paid by the developer for presenting evidence were apparently more independent.  This brings into question the whole financial issue of community groups with limited resources ever being able to present to a panel or committee as someone doing the work pro-bono would in all likelihood have established that they support the group for whom they are supplying pro-bono evidence. The community is very angry that the expertise of a tug boat Captain who was the only person with expertise on the safety of shipping vessels bringing 70% of Victoria’s fuel into Port Gellibrand was thus discounted. It should be noted that it is only with the reading of the report of the Port Phillip Woollen Mill Advisory Committee that we have become aware of the slight on our expert witnesses.

From February through March 2011, Save Williamstown was the only group apart from the committee members to attend every day and every session of the hearings.  We questioned every expert witness and made a powerpoint in support of our written submission. We also visited site with the committee to show the road use at school leaving times.
OUR PRESENTATION

In October 2011, we made a submission Save Williamstown response to VICTORIA PREPARED Green Paper review asking that the needs of the Point Gellibrand Peninsula be considered in making plans for disasters in Victoria as with the current population 3000 people are within 1 km of fuel importation at Pt Gellibrand and if new residential development occurred with another 1000 residents there could be significant problems in evacuating the area.

November 2011, the minister released the report of the Port Phillip Woollen Mill Advisory Committee and on 1 December 2011 the Planning Scheme Amendment C86 2011. We congratulated the minister on changing the zone to Mixed Use which includes commercial business and residential as this is more flexible and allows for the specific safety requirements of the site to be met.  However, Save Williamstown asked members to contact politicians and we contacted the minister and media about the inappropriate removal of height limits.  This is an on-going battle which we will attempt to get the minister to reinstate those limits.  We will be rallying at the Council meeting on 13 December to show the community’s anger. As quoted in The Age on 1 December 2011

1. ....“Save Williamstown community group, said the government was planning to remove ''the single most important control'' recommended by the advisory committee. ''This will give the developer a free licence to build whatever height they can get through VCAT,''....
   

Our NEWS pages provide a sequential history of all that has happened over the past 3 years.

Other activities of Save Williamstown has been:
Rallies and Public Meetings
Trivia Night Fund Raiser. SEE PHOTOS
Community Consultation on APPROPRIATE Alternative Designs
Submissions to the Foreshore Plan
Contacts with state and federal politicians and local businesses