Hobsons Bay City Council 12 April 2016 Ordinary Council Meeting Agenda Appendix 6 Amendment C107 – Mobil Altona Refinery – Proposed Removal of Heritage Overlay Amendment C107 Altona Refinery 351-381 Millers Road, Altona Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme Amendment C107 THE ALTONA REFINERY Millers Road, Altona 1 Amendment C107 Altona Refinery 351-381 Millers Road, Altona Executive Summary The Amendment applies to land recognised as the Mobil Refinery in Altona (the site) at 351-381 Millers Road in Altona North. The amendment applies only to part of the land situated north of Kororoit Creek Road, bounded by Millers Road to the west, Kororoit Creek Road to the south and the rail line to the north and east (the site). The site is currently zoned Special Use 2 (SUZ2) and is affected by Heritage Overlay 202 (HO202), the Industrial Heritage Places Policy and the Industry Policy in the Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme. The heritage overlay currently triggers the requirement for a planning permit for all buildings and works, including demolition, new buildings and routine maintenance and repairs. When the heritage overlay was first applied to the site in 2003, the intent was to prepare an ‘incorporated document’ to identify the circumstances that did not require a permit. To date, the incorporated has not been prepared. Mobil have raised ongoing concerns about the effect that the heritage overlay has on triggering permit applications for works that would not require a permit under the Special Use 2 Zone. Mobil have requested Amendment C107 to the Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme to remove the Heritage Overlay from the Altona Refinery Mobil have submitted the Altona Refinery Conservation Management Plan (CMP) in support of their application. The CMP concludes that it is the ongoing use of the refinery that is the most important conservation objective, rather than the retention of individual elements of heritage fabric. It highlights that the removal of elements of heritage fabric is appropriate and necessary to support the ongoing use of the refinery. It is recommended that the conclusion of the CMP be supported, however it should be supported through the removal of the heritage overlay rather than an incorporated plan. Indeed, Council’s own Industrial Heritage Places Policy is based on the same ‘conservation by use’ principle and the assessment of planning permit applications using the current planning framework has repeatedly shown that the removal of heritage fabric in the Altona Refinery is considered necessary and appropriate to facilitate the historical use of the site, ensure its future viability and to achieve a balance between economic and conservation objectives. The Amendment also corrects a minor error to the Schedule to the Special Use Zone. The proposal has been assessed against the strategic assessment guidelines outlined in Ministerial Direction 11. The heritage overlay and an incorporated plan are no longer required to achieve conservation objectives at the Altona Refinery. In conclusion, it is recommended that Hobsons Bay City Council seek authorisation from the Minister to prepare and exhibit Planning Scheme Amendment C107 to the Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme to remove the Heritage Overlay form the land. 2 Amendment C107 Altona Refinery 351-381 Millers Road, Altona Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................... 2 Contents ..................................................................................................... 3 The Subject Site and Surrounds ............................................................... 4 EXISTING LAND USE .................................................................................................................................. 4 Map 1 – Locality Plan ............................................................................................................................ 5 Existing Planning Controls ....................................................................... 6 ZONING ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 Map 2 – Zoning Map ............................................................................................................................. 7 PARTICULAR PROVISIONS ......................................................................................................................... 9 OVERLAYS .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Map 3 – Heritage Overlay (HO202) ..................................................................................................... 11 LOCAL POLICY .......................................................................................................................................... 12 Industry Policy ‐ Clause 22.02 of the Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme ................................................ 12 Industrial Heritage Places Policy ‐ Clause 22.01‐11 of eth Hobsons Bay Planning Scheme ............... 12 REFERENCE DOCUMENTS ....................................................................................................................... 14 Hobsons Bay Heritage Study Amended 2014 ..................................................................................... 14 Industrial Land Management Strategy June 2008 (ILMS) ................................................................... 16 The Industrial Development Design Guidelines 2008 ......................................................................... 16 Background .............................................................................................. 17 INTRODUCTION OF HERITAGE CONTROLS ON THE ALTONA REFINERY .................................................. 17 PLANNING PERMITS ................................................................................................................................ 18 Photo 1 – Canteen and Auditorium – demolished 2015..................................................................... 20 Photo 2 – Thermofor Catalytic Cracker – to be demolished 2016 ...................................................... 20 Photo 3 – Administration Building – demolished 2014 ...................................................................... 20 CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT PLAN ................................................................................................... 21 Photo 4 – Administrative Building Millers Road ‐ front ...................................................................... 22 Photo 5 – Administrative Building Millers Road ‐ rear ....................................................................... 22 Analysis .................................................................................................... 23 Conclusion................................................................................................ 24 3 Amendment C107 Altona Refinery 351-381 Millers Road, Altona The Subject Site and Surrounds 1. Amendment C107 applies to land recognised as the Mobil Refinery in Altona. The amendment applies only to part of the land situated north of Kororoit Creek Road, bounded by Millers Road to the west, Kororoit Creek Road to the south and the rail line to the north and east. 2. The site address is 351-381 Millers Road, Altona. The land is legally described as Lot 5 TP850733, Lot 1 TP534082 and the eastern portion of Lot 9 TP850733. 3. The site has an approximate width of 413m and depth of 462m, with an approximate area of 19ha. The site has a relatively flat topography. 4. The site fronts two main arterial roads, Millers Road and Kororoit Road. 5. The Refinery’s main operations are focused on the site. Mobil has broader land holdings in the area, directly adjacent to the site. The adjacent properties to the east and to the northeast comprise of a fuel storage tank farm, industrial and fuel processing buildings and ancillary piping/transmission lines. The property to the north is a service station, a staff car park and vacant land with vehicle access achieved from both Kororoit Creek Road and Millers Road. 6. The location and boundaries of the site are shown on Map 1 on page 5. EXISTING LAND USE 7. The site was originally used for the production of lubricants and bitumen from 1949 and then became one of the key petroleum fuel plant (refinery) in Australia in 1954. 8. The site is owned and operated by the Mobil Refining Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil who is the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company. 9. The refinery is an industry of State significance located in a core industrial precinct of Hobsons Bay. The Refinery supplies half of Victoria's fuel needs, playing a very important role in Victoria’s fuel supply chain and transport system. It produces around 12 million litres of refined products per day (enough to fuel 300,000 cars). 10. The refinery operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year processing crude oil into the full range of petroleum products, including unleaded petrol (60 per cent), diesel (30 per cent) and jet fuel (per cent). 4 Amendment C107 Altona Refinery 351-381 Millers Road, Altona Map 1 – Locality Plan 5 Amendment C107 Altona Refinery 351-381 Millers Road, Altona 11. The refining process involves imported crude oil arriving via tanker at Gellibrand wharf in Williamstown and then being transported to the refinery via pipeline or tanker or Victorian crude oil being transported