CEO Update – September 2021

It’s hard to believe we’re already looking at the tail end of 2021 – and back in lockdown! 

This September marks a number of significant achievements for the VPA, most notably a very significant milestone in our work on one of Victoria’s largest and most ambitious urban renewal projects – Arden – as well as the gazettal of another important urban renewal project in Clayton. 

Both of these projects are concrete examples of the work the VPA continues to produce to plan for new homes and jobs across Victoria.

We have also launched our Strategic Plan to provide all our stakeholders with a clear picture of our agenda and how we intend to get there over the next three years.

Arden Precinct

Working closely with the Department of Transport (DoT) we released the draft plans for the Arden precinct today, bringing the ambitious vision for the precinct to life through a robust structure plan and innovative planning controls that will set the standard for urban renewal in Australia.

Building on the Victorian Government’s investment in city-shaping infrastructure, the Arden precinct is a platform for sustainability, liveability, investment and innovation.

Arden is a 44-hectare urban renewal area located around the new Arden Station in North Melbourne. With the completion of the Metro Tunnel and the new Arden Station by 2025, Arden will become a new destination for Melbourne and an employment hub on the doorstep of the central city.

The Metro Tunnel will create a new chapter for Arden by linking the precinct to the Parkville National Employment and Innovation Precinct and the city to the east, Footscray and Sunshine to the west, and Melbourne Airport Rail when it opens in 2029.

Arden will be an employment and innovation precinct and a thriving new neighbourhood for Melbourne’s inner north-west. It aspires to accommodate approximately 34,000 jobs and be home to around 15,000 residents.

This aspirational vision for Arden is brought to life through planning controls for open space, transport and parking, integrated water management and sustainability that sit at the forefront of urban renewal practice in Australia.

The final stage of public engagement is now underway, and we are seeking formal submissions on the Arden Structure Plan and draft Amendment C407melb to the Melbourne Planning Scheme. Information sessions will be held on the project and assistance on how to make a submission through five online sessions. Submissions close at 5pm 11 October 2021. All documents can be found at engage.vic.gov.au/arden 

For further information about the project please contact Emily Hillebrand, Director – Employment Areas, at Emily.Hillebrand@vpa.vic.gov.au

PMP Printing Precinct, Clayton

The Victorian Planning Authority’s plans for the PMP Printing Precinct have been gazetted, paving the way for new homes and jobs for Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs.

The plans, which were developed in consultation with the City of Monash, outline how the PMP Printing precinct will become a new community that integrates seamlessly with its existing Clayton surrounds to provide a quality environment for people to live, work and play.

Located on 10 hectares of land in Clayton, the precinct will support a growing local community with new and diverse housing, shops and businesses centred around a new town square. It will accommodate around 1,180 new homes including affordable housing, three new local parks, and around 1,000 local jobs.

The precinct is well connected to everything Clayton has to offer, just a five-minute walk to Monash Medical Centre, a 15 minute walk to Monash University’s Clayton campus, and a 10 minute walk to Clayton Station. It is also a five -minute walk to Clayton’s future Suburban Rail Loop ‘superhub’ station.

For more information about the project please contact Alexandrea Malishev, Strategic Planning Manager, at Alexandrea.Malishev@vpa.vic.gov.au

Bannockburn Growth Plan

The Bannockburn Growth Plan is close to finalisation and will ensure that the planning scheme for Golden Plains Shire identifies where and when land will be rezoned for future residential growth in Bannockburn, and what infrastructure is needed to support the growing community.

The anticipated gazettal of the Bannockburn Growth Plan will bring to five the number of the VPA’s Fast Track projects that have reached completion, with two others have been adopted and finalised by the VPA Board and submitted for approval.

These five projects now mean the Fast Track program has unlocked land for 12,000 future houses, 16,000 future jobs and $3.4b in economic value to support post-COVID economic recovery.  

For more information about the Bannockburn Growth Plan please contact Emily Killen at Emily.Killin@vpa.vic.gov.au

Streamlining for Growth

Applications for the latest round of Streamlining for Growth (SFG) grants have now closed. Thank you to everyone who has applied so far and our assessment team, led by Paul Cassidy, will be busy assessing them over the coming weeks.

I look forward to the future announcements of projects that continue to unlock land for housing and jobs and improve planning processes in key strategic precincts where SFG can really make a difference.

Paul Cassidy can be contacted at Paul.Cassidy@vpa.vic.gov.au

New VPA Strategic Plan

The VPA is proud to announce the Victorian Planning Authority Strategic Plan 2021-2024 (Strategic Plan).

The Strategic Plan outlines the VPA’s role as the Victorian Government’s lead urban growth planning agency, charged with delivering zoned land for housing and jobs in designated areas across Victoria. 

It articulates our ambition to maximise our impact by leading delivery of plans for State-important urban growth.  We will deliver plans that get built.  

Reflecting the incredible changes happening across Victoria, the Strategic Plan outlines our values, drivers, purpose, pillars and priorities to support our state’s economic recovery, standard of living, sustainability and liveability into the future. 

Our strategic purpose is to plan for prosperous, liveable, and sustainable urban communities across a growing Victoria.  We will plan for density done well, suburban and regional jobs, aligning development and infrastructure and growing regional cities and towns.

The Strategic Plan can be viewed on the VPA website at vpa.vic.gov.au/vpa-strategic-plan-2021-2024