A Pump Park for Altona North
There is a lack of informal recreational space for children and teenagers in Altona North. This leads to our roads being used inappropriately and unsafely for fun. We think there are many sites that, with investigation and involvement from the local community, could be suitable for these facilities. Can you please investigate the suitability of sites like:
- the Eastona Primary School site,
- the hilled area next to the Paisley Park playground,
- Crofts Reserve, and;
- the reserves along Kororoit Creek,
for a pump park. And, please also consider facilities like climbing walls and other informal recreation in Altona North too.
Better West has started a petition to present to Council in support of this idea. See it here: https://www.change.org/Altona-North-Pump-Park
Spotswood Festival Proposal – March 2022
Better West Inc has applied to West Gate Tunnel Neighbourhood Fund to facilitate a Spotswood Festival in March 2022. Date to be finalised. An application has been made to Hobsons Bay City Council Events Team and we await further funding opportunities.
Please go to https://forms.gle/Av6wAkfqCEewwUfu6 to lodge your support or expression of interest to contribute to the program. Watch this space for updates.
Hall Street Design
The West Gate Tunnel Authority is providing the people of Spotswood in Hobsons Bay with a link to the Federation bike trail and access to a new park at the Stony Creek. This gives Hobsons Bay City Council a once in a lifetime opportunity to redesign Hall Street to create open space for community use, greening an industrial heat sink and increasing safe active transport in the city.
However, along with broken promises of community consultation, Hobsons Bay City Council is choosing a design that prioritises space for parking and gives access to trucks. HBCC’s design will create an even more dangerous intersection at Hudson Rd and will lock out opportunities for greening and community space.
Spotswood Dreaming
Better West Inc invited the Mayor and HBCC staff as guests to monthly meetings in 2018 and was briefed on the Spotswood Structural Plan. They inspired us to dream of what could be and to input to the consultation on the Spotswood Structural Plan following background studies.
Armed with maps and policies provided by Council we set up a stall at the Slow Food Melbourne Farmers Market at the Spotswood Kingsville RSL in the Avenue. Each month we focused on a different area or problem – Station activity centre, Hudsons Rd, residential streets, etc. Over four months we engaged with residents and our neighbours getting comments on butchers paper. We held a stall near cafes in Hudsons Rd and patrons at the RSL continued to jot down their ideas. People were excited! There is so much potential!
Westgate Tunnel
Further delays and cost blow outs have been announced for this project. In 2023 construction of the Hyde St ramps commenced in earnest affecting night time travel. Land and road closures and detours have caused congestion on local roads – Douglas Parade, Melbourne Rd, Blackshaws Rd inconveniencing locals through long delays. For update information on the progress of this project and traffic interruptions go to https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/west-gate-tunnel-project
Hobsons Bay City Council
Better West Inc has put in a response to the Local Area Movement Plan -Northern Suburbs Package and Better Places Urban Design. We are pleased to see that much of Spotswood Dreaming has been taken up in both these initiatives. Better West has engaged productively in the Better Places Spotswood and South Kingsville Project. 16 Urban improvement projects have been approved. To see progress and participate in these go to https://participate.hobsonsbay.vic.gov.au/BPSSK#sskprojects
Traffic Issues
Better West has continued to advocate for traffic calming on Hudsons Rd Spotswood and to look for alternate routes for heavy vehicles with local destinations. We have supported changed land use in Spotswood east of rail line through submissions on Spotswood Activity Centre Structure Plan. Unfortunately, recent changes by Worksafe guide land use in proximity to Major Hazard Facilities has created a perception of increased risk of these facilities without explanation and consultation and impacting decisions by the Responsible Authority.
Environment
As an outcome of the Environment Effects Study for the West Gate Tunnel Project in 2017 the Minister ordered a further study of air quality in the inner west. A Reference Group was formed with residents of Maribyrnong and Spotswood and chaired by Patsy Toop. It report in 2020. You can find the reports here.
EPA Issues
Local residents in Hudsons Rd and area surrounding the Spotswood Industrial precinct have made a number of complaints about excessive noise from Visy at night. They are asking the EPA impose the standards for protecting residential amenity and enforce those conditions. Visy made many promises about the traffic and noise when planning new warehouses.