Project Status Updates

Project Status Updates – October 2022

Plan preparation   

Since our last update in July, the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) has continued to finalise technical studies and prepare the draft place-based plan and Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) for Officer South Employment for public consultation. 

The VPA has continued to engage with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Melbourne Water, other State Government agencies and Cardinia Shire Council on key issues and resolution pathways. Their input has helped us refine our place-based plan and PSP.   

The project team has also progressed transport modelling, infrastructure design and costing work to inform the preparation of the Supplementary Infrastructure Contributions Plan. 

Other key activities include:  

• Continued working with Melbourne Water (MW) on preliminary drainage outcomes and requirements, and refinements to our draft place-based plan. 
• Confirmed with DELWP that our plan aligns with the Melbourne Industrial and Commercial Land Use Plan (MICLUP)
• Continued to refine the draft place-based plan and PSP based on agency feedback.
• Worked with DELWP to investigate proposed place-based outcomes and land use responses to ensure recognition and conservation of cultural heritage values across the precinct.
• Progressed phase 2 & 3 technical studies, including Integrated Water Management, High Level Servicing, Integrated Transport Assessment, Transport Modelling and Infrastructure Design and Costings.

In August the VPA hosted a webinar with landowners within the precinct to highlight the current working draft place-based plan ahead of our upcoming public consultation period. The webinar provided background and context to support landowners to make informed suggestions and submissions at public consultation. 

Agency Validation  

We have continued consulting State Government agencies on the working draft place-based plan and PSP and have conducted several rounds of executive level validation between DELWP, Cardinia Shire Council and Melbourne Water (MW).  

The VPA is now refining the place-based plan and PSP based on agency and council feedback, in preparation for public consultation. 

Public Consultation  

We are aiming to release our plans for public consultation in late 2022 or early 2023.  

The VPA is confirming initial Drainage Services Scheme (DSS) outcomes from Melbourne Water (MW), which will inform key aspects of the place-based plan such as the location and size of drainage infrastructure and impacts on the road network. Before MW can finalise the DSS, it must determine the drainage needs of the broader catchment area beyond Officer South.  

The VPA will finalise these components of our draft plans once we receive the confirmed draft DSS in late 2022. In the meantime, we are working closely with MW to minimise impacts to our project timelines and refine other elements of the plan.