CEO Update – June 2022

As we head into the second half of 2022, I have some important developments to update you on at the VPA.

Welcome Minster Blandthorn and thank you Minister Wynne

First, I would like to welcome and congratulate the new Minister for Planning Lizzie Blandthorn.

Minister Blandthorn has served in the Victorian Legislative Assembly since November 2014. She has been member for Pascoe Vale for the past eight years, and in addition to her role as Planning Minister will also be responsible for government business in the Legislative Assembly as Leader of the House. Minister Blandthorn is planning to move into the Victorian Legislative Council in the November election. 

The VPA looks forward to working under Minister Blandthorn’s leadership to deliver quality urban growth for Victoria.

I would also like to thank and acknowledge outgoing Minister Richard Wynne, who has provided eight years of leadership and support for the VPA and its predecessors. Our Chair Jude Munro and I met with Mr Wynne late last week to thank him for his support and leadership, congratulate him on his many achievements as Minister, and wish him well.

We look forward to working under the leadership of the new cabinet, including continuing our work with the Minister for Transport Infrastructure and now Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery Jacinta Allan, continuing to deliver planning frameworks for business precincts under the new leadership of Minister for Business Precincts Ben Carroll, and taking on exciting new opportunities under the leadership of the Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy Shaun Leane.

Farewell Rachel Dapiran

On a bittersweet note, our Executive Director of Infrastructure, Strategy and Planning Rachel Dapiran is leaving us after seven years to take up the post of Director of City Planning and Places at Hume City Council.

Rachel has been central to many of the VPA’s successes during her time here. Most recently this included the creation and oversight of the VPA’s Fast Track program, which has delivered 28,300 lots, 27,600 jobs and $7billion in economic uplift for Victoria. There are too many other accomplishments to list here, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rachel for the incredible contribution she has made to the VPA over the past seven years and wish her well for the years ahead.

While we’re sad to see Rachel go, we’re excited that she has been given this exciting opportunity to shape the future of Hume and the emergence of key places such as Broadmeadows and Sunbury.

Rachel’s last day with the VPA was Friday 24 June.

Bonnie Mather, our Director of Planning Services, will be acting Executive Director while we conduct a recruitment process for Rachel’s ongoing replacement.

To support the VPA during this transition period, Matt Sacco who is currently working on Big Housing Build approvals at DELWP and has previously worked closely with the VPA as a Senior Ministerial Adviser for the Minister for Planning, will be joining us on a three-month secondment as Director of Stakeholder Relations.

Sunbury South and Lancefield Road Infrastructure Contributions Plan

The Sunbury South and Lancefield Road ICP has now been gazetted, providing certainty for the future of the Sunbury area.

This ICP will allow Hume City Council to collect funds for the basic and essential local infrastructure the new suburbs of Sunbury South and Lancefield Road will require.

The type and location of the local infrastructure, including public land, is identified in the Sunbury South and Lancefield Road Precinct Structure Plans which were approved and gazetted in January 2019 (amended in June 2022). Together, the Precinct Structure Plans and Infrastructure Contributions Plan will guide and deliver new urban development in the Sunbury area.

The Sunbury South and Lancefield Road ICP replaces the ‘Interim’ ICP which was gazetted in December 2019, finalising the plans for the new suburbs.

Find out more about the Sunbury South and Lancefield Road Infrastructure Contributions Plan on the VPA website.

Futures Thinking: Triumph of the Centres

Earlier this month we continued our Futures Thinking event series, where we host our friends and partners across government and industry to discuss the key themes and issues facing the future of growth planning in Victoria.

Our latest event centred on one of the greatest and seemingly most enduring impacts of the pandemic, a shift in people’s relationships with their local neighbourhood and their commute to work.

‘Triumph of the Centres: Towards a Polycentric Melbourne’ showcased an expert panel of leaders in the planning field to discuss what the future of a poly-centric Melbourne can look like, and how we can get there.

Our Executive Director Peter Sagar was joined by Sheena Frost, CEO of Hume City Council; Frankie Carroll, CEO of the Suburban Rail Loop Authority; and Elizabeth Mildwater, CEO of the Greater Cities Commission in Sydney.

You can view the presentation slides and a summary of the discussion on the VPA website.

On behalf of our Board Chair Jude Munro, we would like to thank the panellists and attendees for their questions and insights on planning for a polycentric Melbourne.

VPA Research Quarterly – June 2022

To help us plan for a growing Victoria, the VPA regularly analyses the external economic and property market factors influencing urban planning. Monitoring current trends and the external environment ensures our planning activities reflect and adapt to Victoria’s needs.

Our Futures Thinking Research Quarterly reports monitor the key demographic, economic and research trends across metropolitan Melbourne and Regional Victoria.

Our June report shows how the property market appears to be moderating following a period of high activity levels. It breaks down the key figures that explain Victoria’s growth and economic activity, construction activity and regional growth.

View the full Futures Thinking Research Quarterly – June 2022 report on the VPA website.

Thank you to all our partners who have supported us through a busy first half of the year. We look forward to an exciting second half of 2022 as we round out our big year of delivery for a growing Victoria.