In response, Manningham has provided submissions to the reforms as outlined below.
Plan for Victoria
This draft plan sought feedback on key policy directions including housing, transport, liveability and sustainability.
It proposes a draft target of 39,000 new dwellings in Manningham by 2051, representing a 76 per cent increase over the next 26 years or around 1,500 dwellings per year.
This target significantly exceeds the rate of growth that currently informs the preparation of our Residential Strategy.
Our submission reinforces that:
- the settlement pattern of Manningham results in restricted development opportunities in the eastern parts of the municipality. The suburbs to the west of the Mullum Mullum Creek have accommodated most of the housing growth in the municipality to date
- we are concerned that accommodating 39,000 new dwellings will result in further concentrated change in the western part of the municipality, due to constraints in the east
- the Plan for Victoria must seek to improve Manningham’s public transport system and prioritise bus network improvements, to enable our local economy to expand and prosper as the population grows
- any housing target needs to achieve an appropriate balance between increasing growth in areas serviced by infrastructure and protecting areas of environmental and visual significance
- increased housing density needs to be supported by infrastructure, including public open space, roads, footpaths and community facilities any additional infrastructure should be sustainably funded through appropriate mechanisms at the local and state level.
Changes to the way apartments and townhouses will be considered and approved
These reforms represent an overhaul of ResCode, which is the planning rule for single or multiple dwelling developments that require a planning permit (including lots under 300 square metres and apartment developments up to a height of four storeys).
Proposed changes include the removal of neighbourhood character considerations, which we anticipate could have a significant impact on the look and feel of our suburbs.
It also includes a proposal to remove third-party appeal rights. This means that an objector to a multi-unit application cannot appeal Council’s decision if all relevant standards are met.
While we acknowledge that there are opportunities to improve Victoria’s existing planning controls and processes, better planning outcomes are achieved by considering neighbourhood character and involving the communities in the planning process.
Activity Centres Program
We provided a submission on the designation and draft structure plans for the 10 metropolitan and major activity centres, with specific comments on the plans for the Ringwood activity centre which affects land abutting Manningham.
This forms part of the State Government’s Activity Centre Pilot Program.
A key focus of these structure plans is the designation of ‘walkable catchments’ within an 800m radius of the activity centre, where increased residential development (heights and density) will be encouraged.
Our submission focused on the significant implications of this work on all activity centres across metropolitan Melbourne.
It’s essential that a range of funding and delivery mechanisms are established by the State Government to ensure the continued delivery of vital open space, services and infrastructure to support a rapidly growing population and vibrant and functional activity centres.
