Power plays at port

Curious timing as plans called in

VICTORIA’S Planning Minister Richard Wynne called in plans to develop the former power station in North Geelong just two days after the belated release last month of the 2018 Geelong Port Development Strategy.

The Victorian Regional Channels Authority (VRCA) says a draft of its port development strategy had been submitted to the Ports Minister in December, the same month the power station plans were approved by the Geelong council and weeks before the VRCA lodged its appeal.

The VRCA says it didn’t receive endorsement to release the strategy until June.

It publicly did so on Friday, July 12.

Two days later Mr Wynne called in the plans for the power station, citing requests from the Minister for Ports and Freight, Melissa Horne, and the Minister for Economic Development, Tim Pallas.

The $20 million plans will now be reviewed by an independent panel which has been tasked to ensure any potential impact on the port is properly considered.

The new port strategy raises concerns about commercial development encroaching on the port, including Federal Mills Park at which the VRCA is a tenant, and suggests the former power station should be considered for use as a truck rest stop as part of a proposed wider transport network to service the port and its anticipated future growth.

After its release, the VRCA was asked if the strategy would be presented as part of its appeal to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

In its July 16 response, two days after the Minister had called the plans in, the authority’s CEO Michael Harvey said in a statement that the “VRCA will not make comment on matters before VCAT”.

Asked if it was reasonable or consistent for the authority to be a tenant at Federal Mills Park while also raising concerns about its proximity to the port in a strategy document, Mr Harvey said: “Given there is a matter currently before VCAT it is inappropriate for the VRCA to comment.”

This week the State Government declined to offer any explanation for the closeness in timing of the release of the port strategy and the calling in of the plans or whether it would expect the strategy to be presented to the independent panel.

Completing a hectic fortnight at the VRCA, on July 26 Mr Harvey announced his retirement.

After 2½ years as the authority’s chief executive, the retirement became effective five days later, on July 31. “NORTH Geelong doesn’t need more reasons why job growth can’t happen and sites sit abandoned.

We’ve proven how we can deliver with Federal Mills, we just want to continue this real job growth next door at the power station, a site which has sat abandoned for 48 years! No jobs, no value for the economy at the power station for 48 years.

Now there’s a threat to ensure the site remains that way, or we could continue to bring diverse jobs back to the area.

You would have to prove Federal Mills has had a negative impact to argue that the power station would too.

The power station has much less interface with the port zone than the Federal Mills site has; the power station building is further away from the port facilities too.

The power station site is different because it sits next door to parks, sports clubs, Osborne House and the Rippleside residential area.

Our project provides a complementary buffer between residential and industrial.

We support the value of the local port facilities for the city, many of our tenants at Federal Mills rely on it.

In fact, our objectors benefit from Federal Mills, with the Victorian Regional Channels Authority recently moving there.

How can they seriously object to the growth of an employment precinct that they benefit from on a daily basis?”