[2019] VCAT 1029
General information, not legal advice.
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
2019-07-08
Original judgment source is linked above.
To provide diverse employment opportunities for Wyndham and the western region of Melbourne by establishing a thriving industrial employment precinct that extends the West Industrial Node and provides for a wide range of businesses and jobs. The precinct will comprise quality industrial park developments with a logistics bias and have strong links to industrial activity centres and future higher order services.
Heavy Industrial: This area of the precinct will have flexibility to accommodate heavy industrial (subject to satisfaction of the relevant requirements of the Scheme depending on the specific form of use and development proposed), manufacturing and storage uses that may require substantive buffer distances from local communities.
Heavy and general industry, manufacturing, logistics, and a broad range of other related activities may be located in this area.
General Industrial A: A large proportion of the precinct will accommodate industrial and manufacturing uses. Heavy (subject to satisfaction of the relevant requirements of the Scheme depending on the specific form of use and development proposed) and general industry, manufacturing, logistics, and other related activities may be located in this area.
General Industrial B: An interface industrial area that provides a buffer between the Port Phillip Prison and the surrounding industrial area. A broad range of industrial land uses can be accommodated. The uses need to be compatible with the sensitive use within the Prison site.
Industrial Park A and B: A high amenity area combining light industrial, research and development uses, and other business uses along Palmers and Leakes Roads. Higher employment densities in this area will be encouraged, with office specifically encouraged in the Industrial Park Area B. A wide range of occupancy sizes, including small "factory/offices" and uses incorporating ancillary offices are encouraged in the Industrial Park area. Over time, this area will serve to attract higher density services and employment uses, and provide a transitional buffer between the Truganina South Community Precinct and the General Industrial Area. Uses of a sensitive nature that may compromise the General Industrial A will be discouraged as will uses with adverse amenity potential that may similarly compromise the Truganina South Community Precinct. Uses that have the potential to detract from visual amenity, including but not limited to materials recycling, shipping container storage and outdoor storage must not be located in this area. The intensity of development is expected to increase over time.
An area generally characterised by lighter industrial activities carried out within small to medium sized plants, factories or warehouses with moderate administrative functions contained within an identifiable office component. Office components should be 2 storeys in height and orientated towards the street (incorporating high quality and integrated landscape frontage) with factory areas located behind. The intensity of development in this area may increase over time.
IS THE PROPOSAL GENERALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PSP?
IS THE PROPOSED USE AN ACCEPTABLE USE OF THE LAND HAVING REGARD TO THE SITE CONTEXT AND PLANNING SCHEME CONTROLS AND POLICIES?
The SEMP applies for all works approved in this Permit up to where public land is handed over (and accepted) by the relevant authority and the remainder is completely in private ownership.
Prior to commencement of works, contractors must be inducted into the SEMP and all flora and fauna conservation requirements.
Please note that any foundations of built structures, including any concrete areas such as paths/driveways, must be protected with appropriate tree root/moisture barriers to ensure the integrity of the foundations are not compromised.
Completion of Development and Commencement of Use
The Responsible Authority may extend the periods referred to if a request is made in writing whereby either of the following instances apply:
(a) before or within six (6) months after the permit expiry date, where the use or development allowed by the permit has not yet started; or
(b) within twelve (12) months after the permit expiry date, where the proposal allowed by the permit has lawfully started before the permit expires.
[1] From www.nearmap.com.au, taken on 7 April 2019.
[2] The submissions of the parties, any supporting exhibits given at the hearing, and the statements of grounds filed have all been considered in the determination of the proceeding. In accordance with the practice of the Tribunal, not all of this material will be cited or referred to in these reasons.
[3] At the time of refusal, the State Planning Policy Framework, as it then was, included policies concerning Industry at clause 17.02. Those policies are now contained in clause 17.03. In this decision I refer only to the current policies contained in the Wyndham Planning Scheme.
[4] The PSP explains, at section 3.2.2 that the Business Activity Centre (as proposed in the Truganina South Community PSP) is intended to be a buffer between the industrial uses to the north and residential uses to the south and will provide a range of business-related services, including a conference centre, motel accommodation, food premises, offices and retail.
[5] At clauses 11, 13, 15, 17, 21.01 and 21.08 of the Scheme.
[6] These principles have been set out in several Tribunal decisions, including Canet v Brimbank CC [2003] VCAT 13; Casey Gardens Developments Pty Ltd v Casey CC [2009] VCAT 2489; Fabcot Pty Ltd v Whittlesea CC [2014] VCAT 600 (21 May 2014).
[7] Expert report of Ms Horsfield, at paragraph 67.
[8] This is to be contrasted with the Tribunal decision to refuse to grant a permit for a place of worship which did not generate any jobs and was not an employment based use - Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Australia Pty Ltd v Wyndham CC [2018] VCAT 1438.
PCRDM Pty Ltd
Wyndham CC [2019] VCAT 1029