An extract from the Merrivale letter-drop by the Red Circle real estate asking homeowners to consider selling while their houses hold their value. Image: Bluestone Magazine.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] T [/dropcap]he proposed milk processing factory and cold storage plant at Midfield Meats still need planning approval, but at least one real estate company is urging Merrivale homeowners to consider selling in case property values fall.
Red Circle real estate associate Phil Gray has letter-dropped several streets in the Merrivale area to tell homeowners about a potential opportunity to sell their property before any impact on prices from the Midfield development.
“I’ve been following the progress of the plans to further develop the Midfield site, which may have an impact on the sale prices of Merrivale homes in the future,” Mr Gray writes.
“This could be a great opportunity for a change of scenery as we have been approached by an investor looking to buy properties to rent to future workers,” the letter says.
Mr Gray told Bluestone that the investor was not, as some residents believed, connected to the Midfield group, but was a number of individual people.
“Several people have put it to me that they think it would be a good investment to buy in the area, not to live in, but just to rent because they feel rental prices will increase,” he said.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] P [/dropcap]roperty prices, however, may go down as a result of the development, he said.
“We are expecting it to have some kind of effect,” Mr Gray said.
Mr Gray’s letter also reinforces this point: “…this could be the perfect opportunity to move forward and take full advantage of the current market situation”.
A significant portion of the Midfield Meats workforce is made up of overseas workers on temporary visas who need to rent, rather than buy, in the Merrivale and west Warrnambool area.
“Investors see Merrivale as good for rental returns because of the relatively low property prices and, either way, there is strong demand for rentals in the area,” Mr Gray said.
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Janis and Dean Bennett, with Princess Penelope, in the yard of their Merrivale home. The couple are among those fighting to stop two major industrial developments by the Midfield Group on land now zoned Public Use.
Words: Carol Altmann
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #8F9F59;”] W [/dropcap]hen Janis and Dean Bennett bought their little rough diamond of a house in Merrivale almost 10 years ago, they knew it wasn’t far from the Midfield meatworks, but they could live with that.
Like most young couples, they needed a home that would fit their budget and the little suburb on the west side of Warrnambool had a lot going for it: a primary school, a football and cricket club, close to a river and beach, and within walking distance to town.
The Bennetts have since had a child and, through hard work, slowly transformed their “rough diamond” into a cosy home, with a thriving vegie patch, herb garden and chicken coop. Merrivale has also changed from being a very working-class suburb to a socio-economic mix of people wanting to live in an area with character and a strong sense of community.
But now the people of Merrivale are being asked to accept two enormous changes to their suburb: a 29m tall cold storage facility (basically, a giant fridge) and a 35m tall milk powder factory, both of which would operate 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week, on Scott St.
In what is shaping up as a classic David v Goliath battle, people like the Bennetts are battling to have the expansion stopped and will put their case to an independent panel hearing that starts in Warrnambool on Tuesday, Feb 3. (See end of story for details and timetable).
This image by the Merrivale Community Association and the We Love Merrivale group shows how they believe the cold store (right) and milk processing plant (left) will look from the Warrnambool Showgrounds. Image: Supplied.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #8F9F59;”] W[/dropcap]hen the projects were first announced by the Midfield Group, they were expected to create up to 200 jobs. It has since been revealed, however, that only up to 22 full-time jobs will be created after construction. Property prices are also expected to be affected.
“We are not against a milk factory being built, but it is just in the wrong place: it needs to be out of town,” Janis said.
The planning laws, as they stand, agree with her.
Both projects require land to be rezoned from Public Use to Industrial, including land that was once owned by the people (as Crown land) and used by the Warrnambool City Council depot, until it was sold off to Midfield last year.
The Warrnambool Planning Scheme also asks that a cold store be no less than 150m from the nearest dwelling. The nearest house is less than 100m away.
The scheme also recommends that a milk processing factory be at least 300m from a home. The nearest house will be 130m.
The reason for these protections, of course, are that large-scale factories and freezers bring with them noise, lights, extra trucks, extra traffic and a whole raft of potential hazards that don’t sit well with residential areas.
“We quite happily live near a pre-existing industrial zone, but we also knew that there were laws in place to prevent certain things happening and to make sure that things weren’t forced through,” Dean said.
