GOVERNMENT SHORES UP YARRA RIVER PROTECTION
DATE: Wednesday, June 8, 2005
Protection to the Yarra River was strengthened today, following an announcement by the Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls, that the Government had approved an amendment to the Yarra Planning Scheme.
Mr Hulls said the approval of Amendment C66 followed a request from the City of Yarra, and the review of an independent panel.
"The Bracks Government is making decisions to ensure a healthy environment and a sustainable future," Mr Hulls said.
"This amendment will ensure the character of a large section of our iconic river will be respected and protected."
The amendment provides design guidelines to protect and enhance the landscape qualities of the Yarra River as a corridor where the landscape dominates views in the corridor, particularly from roads, paths and rail corridors.
The guidelines relate to the scale of buildings and the distinctive landscape character of each section of the Yarra River corridor.
Mr Hulls said the approval delivered on a significant part of the Bracks Government's commitment to protect the Yarra River.
"It demonstrates that Melbourne 2030 is in action – and that it is about promoting sensible development and good urban design. Development that recognises and protects the character of this important part of Melbourne," Mr Hulls said.
"Our great city grew from the banks of this River, and the amendment approved today will ensure that future growth is sensitive to the sense of place the Yarra provides all Melburnians.
"The Bracks Government is listening and working the community to protect Victoria's future."
GOVERNMENT RELEASES ACTIVITY CENTRE GUIDELINES
DATE: Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Local Councils and developers today received a boost towards creating well-designed activity centres, with the Minister for Planning, Mr Rob Hulls, releasing the new Activity Centre Design Guidelines.
Mr Hulls said the Design Guidelines would be invaluable in assisting planners, designers and place managers to develop vibrant, high quality activity centres.
"Each activity centre has distinguishing features and attributes which are revealed and highlighted through excellent design," Mr Hulls said.
"The guidelines set out objectives and suggestions for designing activity centres to ensure they are exciting places where people want to live, work, shop and play.
"They will help ensure that we protect the liveability of Melbourne's suburbs. The Bracks Government is making the decisions needed to protect Victoria's future."
Mr Hulls said the guidelines provided advice on how public transport nodes could be improved, planning public spaces and incorporating different forms of housing into the centre.
"This is an important aspect of the Government's Melbourne 2030 plan," he said.
"The guidelines will provide advice and guidance to councils in structure planning for activity centres and in developing individual planning scheme policies and controls."
They are the second in a set of three new design guidelines as part of the implementation of Melbourne 2030: Planning for Sustainable Growth. Draft guidelines were originally released for public comment in 2002 along with Melbourne 2030.
Substantial stakeholder input was incorporated into the new guidelines as well as comments from the Melbourne 2030's submission process.
The Design Guidelines follow the release of the Guidelines for Higher Density Residential Development in November 2004. The Safer Design Guidelines, which will complete the set of three, are currently in development.
The Department of Sustainability and Environment is also organising training and an education program will be developed by the Urban Design Unit to assist councils in using and interpreting the Guidelines.
A copy of the guidelines will be sent to all councils and will be available for purchase from the Planning Information Centre.
HEIGHT LIMITS PROTECT MAROONDAH'S LOCAL CHARACTER
DATE: Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Interim height controls will be applied to 11 neighbourhood centres across the City of Maroondah as a means to preserve local character, Planning Minister Mr Rob Hulls announced today.
Mr Hulls said the introduction of interim height controls would protect Maroondah's neighbourhood centres.
"These height controls also provide the Council with an opportunity to plan and develop policies that address building height in each of the centres on a more permanent basis," Mr Hulls said.
"The new controls will limit buildings in the neighbourhood centres to nine metres and will be applied on an interim basis until 31 December 2007.
"This is Melbourne 2030 in action. Through these interim controls the council now has the planning tools to guide future development and residential growth.
"As well as easing the pressure on traditional low-rise suburbs and preventing urban sprawl, the new interim planning controls will ensure Maroondah protects the urban village character of its activity centres as the number of residents, workers and visitors grow."
The Member for Bayswater, Peter Lockwood, welcomed the announcement.
"These interim controls will assist the local communities in developing planning rules that protect what we love about our neighbourhoods and suburbs," Mr Lockwood said.
"The Bracks Government is making decisions to protect Victoria's future."
Similar interim height controls have already been applied in various other areas around Melbourne including Mordialloc, South Melbourne and Wheelers Hill.
GOVERNMENT KEEPS PLANNING INTERVENTIONS LOW
DATE: Tuesday, May 24, 2005
The Bracks Government has stuck to its promise to keep the planning process open by limiting interventions in local decision-making, Planning Minister Rob Hulls said today.
Figures show that for the 12 months to April 2005, the number of ministerial interventions in local planning were limited to 83.
"Since 2000 the Bracks Government had only intervened in 394 cases or an average 79 times per year.
