Why are the Hume and Mitchell Planning Scheme being amended for this PSP?

The draft planning scheme amendment (draft amendment GC295) has been prepared by the VPA to incorporate the Merrifield North PSP into the Hume and Mitchell Planning Scheme. A planning scheme is the most appropriate method for implementing the PSP to guide and provide certainty on future land use and development.

Changes to the zoning, overlays and provisions of the Hume and Mitchell Planning Scheme will be applied to facilitate development of the Precinct. Specifically, the draft amendment proposes to:

• Rezone part of the precinct within the Hume Planning Scheme to Urban Growth Zone (UGZ) schedule 15.

• Rezone part of the precinct within the Mitchell Planning Scheme to UGZ schedule 6.

• Rezone land in the precinct that is within Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (BCS) conservation areas 23 and 34 to Rural Conservation Zone (RCZ) schedule 2.

• Apply Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO) schedule 10 to land within the Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (BCS) conservation areas 23 and 34.

• Insert Incorporated Plan Overlay Schedule 8 (IPO8) to Public Use Zone 1 (PUZ1) and RCZ land within the precinct to apply the PSP to that land.

• Insert Special Controls Overlay (SCO) schedule 16 (Hume Planning Scheme) and schedule 21 (Mitchell Planning Scheme) to the precinct to give effect to the Merrifield North Staging Document (July 2026).

• Apply an Infrastructure Contributions Overlay (ICO) schedule 5 (Hume Planning Scheme) and schedule 4 (Mitchell Planning Scheme) to incorporate the Merrifield North Infrastructure Contributions Plan.

Full details of the planning scheme amendment can be found within the Explanatory Report accompanying the draft amendment.