“The council is now being asked to change those laws and there is an expectation that it will go ahead because of the money behind it.”
Signs like this one have been popping up in windows and on fences around Merrivale as the community rallies to stop the developments. Image: Bluestone Magazine.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #8F9F59;”] T [/dropcap]he Bennetts are among those particularly concerned about the potential health risks of the expansion and the fact that both projects will be within 1km of a primary school.
“I know we are talking worst case scenarios, but they can happen and (Midfield) has to plan for such things happening: this is what they want to put on our doorstep,” Janis said.
The Merrivale Community Association will be among those represented at the independent panel hearing, together with at least another 17 submitters against or in favour of the project.
Spokesman Keith McAlley – who will represent the MCA – has been wading through around 8kg of documents that outline the expert witnesses to be called by Midfield and the council.
There will be lawyers and QCs and a string of experts, and then there will be Keith, and other speakers from the community who wish to have their say.
“It is daunting, but I am at that point in my life where I ask ‘what can I do to help myself?’ and ‘what can I do to help my community?,” Keith said.
Keith hopes that wider Warrnambool will get behind the MCA campaign, because he believes the impact of the development will be felt across the city through more large trucks on the road, damage to roads and a dramatic change to the visual landscape of west Warrnambool.
“As ratepayers, you will be picking up the repair bill for any damage to the road, for example,” he said.
Once the independent panel has heard all submissions, it will make recommendations to the council.
It is then up to the council to decide if it will accept or reject the recommendations: giving the Midfield Group either a green or red light.
[learn_more caption=”Click here for the panel hearing timetable”]
Hearings start at 10am and finish around 4.30pm, South-west TAFE, Level 3.
Tuesday, Feb 3: (All day)
Representatives for Warrnambool City Council.
Wednesday Feb 4:
AM: Environmental Protection Authority; Representatives for 92 Liebig St Pty Ltd.
PM: Site inspection at Scott St. (2.30pm-4.30pm)
Thursday, Feb 5: Representatives for Midfield Meat International.
Friday, Feb 6: Representatives for Midfield Meat International.
Tuesday, Feb 10: Representatives for Midfield Meat International.
Wednesday, Feb 11:
AM: Merrivale Community Association.
PM: Various submitters from the community.
Thursday, Feb 12: Various submitters from the community.
Friday, Feb 13:
AM: Midfield Meat International closing comments and right of reply.
PM: Warrnambool City Council closing comments and right of reply.
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The 1940s former Madden’s building – built by Ern Harris – has been demolished to make way for a new apartment complex as one of three major projects that will change the shape of Warrnambool next year.
OPINION – Carol Altmann
* A warning, this piece includes a graphic photo from the Levys Point rendering plant which some readers may find distressing.
Next year is shaping up as a defining one for the long-term future of Warrnambool and its residents, with three major projects that will change the landscape for decades to come.
The first is the proposed 34m-high milk processing plant and an adjacent 29m-tall cold store that will both operate 24-hours a day, seven-days a week in Scott St, Merrivale.
The second is a $3 million upgrade of the rendering plant at Levys Point that sits adjacent to the Merri River wetlands and the Warrnambool-Port Fairy rail trail.
And the third is a nine-level apartment and penthouse complex to replace the former Madden’s building on a prime site overlooking Merri/Gilles streets.
All three projects are linked to one of the most successful businesses and businessmen in Warrnambool: Midfield Meats and its founder, Colin McKenna, who, understandably, are always looking for opportunities to expand and build upon their already multi-million dollar status. There is nothing wrong with that.
The problem, however, is that the consequences of such expansions on the rest of us – the little people and our city – can be significant and irreversible.
As such, we have one chance to get it right, lest it all go so horribly wrong, and this is where we look to our civic leaders to act in the best interests of us all.
So far, however, most of the Warrnambool City Council and its elected members have appeared reluctant to rigorously press, probe and challenge the merits of all three projects put forward by one of Warrnambool’s most high-profile businesses, as if any “progress” is good progress.
