Council support ETU rezoning

One of the largest donors to Lord Mayor Nick Reece’s election campaign, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU), has won the council’s support to rezone its North Melbourne headquarters.

The amendment rezones the site at 192–200 Arden St, North Melbourne, from General Residential Zone 1 to Mixed Use Zone, paving the way for future development.

This follows a report from a planning panel appointed by the Minister for Planning, which recommended the amendment be adopted with “minimal changes”.

In the planning panel report tabled at the Future Melbourne Committee (FMC) meeting on August 5, the panel stated, “[The ETU] intend to continue this use of the site and, in the future, increase the building floor area to accommodate expanded facilities.”

It noted that under the current planning scheme provisions, the existing use of the site can continue, but any office expansion is prohibited under the existing residential zoning.

The ETU has expressed interest in expanding its office space and constructing new training facilities if the union was successful in getting the site rezoned.

Currently, the site includes the 21-metre-tall heritage Mills building, originally constructed for industrial use by Melbourne Mills at the turn of the 20th century and repurposed as an office complex in the 1990s.

Adjacent to it is a four-storey commercial and community-use building. Height limits have now been increased for some parts of the site to better align with the current buildings.

The northern boundary, which backs onto O’Shanassy St, has the lowest height limit –just over three metres – while height limits on the Arden St side of the site are closer to those of the existing Mills building.

Due to the union making a $60,000 donation to Team Reece’s election campaign, the Lord Mayor and fellow Team Reece councillors Deputy Lord Mayor Roshena Campbell, Cr Kevin Louey, and Cr Mark Scott were unable to vote on the rezoning due to a conflict of interest.

The union was the largest donor to Cr Reece’s mayoral campaign aside from Reece himself – narrowly trailing his personal contribution by $2000.

Labor councillor Davydd Griffiths also left the chamber due to a $15,000 donation from the union during his 2020 campaign.

However, it was passed despite the conflicts of interest, with all remaining councillors supporting the rezoning.

The planning panel report also revealed that of the 10 submissions received regarding the amendment, half were objections.

Objectors raised concerns that future development would result in increased traffic noise, and would exacerbate heat issues, obstruct views, and set a precedent for further development that could erode the character of the area.

However, while the panel acknowledged these concerns, it expressed confidence that the proposed heights would ensure appropriate “built-form outcomes.”

It also found that, “Objecting submitter concerns in relation to increased heat and reflected traffic noise were not substantiated.”

Following the council’s support, the amendment now awaits final approval from Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny. •