The Minister did not issue a media release when he decided to exempt himself from the Planning and Environment Act and determine PAS C86 in his “Reasons for decision” signed on 25th November 2011 but gave an exclusive to the Herald Sun on 28th November before Hobsons Bay Council were informed:

COUNCIL TO Council to decide on Williamstown's high-rise row

C86 Planning Scheme Amendment on which Hobsons Bay Councillors were then consulted 29th November 2011 is shown on the link. Council requested changes to the document: mandatory height limits as in the PPWMAC report; developer contributions and State Architect involvement. Council Strategic Planners were told this document was to be gazetted with NO CHANGES ie Council requests were not incorporated and emailed this information to Save Williamstown.

WAS COUNCIL AWARE OF FAKE CONSULTATIONS?

After the consultations with Council, the Department of Planning and Community Development substituted another document date stamped about 2pm on 30th November, which was in fact gazetted on 1 December 2011.  There were changes from the document sent to council date stamped 28th November. The gazetted document had DDO11 clause 2.0 the Worksafe Advisory Map removed and changed requirements for the Emergency Evacuation Plan,  to be applied only to the Worksafe Advisory Area (clause 8.0 became clause 7.0 and wording was added). So the Hobsons Bay Council officer was either wrong in informing Save Williamstown that the document they had given us was the one which was to be gazetted with NO CHANGES or they too were duped by the Minister’s DPCD substituting a later version.  The link to the gazetted documents is

DPCD link to the GAZETTED versions of Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme Amendment C86

NB the link on Council’s website is no longer working as DPCD have changed their website layout and finding a planning scheme amendment from Council’s link is not easy.

The REAL C86 as referenced in the Special Government Gazette 1 December 2011 on this link

Advisory Committee Report and Committee’s Design and Development Overlay

Read more about the rezoning Planning Scheme Amendment C86

(to be published once gazetted)

It is understood that MANDATORY height controls are replaced with PREFERRED height controls which could have a huge detrimental effect on the community. Also this large development has no developer contribution specified.  Council have 24 hours to respond to the Amendment C86

Download the advice obtained by Save Williamstown under FOI which led to Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme Amendment C86:

Dated 18 October 2011,

Advice to Minister Matthew Guy

Signed by David Hodge, Executive Director, State Planning Services and Urban Development

FOI Woollen Mills Ministerial Briefing to Matthew Guy.pdf

..

PUBLISHED REPORT OF PORT PHILLIP WOOLLEN MILL ADVISORY COMMITTEE  & PLANNING SCHEME AMENDMENT C86 - gazetted 1 December 2011