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SmithStreet.org « CAG « Media Releases « INFORMATION RELEASE: SMITH STREET COMMUNITY SOLD OUT BY PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT PANEL PROCESS

Smith Street and the community of Collingwood and Fitzroy sold out by the planning process, with the new Priority Development Panel unresponsive to the concerns of people and communities in ‘activity centres’.

INFORMATION RELEASE

FRIDAY 14 OCTOBER 2005

SMITH STREET COMMUNITY SOLD OUT BY PRIORITY DEVELOPMENT PANEL PROCESS

Smith Street and the community of Collingwood and Fitzroy have been sold out by the planning process, with the new Priority Development Panel (PDP) instrument turning out to be totally unresponsive to the concerns of people and communities in ‘activity centres’.

That’s the conclusion come to by the Collingwood Action Group (CAG), following the four week PDP process, convened to consider both ‘Banco’s’ proposed Smith Street development and Yarra Council’s interim structure plan for the Smith Street precinct.

In August, Planning Minister Rob Hulls ‘called in’ Banco’s planning application and appointed the PDP, assuring the process would be collaborative and reach a compromise between the parties. CAG members were among residents and resident groups who participated in good faith.

However according to CAG spokesperson Mr Earl Sakareassen, from the start it was clear that the process was skewed in favour of developers, ‘It looks as if they made it up as they went along, wasting residents’ time and money. The PDP bowed to pressure from Banco’s QC and allowed cross-examination of witnesses, which took nearly three days. Community objectors were obliged to retain a barrister to be equally represented. And parties to the process had two weeks to analyse and critique hundreds of pages of expert reports commissioned by developers.’

Despite the Minister’s explicit statement about the important role of structure plans in shaping activity centres, the panel seems to have ignored this as a standard for development. ‘The council and community put together an interim plan that was acceptable and based on people’s vision for Smith Street. The government has allowed councils to introduce these interim controls precisely to ensure policy guides planning rather than development dictates planning’, said Mr Sakareassen.

Instead it seems the panel have already – and without substantial deliberation – determined that all Banco’s plans need is ‘tweaking’ (to quote Panel chair Jane Monk). The Panel will only explore some discrete opportunities for change such as the 8 storey tower's setback from the Old Post Office; Smith Street façade and canopy treatment; and louvres on balconies facing Smith Street. If the plans are ‘tweaked’, they will have the Panel’s support in advising the Minister to approve it.

‘Fifteen hundred people objected to the style, size and scale of the proposed ‘Banco’ development’ Mr Earl Sakareassen said. ‘They did not think that all it required was a “tweak”. They want a better design on a scale appropriate to the area and that respects Smith Street’s heritage significance.’

‘The panel’s approach to the Banco proposal is more evidence that panels are little better than VCAT. The panel hearing on the Richmond Salta
development actually recommended a higher building than guidelines governing the Yarra river bank permit – and now the Minister has told them to go back and think about it again.’

‘The whole process is a farce, that’s becoming a tragedy for inner city communities. Residents are still willing to talk to the Minister about a genuine compromise between developers and community. However we’ll continue to campaign publicly to oppose a development that is against council policy as well as the clear wishes and interests of so many people who live and work in this area’.

FOR MEDIA COMMENT
Collingwood Action Group, Earl Sakareassen 0425 748 888
Yarra Council, Cllr Steve Jolly 0437 856 713
Save our Suburbs, President Ian Quick 0422 479 540