Melbourne Wants Faster, Simpler Planning

The City of Melbourne has endorsed a compulsory review of the Melbourne Planning Scheme and made recommendations for changes to speed up and simplify the planning process.

The council voted unanimously to endorse the review and send it to the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning with the council’s recommendations. 

Reviews of the planning scheme are required every four years under Section 12B of the Victorian Planning and Environment Act 1987. 

The recommendations noted that it was imperative to focus on a few new issues since the previous review in 2018. 

City of Melbourne Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece highlighted the council’s progress in implementing the 2018 review recommendations.

This included adopting an affordable housing policy, promoting environmentally sustainable design and pursuing titled zones for desired land use, Reece said.

Also, preparing a municipal development contributions plan detailing the municipal planning strategy and updating the sign policy to protect Aboriginal heritage, he said.

“As the city changes and evolves so too do the planning controls.”

The new recommendations included reviewing planning controls for the Docklands Precinct, a state-level planning policy to better define affordable housing and a mandatory tool to ensure affordable housing was delivered. 

More affordable rental housing being made available through the planning system was another recommendation.

▲ Review recommendations include appropriate community infrastructure for the Arden Precinct.

It asked for an increase in the gross floor area measurement of 25,000sq m, which is a trigger for projects to be considered by the minister and not the council.

An industrial land supply policy and an Aboriginal Cultural Recognition/Designing with Country policy was suggested.

Better definitions for motorcycle parking and an increase in state-wide bicycle parking rates were also recommended.  

The review will now be considered by Victorian planning minister Sonya Kilkenny.