"This is in sharp contrast to the Kennett Government, who between 1997 and 1999 used its intervention powers 495 times – that is an average of almost one intervention for every working day of the year," Mr Hulls said.
"On coming to office the Bracks Government made a pledge to the Victorian community to limit ministerial interventions on planning and heritage matters – to end ad hoc decision making. These figures show we are keeping our promise.
"Each time powers of intervention were used the Government prepared written reasons for the decision and made them publicly available to ensure these powers were accountable and open to scrutiny."
Of the interventions in the past 12 months:
20 were for interim heritage, native vegetation protection and to limit building heights;
22 were technical corrections for planning schemes;
22 facilitated specific projects of state or regional significance;
Eight were changes to the Victorian Planning Provisions and all planning schemes;
Six matters were called in from VCAT and;
Five were permit applications.
Projects handled under the intervention powers in the last 12 months include extensions to interim height controls in Hume, Greater Geelong and Monash and heritage protection orders in Boroondara and Greater Shepparton.
Mr Hulls said the overwhelming majority of planning scheme amendments and permit application referrals had been requested by councils.
"We're listening and working with all Victorians," Mr Hulls said
"Together with local councils we're making Victoria the best place to live and raise a family."
GOVERNMENT CASTS EYE ON COASTAL DEVELOPMENT
DATE: Saturday, May 21, 2005
The Bracks Government has put large-scale residential developments outside of existing settlements along parts of Victoria's coastline on notice.
The Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls, and the Minister for the Environment, John Thwaites, today released the Coastal Spaces Inception Report, which sets out ways to protect the coast and manage development in coastal Victoria.
"The Bracks Government is making decisions to protect Victoria's future so that it remains the best place to live and raise a family," Mr Hulls said.
Mr Hulls said the report identified a range of areas that needed to be addressed and had written to non-metropolitan coastal councils in relation to issues of urban growth and development in coastal areas, and set out key matters that need to be addressed in future amendments to planning schemes.
"The Victorian Coastal Spaces Strategy is the foundation of future coastal planning policy and it is important that State and local governments work together to manage this growth to achieve sustainable and appropriate quality developments," he said.
"The report sets out ways forward to address these issues but until final plans are in place to manage growth along the coast I will not accept any development that undermines key elements of our coastal strategy.
"The Government wants to send a clear message to both councils and developers that inappropriate developments along the coast will not be tolerated."
Mr Hulls said the challenge for both the State Government and coastal councils was to plan to establish town boundaries and plans to manage future growth.
"Prohibiting inappropriate development outside these areas and protecting the valuable spaces in between is a priority to protect our precious coastline from the types of urban sprawl we see along the Queensland and New South Wales coasts."
The coastline from Phillip Island to Inverloch and the Bellarine Peninsula to Lorne where coastal has been identified as the area where development pressures are greatest, presenting significant challenges to governments and coastal communities.
Mr Thwaites said that balancing the growth demands along the delicate coastline was not an easy task.
"The Coastal Spaces Inception Report will stimulate discussion with key stakeholders and local government to find the most appropriate approaches to address the challenges involved in further protecting our coast and managing growth pressures," Mr Thwaites said.
"The report also identifies further opportunities for Governments to work together and improve the management of Victoria's coastline.
"Victoria continues to lead the country in working with the community to introduce initiatives to protect our coast.
"Initiatives already include a world-first system of Marine Parks and Reserves, as well as a commitment to a new Otway National Park. We've also begun implementing the Great Ocean Road Region Strategy to safeguard the future of the historic and exciting region."
The Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Elaine Carbines, said the Government was currently working with the East Gippsland, Wellington and South Gippsland shire councils to develop Urban Design Frameworks for 20 coastal settlements, designed to sustainably manage future growth and development within and around these settlements.
"Regional landscape assessments for Gippsland, the Bellarine Peninsula and the far-west coast have also been commissioned and this, along with the Landscape Assessment Study completed for the Great Ocean Road region will provide a comprehensive understanding and protection of our coastal landscapes right across the coast," Ms Carbines said.
"Victoria has a magnificent coast, and I'm pleased to say that programs are in place to ensure its magnificence will be enjoyed by generations to come."
The Government had also commissioned regional landscape assessments for Gippsland, the Bellarine Peninsula and the far-west coast. This along with the Landscape Assessment Study completed for the Great Ocean Road region will provide a comprehensive understanding and protection of our coastal landscapes right across the coast.
Copies of the Coastal Spaces Inception Report can be obtained from www.dse.vic.gov.au/coastalspaces
Following discussion and expert advice on the various issues identified in the Coastal Spaces Inception Report, a final report will be produced for consideration by the Minister for Planning and Minister for Environment at the end of this year.
The Coastal Spaces project will encourage implementation of the Government's long term policy aims for the coast - to achieve growth that is sustainable, to contain urban growth to settlements, and to protect landscapes between settlements.