SOS MEDIA RELEASE 23 December 2010
Planning regulations to facilitate high-density development along major public transport routes seem to have have been retained, despite recent Coalition promises to abolish them.
State planning amendment VC75 looked set to reverse the most controversial planning changes introduced in September by former Planning Minister Justin Madden.
The departmental Explanatory Report for Amendment VC75, which was gazetted on 16th December, states that the amendment removes reference to locate new housing along tram, train, light rail and bus routes and around train stations from Clause 16.01-3.
"But that’s very misleading because that sentence hasn’t been removed. Apart from deleting the reference to stations, the only change has been to replace the word ‘along’ with ‘on or abutting’", said Ian Wood, president of community planning group Save our Suburbs.
"Clause 16.01-3 is all about strategic high density development sites, so this clause will continue to allow large-scale development all along major public transport routes unless the state government reviews Amendment VC75."
Ian Wood
President, Save Our Suburbs
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NOTES: from DPCD Planning Amendments Online:
http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/planning/planningschemes/changingtheplanningscheme/amendmentsonline
VC75 – Clause 16 "Housing", State Planning Policy Framework:
Changes to 16.01-3 introduced 16.12.10 compared to those gazetted 20.9.10:
16.01-3 Strategic redevelopment sites
CHANGED FROM:
Identify strategic redevelopment sites that are:
§ Along tram, train, light rail and bus routes that are part of the Principal Public Transport Network and close to employment corridors, Central Activities Districts, Principal or Major Activity Centres and around train stations.
CHANGED TO:
Identify strategic redevelopment sites that are:
§ On or abutting tram, train, light rail and bus routes that are part of the Principal Public Transport Network and close to employment corridors, Central Activities Districts, Principal or Major Activity Centres.
REMOVED AS REFERENCE DOCUMENT:
Melbourne 2030: A planning update Melbourne @ 5 million (DPCD, 2008)
AMENDMENT VC75 – EXPLANATORY REPORT
What the amendment does
The amendment amends Clause 16 – Housing of the State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF) by removing Melbourne @ 5 Million policies relating to intensive housing development along public transport corridors and around train stations from the clause.
In particular, the amendment removes reference to locate, in Metropolitan Melbourne, more intense housing development in an around activity centres, in areas close to train stations and on large redevelopment sites from Clause 16.01-2 and to locate new housing along tram, train, light rail and bus routes and around train stations from Clause 16.01-3.
The amendment also removes Melbourne 2030: A planning update Melbourne @ 5 Million (DPCD 2008) as a document listed under Policy guidelines in Clause 16.