The state government is currently holding two simultaneous consultations; and the outcome of each will have a substantial impact on how the city changes for the future.
The Plan Melbourne process, which will replace Melbourne 2030, will provide a plan for the city’s growth.
Melbourne is a dynamic city and strategic plans for its development need to be updated to reflect that.
No single plan has been perfect, as each plan had been shaped by the time of its creation and the priorities for the relevant government. Most people are familiar with Melbourne 2030 but the strategic planning at its core – housing the growing population partly in existing areas and in new growth suburbs – was clearly established in the 1995 plan Living Suburbs.
At the same time the state government has released revised planning zones for Victoria. The new zones seek to replace the well-known ones such as ‘Residential Zone’ and ‘Business Zone’ with ones entitled ‘Residential Growth Zone’ and ‘Neighbourhood Residential Zone’. Central to this change is a wider range of controls designed to concentrate development and change in some areas as opposed to others. If approved and then applied by Councils, these zones should provide greater certainty to land owners.
While both processes are separate, they have in common the key themes of managing growth and change.
As the state government is consulting on both these plans, it is a critical time to have a say if you have views about how the city should change. Those with an interest should visit
www.dpcd.vic.gov.au
to learn more and have their say.