IN A sensational development for Phillip Island, the Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, has reportedly made a decision to override a ruling by VCAT, made in May last year, and approve the construction of a new, $48.6 million National Vietnam Veterans Museum at Newhaven.
The project, with a few minor tweaks to address issues raised by the only two objectors to the proposal, will go ahead within the next 12 months, substantially as planned on a 100-acre site owned by the NVVM, on Phillip Island Road, near its intersection with Woolamai Beach Road.
A $10.5 million, dual-lane roundabout, completed at the location in August 2020 already provides access to the new museum site.
It is understood that the group has $20 million of the necessary funds in hand but will now redouble its efforts to access more funding.
A spokesman for the NVVM declined to comment on the decision today, except to say that the museum had planned an initial announcement to volunteers, in recognition of their service, next Monday, when Chairman of the National Vietnam Veterans Museum Board, Kingsley Mundey AM returned from overseas.
It is understood the museum board is yet to receive any official documentation about the project’s approval, but expected to do so later this week.
According to a report in Tuesday’s Phillip Island Advertiser, the NVVM board lodged a new planning permit directly with the Minister last year under the government’s new Clause 53.22 (Significant Economic Development) within the state’s Development Facilitation Program and recently gained approval.
Supportive documentation was provided by the Bass Coast Shire Council, which has already approved the project, and Invest Victoria about the likely economic benefit.
At the time VCAT set aside the decision of the Bass Coast Shire Council to grant a permit it noted the key objections of the two neighbours:
Objector 1:
- In appropriate use of the land and loss of agricultural land.
- Inappropriate built form.
- Environmental and landscape impacts including impacts on the Ramsar Wetlands.
Objector 2:
- Drainage and potential flooding impacts.
- Lack of security fencing between the two properties resulting in potential damage/loss of nursery stock.
- Adverse impacts to an existing agricultural business that generates ongoing opportunities for local employment and support for rural communities.
- The proposal does not enhance or support agricultural activities in the surrounding Farming Zone.
Presiding VCAT Member Peter Gaschk and Member Christopher Harty said this, among other things, at the time of its decision to refuse the permit:
- Having considered the submissions and evidence of the parties, including our inspection of the review site and surrounds, we find the proposal is not consistent with the prevailing strategic planning policy context and FZ that applies to the subject land. We find the scale and size of the proposal in a FZ, located outside any precinct nominated under the Scheme for a large tourism development as proposed, is not an acceptable or orderly planning outcome.
- We also find the proposal introduces a large building form and visually prominent berm mounding that is significant in scale and transformative in character to the existing landscape setting. We consider the extent and size of the proposed berm treatments will be too obtrusive, in an area where the landscape is rural and subtle, with low lying landform rolling towards the north and to the Fisher’s Wetland area and Western Port Bay beyond.
- These are determinative matters and cannot be addressed by minor design changes to the proposal. It requires a major redesign of the scale, size and appearance of the proposed building and berms and their setting within the existing landscape.
It is understood there has not been “a major redesign” of the project which will now go ahead substantially as originally planned, failing an appeal to the Supreme Court by the two neighbouring objectors who have reportedly been notified of the Minister’s decision.
Funding questions
But Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs, Tim Bull MP, has raised a red flag about the State Government’s commitment of $10 million to the project, asking that it be confirmed by his counterpart the Hon Natalie Suleyman MP, Minister for Veterans.
“Member of the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee, Danny O’Brien (Member for Gippsland South) questioned the Minister about the allocation on May 24 and there seemed to be some confusion about whether the money was in the budget or not.
“On the one hand, they confirmed that $9.2 million was cut from the veterans budget, of which $5 million was to be for the National Vietnam Veterans Museum, and yet they say the money will be available when its needed.
“There’s also the issue of a $10 million commitment by the State Government. I think the Minister, and the local member, should be making it clear that those funds will be available now, especially as the project has been cleared to go ahead,” Mr Bull said.
The Minister did, however, reinforce the government’s commitment at PAEC.
“The project has been paused because the Vietnam veterans’ museum unfortunately has faced some site issues and planning issues. I am in regular contact, and my office is in regular contact, with the Vietnam veterans’ museum committee, but this is a clear pause while the project repositions, as I said, in response to planning and site issues. We stand committed to funding our commitments for the museum,” Minister Suleyman said only a few weeks ago.