By Jade Nacionales
RMIT journalism graduate
The redevelopment of Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club will go ahead after five years of planning and contention within the Williamstown community.
Local Labor MP Melissa Horne has confirmed that plans have been signed off by the Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny, clearing the way for design work led by Hobsons Bay City Council to begin, though key details of the final design remain unclear.
“I’m thrilled to have announced that the redevelopment plans for Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club have been approved,” said Horne in a statement to The Westsider.
“The project team will now complete the detailed design phase, which will refine technical and operational elements of the approved redevelopment before commencing procurement for construction,” said a spokesperson in a media release from the Hobsons Bay City Council.
However the following list of questions put to both Horne and Kilkenny remain unanswered: What are the details of the conditions that the State Government has placed on this planning permit? Will the pool be upgraded? Will the public amenities be improved? Will the building be as tall or bulky as the previous submitted plans? Will public land be acquired for the new building? Will it contravene council’s heritage advice or guidelines? Will the community be given the opportunity to comment on the new plans? How substantial are the changes? Are they simply cosmetic or are they more substantial?
Documents previously obtained by The Westsider under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act reveal the Council pushed the proposal forward despite repeated warnings from its own heritage adviser that the plans should not proceed in their current form.
The FOI documents show that on January 19 this year, the Council’s long-time heritage adviser said the redevelopment ‘does not meet heritage policy or guidelines’.
Less than three months later, on or before April 13, the Council submitted the same proposal to the State Government for approval.
The advice echoes warnings given to the Council in 2022, 2024 and 2025, all stating that none of the historic 1935 clubrooms should be demolished.
The last plan seen by the public involves partially demolishing the 1935 clubrooms and constructing a two-storey building behind them. The heritage report describes the addition as ‘too visually dominant’, with a roofline exceeding 11 metres – taller than the clubhouse’s historic tower – and a footprint that ‘overwhelms’ the remaining heritage structure.
The report also warns of ‘detrimental impacts’ on sightlines within the heritage precinct, including a proposed storage building that would block views of the clubhouse from the Esplanade.
So far the State Labor Government and Hobsons Bay Council combined have committed close to $16 million for the project. However Matthew Irving, HBCC Director Infrastructure and City Services has previously said that the final cost of the project will not be known until the full procurement process is facilitated.
