East of Aberline
The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA), in partnership with Warrnambool City Council and government agencies, is re-commencing the preparation of the East of Aberline Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) and Development Contributions Plan (DCP).
As background, the VPA commenced the East of Aberline project in 2019, prior to which Council had undertaken some work. However in 2020 as part of the Government’s response to COVID-19, the Treasurer and Minister for Planning required the VPA to accelerate 19 projects on our existing work program. East of Aberline amongst other projects were paused to refocus priority.
The East of Aberline precinct is expected to provide approximately 5,000 homes to accommodate a population of more than 15,000 people. It will also provide community facilities, local parks and potentially new schools. The VPA will work collaboratively with council to ensure the PSP considers the local community as well as the environment. A key focus of this precinct is to facilitate environmentally sensitive outcomes fit for the existing and future Warrnambool community and its resilience.
Looking west across Russell Creek towards Aberline Road
Landowners – Register Your Information
As part of the PSP process, the VPA is required to undertake technical work on matters such as biodiversity, heritage (Aboriginal and European), arboricultural, land capability and others. Access to your site will be critical to undertaking this work and enable creation of an informed PSP.
If you are a landowners in the Precinct we request permission to grant access to your property, and would appreciate if you can please fill out the attached form and return it via email to the project team.
For more information, refer to Consent to Access Land for Land Assessments form (Word)
The VPA or its representatives will always seek to notify you of any intention to enter your property to support planning investigations.
Background information
The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is a State Government statutory authority within the Department of Transport and Planning that reports to the Minister for Planning.
The VPA’s main task is to make sure Melbourne and Victoria’s regions remain great places to live and work. This requires vision and long-term planning to ensure our growing population has equitable access to employment, public transport, attractive public spaces and affordable housing.
Our key priorities include unlocking land for new homes and communities, facilitating housing diversity and affordability, job creation and better development of new communities in growing and established areas.
We do this by working closely with councils, government agencies and the planning and development community on integrated land use and infrastructure coordination for new communities and strategically important precincts.
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.
A Development Contributions Plan (DCP) identifies the costs of some essential infrastructure required to support a PSP such as the costs of signalised intersections, drainage corridors, retarding basins, and others. It will also set out a levy required for new development on a ‘per hectare of net developable area’ basis.
The DCP is required since broad scale new development often contribute to or cause the need for new or upgraded infrastructure. It ensures that existing infrastructure is not over-burdened by new development.
The DCP will be prepared concurrently with the PSP. All infrastructure items included must be strategically justified through the suite of background studies undertaken on the project. The DCP becomes a public document to be publicly exhibited along with the PSP.
Project information
The Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) guides development of an area over time, however, it does not compel a landowner to develop their land if they wish to remain undeveloped.
The precinct boundary has been informed by the Warrnambool Planning Scheme and in particular the Warrnambool Strategic Framework Plan at Clause 02.04 in addition to consultation with state agencies, Warrnambool City Council and technical consultants.
PSP boundaries are established to create logical and manageable ‘planning areas’ for the preparation of Precinct Structure Plans and associated Development Contributions Plans.
The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is partnering with Warrnambool City Council to prepare strategic planning outputs.
Once a project is completed, the Responsible Authority for implementing it over many years (e.g. approving subdivision applications) will usually be the local council. To assist in facilitating this, the VPA ensures regular engagement with council throughout the whole life of the project.
How can I get involved?
The best way to stay involved in the plan development process is to register your interest in the project on the project website. If you would like to learn more, feel free to contact members of the project team.