It is not pretty, but a mountain of dead animal remains is the reality of the rendering plant at Warrnambool’s Levy’s Point which is on the W’bool-Port Fairy rail trail and can be seen when the gates are open. Image: Merri Wetlands Protection Group.
Let’s start with the rendering plant at Levy’s Point, which was built in the 1970s at a time when the area was considered way out of town and nobody gave much thought to the environment.
In 2014, both of these things have changed dramatically.
We now care that a rendering plant is right next door to a beautiful wetlands and not only is it no longer isolated, but the Port Fairy-Warrnambool rail trail passes by its front door.
I had been warned that if you cycled along the rail trail, you could be confronted with the clawing stench and shocking sight of dismembered animal parts pushed into a meat mountain, but I didn’t quite believe it.
But yes, it is true and I can’t begin to imagine what tourists must think when they stumble across this sensory assault. The residents of nearby Merrivale, of course, have been living with the stench for years.
It is not the fault of Midfield Meats that they have inherited this location, but its application for new works at the plant provides a rare opportunity to strongly argue that it is time to relocate.
This is exactly what the Merri Wetlands Protection Group – a five member, volunteer based group – will argue when it presents its case to VCAT in April.
The majority of our councillors – Crs Ermacora, Hulin, Sycopoulis and Kelson – actually agree with them, but the final position taken when two of these councillors were absent saw the vote of Crs Neoh, Gaston and Askew turn opposition into support. Go figure.
How the proposed cold storage facility will appear on the skyline near the Warrnambool Showgrounds according to planning documents. Image: Warrnambool City Council.
This is how the ‘We Love Merrivale” group envisages the new milk powder and cold storage buildings will look from the Warrnambool showgrounds. Image: We Love Merrivale.
Then there is the proposed milk processing plant and cold store that will tower over the inner industrial estate and create a whole new set of issues for the people of Merrivale while adding a 10-storey and a nine-storey shed to the skyline.
In a complex set of transactions involving state and local government, the council has bent over backwards to accommodate the Midfield plans by selling them part of its depot land, yet CEO Bruce Anson said recently he had no idea the site was intended for a milk powder factory until shortly before settlement.
So again it has been left to the little people, like the We Love Merrivale group, to stand up and challenge the idea of a factory being built so close to their homes, because regardless of the assurances given about dust emissions and noise, they are the ones who will have to live with it in their backyard.
The nine-level Warrnambool Apartment complex proposed for the corner of Merri and Gilles streets. Image: Warrnambool City Council.
And lastly we have the nine-storey Warrnambool Apartments project that will dominate the end of Merri and Gilles streets.
This complex will replace a 1940s art-deco building that had been recommended for heritage protection, but was rejected by the council, allowing its recent demolition. (Ironically, the council is now seeking a heritage overlay on the house next door, which was built at the same time, by the same builder.)
Irrespective of what you think of the design – personally, I think it is more suited to Melbourne’s Docklands than Gilles St – the sheer height of the building at almost 30 metres is at odds with the council’s planning guidelines for the area that say buildings should be no more than 7.5m (in one section) and 10.5m (in another).
As Julie Eagles from the Warrnambool Planning and Heritage Group said so succinctly at a recent on-site briefing for objectors, “given the council’s own guidelines, what are we even doing here?”
What, indeed.
2015 is shaping up as a defining year for both our city, its leadership and grassroots activism – watch this space.
The “We love Merrivale” group has started a campaign to stop a proposed milk processing factory from being built in the area. Image: We Love Merrivale.
The ‘mystery man’ behind $20m apartment plan
The man behind Baybern Developments, Colin McKenna, together with Premier Denis Napthine and Warrnambool Mayor Michael Neoh, at Mr McKenna’s Midfield Meat complex earlier this year. Image: ABC South-West Victoria.
OPINION
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] B [/dropcap]luestone can reveal what should be the worst kept secret in Warrnambool: the developer behind the $20 million, nine-storey “Sandilands” apartment complex is Colin McKenna, from the Midfield Meats empire.
Mr McKenna is listed as the current director of Baybern Developments, a company set up in February this year, which plans to build what will be the biggest apartment complex of its kind for Warrnambool on a prime spot at 1A Liebig St, on the corner of Gilles and Merri streets.
