8 JANUARY, 2025
YEAR IN REVIEW... STORIES OF THE YEAR Footscray neighbours Wally Hopkins and Vern Roberts have lived next door to each other for an astonishing 74 years. The pair have even altered their side fence to create a hole with a seat each side where they can have a cuppa and chat. Star Weekly photographer Damjan Janevski captured this picture of them in February. 389437_04
United by change in 2024
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Looming evictions, planned road closures and industrial developments close to residential areas were just some of causes Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay residents united behind in 2024. Residents of Williamstown’s Techno Park began the year hopeful a minor change to the state planning scheme would be enough to enable them to remain in their homes. Nine months earlier, In May 2023, Hobsons Bay council ordered up to 100 residents living in apartment blocks at Techno Park to immediately vacate their properties or face legal action because of a zoning issue. Techno Park, which has been zoned Industrial 1 since 1988, sits opposite a row of fuel storage tanks, situated one kilometre
from a former fuel refinery owned by Mobil. The planning scheme amendment opened up a path for remaining Techno Park residents to stay in their homes by claiming existing use rights. Before the change, individuals could claim existing use rights for a property after 15 years of continual use, even if that use was not normally permitted by the zoning. But, as was the case with Techno Park, those rights were extinguished once council issued a notice demanding the use cease. The change in the planning scheme meant that after 15 years of continuous residential use had passed, a council no longer had the power to extinguish existing use rights. In response, Hobsons Bay council said it would consider the planning scheme changes
but its position remained unchanged at that time. By April, council had issues letters to Techno Park residents advising it had paused efforts to evict them from their homes while it considered its obligations under the changes. And in October, two of Hobsons Bay’s new councillors – Lisa Bentley and Michael Disbury – threw their support behind the Techno Park residents being able to stay in their homes. Another contentious issue in Hobsons Bay was the state government’s planned removal of level crossings at Maddox and Champion roads in Newport, which will result in the latter being closed to traffic. The move drew strong opposition from
the community and council, with the state government accused of ignoring community concerns about the planned closure. In Maribyrnong, three residents joined forces to oppose a Paintback facility in West Footscray at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). Wattyl Paints applied for a planning permit for a Paintback hazardous waste processing facility in July 2023. The facility, mooted for Graingers Road, would crush paint cans and in the process release post-processed fumes into the surrounding area. While the application was rejected by Maribyrnong council, Wattyl appealed the decision at VCAT.
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