Selling the benefits of greater housing density is no easy task whether you are a planner, developer or a state government. Yet never has the need been greater in the face of Australia’s rising population, the infrastructure backlog and the impact of climate change. Planning for burgeoning population is at the front of our federal politicians' [...]
The Victorian Government’s metropolitan planning strategy Plan Melbourne was released last week and provides a vision for Melbourne through to 2050. Consistent with metropolitan strategies over the past 50 years, Plan Melbourne is a comprehensive plan to maintain Melbourne’s liveability in the face of change and population growth. Many of the familiar planning concepts that [...]
Quality infrastructure is the lifeblood of a growing population. Ensuring Victoria has first class infrastructure is vital to accommodating our population growth and supporting the state’s economic, social and environmental needs. However in the past two decades there has been reluctance by all governments to increase public debt or raise taxes to fund needed infrastructure, [...]
Hot on the heels of the new residential zones, the Victorian Government has released the new commercial and industrial zones. These zones determine what land can be used to site retail, commercial and industrial activity across the state. They are a key lever in the planning system and help drive business, investment and employment in [...]
Every piece of land in Victoria has a designated land use (or group of compatible land uses) and is allocated to a zone whether it be for road use, housing, industrial development or open space. Zones both dictate how land can and cannot be used in certain areas. Moreover zones help shape the pattern of [...]
Melburnians take great pride in being rated as one of the most liveable cities in the world. But challenges to Melbourne’s liveability loom on the horizon. How do we manage a rising population while at the same time ensure there is universal access to the infrastructure required to support a decent standard of living? It [...]
The formulation of a New Metropolitan Planning Strategy for Melbourne is central to guiding the growth in Melbourne over the next forty years. However one of the side effects of growth that is often ignored, is the increased cost pressure on the administration of Victoria’s planning system. Despite the potential windfall for developers, the gap [...]
