An independent Employment Lands Study, commissioned by Manningham Council, has identified a business site in Manningham as a suitable alternative location for Bulleen Industrial Precinct businesses impacted by the North East Link (NEL).
The 4.5 hectare site, located at 2-14 Websters Road in Templestowe, is a Council compound, sitting within an existing employment precinct. The site was identified as being the most suitable alternative location in Manningham, given its proximity to Bulleen and its potential to be redeveloped for industrial and commercial uses.
Finding local relocation opportunities for Bulleen Industrial Precinct businesses has been a major priority for Council, working in close collaboration with the North East Link Project (NELP) to identify alternative business locations in Manningham.
“We’re pleased to learn this site has been recommended for redevelopment as a new industrial precinct. Manningham has a finite amount of available employment land so we need to use what we do have to benefit our community,” Manningham Mayor, Paula Piccinini said.
The site is located on the edge of the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) and Council is calling on the Minister for Planning to intervene and speed up any land rezoning or potential adjustments to the UGB.
“We’d like to see the Minister expedite any planning processes, so this site can be redeveloped quickly and impacted businesses can relocate with minimal disruption to their operations,” Cr Piccinini said.
Council encourages the NELP, through the land acquisition process, to actively engage with businesses who are interested in relocating to this site, and to provide assistance during the transition process.
Council also acknowledges that this site might not be suitable for some impacted businesses and that more needs to be done to secure suitable relocation opportunities for them, including a fair transition process.
“While this is great news, the Websters Road site is not as large as the Bulleen Industrial Precinct. We want to ensure there is no net loss to employment land within our municipality because of the NEL project. Once the project is complete, remaining land at the Bulleen Industrial Precinct must be reinstated as an employment precinct, to provide ongoing access to local jobs and to support our local economy. We won’t let this go,” Cr Piccinini said.
Manningham Council will continue to work with the NELP and the State Government to undertake a broader master plan of the existing industrial precinct in Templestowe and other Council sites at this location.
