Beveridge North West Precinct Structure Plan
The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is working on the Beveridge North West precinct as a significant contributor to the government’s forward pipeline of housing supply to ensure Victorians have access to affordable homes, and economic recovery is supported.
The VPA’s Beveridge North West Precinct Structure Plan sets out the long-term vision for the precinct and framework for urban development. The Beveridge North West Precinct Structure Plan applies to approximately 1,275 hectares of land. It is located in Mitchell Shire Council within the Northern Growth Corridor of Melbourne. The area is bounded by Wallan South Precinct Structure Plan to the north, Camerons Lane to the south, Hume Freeway to the east and Old Sydney Road to the west.
We are planning for the future community and working to protect the prominent landscape features of the area. The VPA has drafted the revised Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) to show how land is expected to be developed, and how essential services are planned to support the creation of a new community over the next 20 to 30 years.
The PSP includes more than 80 hectares of parklands and sporting fields. It also supports integrated open space, a trail network, seven future school sites and four local town centres. Our plan supports approximately 15,000 new homes and will deliver 3,000 new jobs by unlocking 920 hectares of land for residential and commercial development.
Planning Panels Victoria
The VPA prepared a draft amendment in 2018, to the Mitchell Planning Scheme for the PSP under the C106mith amendment number. This was heard at a public hearing before an independent planning panel process, by Planning Panels Victoria (PPV). The Panel made 17 recommendations resulting in changes to the Beveridge North West PSP and ICP.
For further information, refer to the ‘2020 PLANNING PANEL’ tab in the Supporting Documentation section at the bottom of the page.
The VPA prepared two draft Planning Scheme Amendments to incorporate the Beveridge North C106 Panel recommendations into the Mitchell Planning Scheme. The two amendments are:
- C158mith – which incorporates the Precinct Structure Plan Document and associated Planning Scheme Ordinance into the Mitchell Shire Council Planning Scheme
- C161mith – which incorporates the Supplementary Levy Infrastructure Contribution Plan Document and associated Planning Scheme Ordinance into the Mitchell Shire Council Planning Scheme.
The Amendments were placed on exhibition for over 10 weeks from 17 November 2021 to 31 January 2022.
In response to the recommendations of the 2020 Planning Panel, the revised draft PSP includes planning for an extractive industry and the area formerly known as Hanna Swamp site (now referred to as burrung buluk*). To provide certainty for the community, the VPA proposed an innovative approach to planning controls to limit any quarry’s operational life to 20 years and strict rehabilitation requirements.
* Note: These names have not officially been registered. They still need to be confirmed with the naming authority and Geographic Names Victoria, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP).
Ministerial Advisory Committee
A Ministerial Advisory Committee was appointed by the then Minister for Planning, The Hon. Richard Wynne, to consider three interrelated matters for the future of this community:
- the Precinct Structure Plan (Amendment C158mith)
- the Infrastructure Contributions Plan (Amendment C161mith)
- the Permit application for the quarry (VCAT reference number V1745/2020)
The Ministerial advisory committee was a mirrored process to the previous Panel, being a public hearing, with land owners and stakeholders having the opportunity to present to the Committee.
Due to COVID-19 and public health advice, the Ministerial Advisory Committee: Beveridge North West Precinct Structure Plan and draft Mitchell Shire Planning Scheme Amendments C158 and C161mith was held via video conference from Monday 9 May 2022 to 14 June 2022.
Next Steps
The Ministerial Advisory Committee (MAC) submitted its report on 14 October 2022. Timing of a decision and release of the report is at the discretion of the Minister.
Interactive map for Beveridge North West PSP
Background information
A Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) is a land use and infrastructure plan to guide the development of an area over time. It provides certainty for community members and developers by providing a long-term vision for how an area will develop in the future.
A PSP sets out the preferred locations of residential and employment land and infrastructure, and provides guidance for transport and parking, urban design, heritage and character, open spaces and integrated water management.
Together with the broader planning framework, precinct structure planning is an important part of the Victorian Government’s strategy to address population growth, housing and employment demands.
The Future Urban Structure is the overall framework plan that provides high-level direction on future land uses, major transport networks, open space and activity centres.
Together with the broader planning framework, precinct structure planning is an important part of the state government’s strategy to address population growth, housing, and employment demands.
A planning scheme governs the way land can be used and developed within the bounds of the Victorian Planning System.
A planning scheme is updated from time to time to change the way land can be used or developed or to improve a particular scheme.
Project Status Updates – November 2023
We have been working with the Department of Transport and Planning to progress the planning for Beveridge North West by working through the items discussed at the Ministerial Advisory Committee from May to July 2022.
Since our last update in March, we have:
- Assessed the Ministerial Advisory Committee Report recommendations.
- Completed the recommended further strategic work.
- Commenced and almost completed the Infrastructure Contribution Plan land valuations process.
On 20 September, the Victorian Government released Victoria’s Housing Statement: The decade ahead 2024-2034, in which it announced the Victorian Planning Authority will continue preparing Precinct Structure Plans (PSPs) for new housing and jobs in Melbourne and regional Victoria. We will conduct further work across 21 projects to deliver more than 60,000 homes and 60,000 jobs. These projects will deliver a sustainable supply of greenfield land, and more jobs close to home.
Beveridge North West is one of the 21 projects named in the Housing Statement.
In the coming months we will be focused on finalising planning scheme amendment package and providing it to the Minister for Planning for consideration.