In this article in The Age (below), the Planning Minister comments

“.... communities had to decide if they wanted old industrial land to provide extra housing or to remain for industrial use...” 

Question when did Williamstown community get a choice on the zoning of the land - the zoning was changed on the sole application of the developer?

The previous planning scheme amendment, C33 “Hobsons Bay Industrial Land Management Strategy” for Precinct 20 Industrial_Land_Management_Strategy240608.pdf

stated that “A residential outcome within this precinct, will also improve the overall amenity of the area, and is the Council’s preferred option” -

NOTE “WITHIN THIS PRECINCT” not the whole precinct. 

The Strategy went on to say ““The Minister of Planning directed the Council to amend the Industrial Land Management Strategy to reflect the Government position on protecting the Port Environs. In light of this the Council’s second option is to see the site redeveloped for professional service/commercial offices and light industries. These would also result in a desirable outcome which would assist in meeting the needs of the local population. Tourism uses could be considered appropriate depending on the individual proposal, which may further support the growing tourism industry in Williamstown.

Land zoned IN3Z and IN1Z fronting Ann St, 55-57 Nelson Place (hotel) and 41 Nelson Place (motor mechanic) should be considered for residential purposes, to provide a better amenity outcome for residents on the opposite side of Ann St. Properties would have to front Ann St, and demonstrate appropriate attenuation features to buffer against any concerns in relation to the Port of Melbourne and Tenix.

In this context, it is considered that part of the precinct be identified as a Strategic Redevelopment Area. Any rezoning must foremost ensure protection of the Tenix shipbuilding facility from sensitive amenity uses......” 

C33 received full community consultation. So the community discussion and input was ignored by the minister, even his own direction of December 2008 was ignored when 15 months later he changed the whole of the Former Port Phillip Woollen Mill Site to Residential 1.

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The Age

Jason Dowling and Simon Johanson
August 16, 2010 - 3:00AM

The graphic accompanying this article in the newspaper shows under the header “Battle of the Burbs” proposed developments at Hobsons Bay  Former Port Phillip Woollen Mill Site), Moreland, Yarra and Bayside municipalities.

“BATTLES between developers and local communities over giant urban renewal projects have broken out across Melbourne.

And with the state government planning to house an additional 316,000 residents in Melbourne's ''established areas'' over the next 20 years and with many former industrial sites ripe for development, confrontations between developers and local communities are tipped to soar.

In Williamstown, residents are battling a huge residential development proposal on the former Woollen Mills site, while across the bay in Sandringham plans for a 500-dwelling development have energised the community.....

.....The opposition has produced a draft policy that would restrict residential towers to a maximum of nine storeys in the suburbs. Planning Minister Justin Madden dismissed the idea. He said Melbourne needed more housing, and communities had to decide if they wanted old industrial land to provide extra housing or to remain for industrial use.

He said the high cost of cleaning up old industrial sites often meant residential developments had to be large to ensure they were economically viable. Mr Madden said there should be strategic planning in advance in which councils consulted communities about where additional housing should be located.

''We're working with local government around housing growth requirements so that local governments can identify the housing growth needs over the next 20 years or so and then they can identify where they justifiably think the housing can go and in a sense the sort of numbers - that is not without some sensitivity,'' he said.

Mr Madden said additional housing was not just about population growth. ''If we had no population growth we would still need more housing because there is a change in the way people are forming their households. People are forming smaller households,'' he said.....

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/residents-on-warpath-over-planning-20100815-12593.html