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Page Last Updated:
Monday, 9 November 2009 |
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Home>Planning and City Design>Projects in My Suburb>West Footscray>Whitten Oval Plans are a Concern for Council
| The State Government is currently discussing the proposed Land (Revocation of Reservations and Other Matters) Bill 2009 before Parliament. If the Bill is passed, it will enable significant alterations for the Whitten Oval in West Footscray that will dramatically change the character of the Oval and the immediate area. The Western Bulldogs Football Club (WBFC) has requested these changes.
The Bill proposes to amend the legislation to allow for ‘recreation, social, and community services’.
There has been no community consultation in regard to the proposed changes to the Bill. The proposed changes do not affect the status of the land. It remains Crown Land and therefore the community has a considerable stake in knowing what is proposed as permitted uses into the future.
Council has significant concerns about the proposed changes. At its meeting on 20 October 2009, Council considered a report on the Bill and discussed key concerns:
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| New Social Housing | | The Western Bulldogs Football Club proposes to construct a social housing complex (250 dwellings) with Federal Government funding at Whitten Oval. It is Council’s view that social housing in this location, and the model proposed, pose significant concerns for the future in terms of long term tenure and services integration. Council is also concerned that residents of this housing complex will be amongst our most vulnerable, marginalised community members, and this complex will create ‘an enclave’. Any decision by the State Government to allow social housing on Crown Land and public open space will set a new, undesirable precedent.
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| No Community Consultation | | The State Government has not consulted with either Council or our community about their requested changes to Legislation affecting the Whitten Oval. If the Legislation is passed, it will allow for development to occur with no Council input or community consultation.
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| Public Land Privatised | | Any further development of Whitten Oval will have the effect of privatising valuable open space. The social housing development is likely to be built on existing open space, which is relatively scarce in this area. Last September, the Select Committee on Public Land Development published its final report, which states that public land and open space are valued by our community, who are keenly and actively interested in its preservation, and there is a high level of community concern regarding inappropriate use and development of public land.
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| Restricting Community Access to Whitten Oval | | Further uncontrolled development of the site has the potential to result in a physical and psychological barrier to Whitten Oval. This could disrupt the sight lines between the site and the Bunbury Village development (currently under construction) and reduce the planned ‘walkability’ in the neighbourhood.
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| Increased Parking and Traffic Pressure | | Council also understands there are plans to relocate departmental staff from the Department of Education to Whitten Oval, which could cause significant parking and traffic pressures in and around the Oval. This aspect was never put before our community or Council in the Western Bulldogs initial Whitten Oval redevelopment proposal.
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| Reinstating Council’s Planning Powers to Ensure Community Consultation | | In 2008, the State Government removed Council as Responsible Authority under the Maribyrnong Planning Scheme, to facilitate Victoria University occupying part of the redeveloped Whitten Oval, contrary to the views of Council. Council is now requesting to have its planning powers restored to ensure our community has ample opportunity to be consulted on any development of this key open space.
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| Contact Members of Parliament | | The community has a right to understand the full implications of the proposed Bill, the changes of allowable uses of the Whitten Oval and the impacts these changes may have on the local community.
In the past, the Spurling family donated parcels of land to the City of Maribyrnong. Council then named a piece of land at the front of the Whitten Oval ‘Spurling Reserve’ in honour of their generosity. The Spurling family stated they want to be consulted should land they donated be altered. Although the proposed plans do not directly affect the Spurling Reserve, the family have not been consulted to date.
The Bill has been passed by the Lower House and is due to be debated in the Upper House on 10 November 2009. If any community members have concerns about this issue, you are encouraged to make your views known to one or all of the five upper house Members of Parliament for Western Metropolitan Melbourne Region.
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| Contact Details for Local MP's |
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| What Will Happen Next? | | At the Council Meeting on 20 October, Council resolved to:
1. Write to the State Government seeking a response to Council’s letter of 9 September, 2009 regarding the proposed relocation of the Education Department from Parkville to the Whitten Oval.
2. Write to the Minister for Community Development, the Hon. Peter Batchelor, MP, expressing Councils concerns with the Bill:
a) In regard to the proposed changes to the Western (Whitten) Oval - relating specifically to the loss of open space and the amenity impacts on local residents once this site has been built on.
b) The lack of consultation with the Council, the Spurling family, and affected and surrounding residents about the significant change in use of the Western (Whitten) Oval.
3. Write to the Minister for Housing, the Hon. Richard Wynne, MP, asking if the State Government will approve the Western Bulldogs proposal.
4. Write to and request a meeting with the full Board of the Western Bulldogs and Councillors seeking to clarify and understand the new vision for the site, their long term strategy, how social housing fits with the long term strategy, their plans for community engagement and how appropriate community access to the site can be maintained, and their financial and commercial arrangements related to the housing proposal.
5. Write to the Minister for Planning, the Hon. Justin Madden, MP, asking for Council’s planning authority to be restored as the responsible authority for the Western (Whitten) Oval.
6. Write to surrounding residents informing them of the Bill before Parliament and the planning change of status of the Crown Land allowable uses.
7. Council - given representatives from the Federal Government have indicated they believe Maribyrnong has received its fair share of affordable housing funding - write to the Federal Government Minister for Housing, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek, MP, seeking clarification of its
funding formula for affordable housing under the current national affordable rental initiative and whether the Federal Government will be funding the Western Bulldog’s proposal.
You can also view a full copy of the Council Report (PDF Format 182kb).
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