The plan involves demolishing the old Sandilands hotel, and building a nine-storey complex that will include 51 mixed-use apartments, penthouses and two-floors of retail space, overlooking sweeping views of Lake Pertobe and Lady Bay.
Yet for all of the animated discussion that is being generated by the project, there has been a weird shroud of secrecy over who is behind the plans…until now.
An artist’s impression of the proposed nine-storey apartment and retail complex on the corner of Gilles and Merri streets.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] A [/dropcap] glowing editorial in the local newspaper today about the project, urged locals to embrace the “exciting and welcome new vision” and declared: “there would have to be excellent reasons for opposing a development such as this”.
And then there was this strange line: “We’re told that a consortium that includes a western Victorian developer is behind the plan, but it doesn’t really matter who is building it or developing it as long as it gets done.”
“We’re told”? “It doesn’t really matter”? “…as long as it gets done”?
The paper’s first story on the project was equally obtuse: “Baybern has been described by Tract (Consultants) as “western Victorian developers” which The Standard understands includes a Warrnambool entity.”
Surely the first question any eager newspaper wants to know is who is behind such a bold proposal, especially when that someone turns out to be one of, if not the, wealthiest local businessmen in town and an influential figure in our community.
And surely it is even more relevant to the wider public interest given Mr McKenna’s company, Midfield Meats, is behind the other most significant development in Warrnambool in the last five years with its proposed 10-storey milk processing plant in Merrivale.
That project, like the Sandilands development, has its own critics, particularly among the Merrivale community who don’t want to see even further industrialisation of their tiny patch.
So the question is not why the local newspaper didn’t find out who was behind Sandilands – of course they know – but why they are choosing not to report it?
We could only ponder, as we researched Baybern Developments ourselves.
The former Sandilands building, most recently occupied by Maddens Lawyers, which was built by local builder Ern Harris in 1940.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] T [/dropcap]he intrigue only adds to what is a long and fascinating story around the site.
Baybern Developments purchased the site earlier this year from Percy Properties, a company representing a cluster of lawyers from Madden’s law firm, including former mayor James Nicol, Brendan Pendergast, John Madden and Stan Carroll, who occupied the building for many years after the Sandilands guest house closed. (The owner of Sandilands, Katherine Plant, sold the property to her solicitor, Dan Madden, after she retired).
Despite its name, Percy Properties was never interested in property development at 1A Liebig St. Its intention, first flagged in 2006, was to sell the site free of encumbrances to somebody else who would build a modern accommodation complex.
Permits to knock the building down, however, were stymied by an independent heritage assessment which found that the 1940s, red brick, art-deco building that was built by local builder Ern Harris, had social and local historical significance.
Not to be deterred, Percy Properties fought on, and the Warrnambool City Council finally voted 4/3 in February 2009 to disregard the heritage report and allow demolition. (Those who wanted the building saved, by the way, were Crs Michael Neoh, Jacinta Ermacora and John Harris, while Crs Rob Askew, Peter Hulin, Andrew Fawcett and Jennifer Lowe voted against it.)
The Sandliands private hotel as it was in its prime. The hotel closed in the 1960s, after which the property was sold to Dan Madden.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #A02F2F;”] I [/dropcap]t is such a familiar story for Warrnambool: when it comes to development, it is either all or nothing.
There is rarely room for creative compromises, like those seen in cities around the world, where heritage (ie. irreplaceable, character-filled buildings) and modern architecture combine.
And if you seek such a compromise, you are howled down as being “anti-progress”.
Local architects were not involved in the design of the Baybern proposal, in favour of Melbourne firm ClarkeHopkinsClarke, but there are already promises of 80-100 local jobs during its construction. (As an aside, there were 200 jobs promised in the Midfield Meats milk processing and cold storage project, but it has since been confirmed the milk factory will create only around 12.)
There is no doubt 1A Liebig St is ripe for something very special, but razing yet another piece of local history and replacing it with what Warrnambool Planning and Heritage Group president Julie Eagles so perfectly described as “plonk” archictecture – architecture that can go anywhere – does not seem very special at all.
The public have until October 29 to make comment on the proposal (Planning Permit #PP2014-0162), after which it will return to the council for consideration.
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