Hobsons Bay City Council criticised by Techno Park residents after dodging questions during closed meeting

Vulnerable western suburbs residents facing eviction and homelessness have accused their council of ducking questions over a policy they have labelled ‘Robodebt 2.0’.

A group of vulnerable residents in Melbourne‘s west facing eviction have accused their council of doctoring and ducking questions as they likened recent enforcement action to the robodebt debacle.

Hobsons Bay City Council was criticised after it sent mass eviction notices to residents of Techno Park Drive — a former migrant housing site that neighbours Mobil’s south crude tank farm at Williamstown — before admitting it was unaware of the extent of residential use.

Residents planned to attend this month’s council meeting after submitting a dozen questions, however, the chambers were closed following a peaceful protest.

The Herald Sun can reveal that several questions were altered when read aloud by mayor Tony Briffa during the online-only meeting, and at least one question — regarding the council’s liability if a resident committed suicide as a consequence of eviction or legal action — was omitted.

Supporters of Techno Park residents met at Altona Beach before marching to Hobsons Bay Council this month. Picture: Nilsson Jones

It comes as the council admitted to incorrectly claiming it was contacted by WorkSafe as mystery remains over what prompted the enforcement action.

The council’s position now is that Mobil advised it was contacted by the EPA following odour complaints.

Residents claim Hobsons Bay previously stated the EPA complaint related to noise.

The Herald Sun has requested evidence of communications which led to the May 18 eviction notices.

A large group met outside the chambers after the meeting was closed to the public and moved online amid safety concerns. Picture: Nilsson Jones

During the August meeting, Ms Briffa read out a number of questions, followed by the council’s response, before she passed over the question relating to suicide and stated she did not know what it was before promising to provide a response to the resident.

Ms Briffa then remarked the question was about “council’s liability”.

As of noon Friday, 10 days after the meeting, the supporter had not received a response.

The full question read: “You talk about Council’s liability if there was a major incident at the empty tanks next to Techno Park. What is Council’s liability if somebody is harmed because they did as Council instructed and left their home immediately, as some have, for an unsafe situation? What is Council’s liability if, God forbid, somebody ends their life as a result of distress caused by the threat to their home and threat of legal action?”

Resident Lara Week accused the council of “doctoring” questions submitted for the meeting after it changed the words ‘resident’ and ‘home’ with ‘occupant’ and ‘property’ and referred to Council’s approach of sending notices without knowledge of residential use at Techno Park as ‘Robodebt 2.0’.

Juan-Camilo Riano-Rodriguez and Lara Week (right) are among the Techno Park residents dismayed by the council’s approach. Picture: Nilsson Jones

“It is disturbing to me that council would doctor these questions, then present them as being in our own words. My home is my home, and I should get to call it that, even if the Council would prefer the public to see it as only property,” Ms Week said.

“I cannot understand how it is technically possible for Mayor Briffa to have seen Ms Fleming’s question, been able to discern the topic, but be ‘not sure what that question is’, as she put it.”

“Residents are desperate to understand why the council is suddenly choosing to enforce a zoning decision from 1988, after they have enabled people to build their lives and homes at Techno Park for decades.

“Now, months after WorkSafe publicly refuted their original claim, Council admits to giving the public false information. No explanation. No apology.“

“This was an absolutely staggering action for a government to take, especially in the wake of Robodebt. It doesn’t just affect residents. People who have businesses at Techno Park but don’t live there have been frightened, stressed and threatened by Council’s actions too.”

“How are the people of Hobsons Bay expected to have any faith in this council when they show such disregard for facts, for process, and, most significantly, for people’s lives.”

Hobsons Bay was contacted for comment but did not meet deadline.