Melton East

The VPA and Minister for Planning have received the Standing Advisory Committee’s Report for the Melton East PSP and ICP. We are working with stakeholders to finalise the amendment for consideration by the Minister of Planning. The Committee’s Report will be released at the time of gazettal of the PSP, ICP, and Planning Scheme Amendment.

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.

An Infrastructure Contributions Plan (ICP) is a system for funding basic and essential local infrastructure required by a new community. An ICP ensures that developers within the precinct contribute to the cost of providing new intersections, local open space and community facilities.

An ICP is prepared by a planning authority, usually a council or the Minister for Planning, or a public authority that has been authorised by the Minister, for example the Victorian Planning Authority. The Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the Ministerial direction on the preparation and content of Infrastructure Contributions Plans set out the requirements for the preparation and approval of an ICP.

An ICP may be made of one or two parts:

• Standard levy: A single levy that is used to fund transport, community and recreation infrastructure and public land provision. It is a pre-determined monetary rate set by the Minister for Planning through the Ministerial Direction, designed to provide a fair and reasonable budget for funding basic infrastructure essential for new urban development. The standard levy rates for the Metropolitan Greenfield Growth Areas development settings are indexed on 1 July each year in accordance with the indexation method specified in the Ministerial Direction.
• Supplementary levy: a non-standard levy set by the planning authority based on the estimated costs of infrastructure works informed by topographical, geographical, environmental or other physical constraints.

For more information, see Infrastructure Contributions Plans – FAQs.

The PSP has been prepared with the VPA Precinct Structure Planning Guidelines: New Communities in Victoria (2021) and PSP 2.0 process.

As part of this process, the VPA is leading the preparation of the PSP and planning controls for the Precinct in consultation with Melton City Council. The VPA is facilitating a whole-of-government approach, which includes consulting with all relevant stakeholders, including state government agencies, council, landowners, Traditional Owners and local residents and businesses.

For more detail on the planning process to date, including the extensive research and analysis that has been undertaken – please see the Background Report.

Infrastructure will be funded through a variety of sources, including as developer works as part of subdivision, through the Infrastructure Contributions Plan (ICP) and the Drainage Services Scheme (DSS).

The ICP will fund the delivery of essential infrastructure items, including transport infrastructure, three local sports reserves and four multipurpose community centres within the precinct.

Major drainage-related works will be funded through a DSS, to be managed by Melbourne Water.

A planning scheme amendment involves either a change to a planning scheme map, a change to the written part of the scheme, or both.

Amendments to a planning scheme can have significant planning implications as they change the way land can be used or developed, thereby changing the basis of planning decisions in the future.

The draft planning scheme amendment (draft amendment C244melt) has been prepared by the Victorian Planning Authority to implement the Melton East PSP and ICP into the Melton Planning Scheme. A planning scheme amendment is the most appropriate method for implementing the PSP to guide and provide certainty on future land use and development.

Changes to the zoning, overlay and particular provisions of the Melton Planning Scheme will be applied to facilitate development of the precinct. Specifically, the draft amendment proposes to:

• Insert a new Schedule 13 to the Urban Growth Zone and rezone land in the precinct to Urban Growth Zone 13 (UGZ13) and Rural Conservation Zone 3 (RCZ3).
• Apply an Environmental Audit Overlay (EAO) to land identified as having high risk for potential contamination.
• Applies the Heritage Overlay to the Beattys Road Nissen Hut (HO207).
• Include native vegetation exemptions in the Schedule to Clause 52.17 Native Vegetation of the Melton Planning Scheme.
• Applies the Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO) applied to land required for the Mount Cotrell Road / Western Freeway Interchange.
• Inserts Schedule 4 to the Infrastructure Contributions Overlay (ICO4) and applies it to the precinct.

Infrastructure and development staging involves strategically planning and phasing projects over time to ensure efficient implementation and sustainability through the consideration of factors such as funding, regulations, and practicality.

An Infrastructure and Development Staging Plan (IDSP) facilitates development in preferred locations to mitigate sequencing that results in poor outcomes. It is based on a reasonable forecast of the preferred pattern and timing of development in the precinct.

The IDSP has been prepared to deliver the Development Services Scheme and outfall provisions, as well as other key transport infrastructure such as arterial roads and intersections to secure safe and efficient transport routes for new residents. There are no significant State-funded projects required to facilitate the development of the precinct.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is responsible for the planning of new suburbs and renewal sites in Victoria. The VPA is the Planning Authority for draft amendment C244melt – meaning that it is responsible for this amendment.

The VPA reports to the Minister for Planning while working closely with Melton City Council, government agencies and the community on integrated land use and infrastructure coordination for important development sites and precincts.

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.

Melbourne Water is the waterway, drainage and floodplain authority for the Port Phillip and Westernport region. They work with local Councils and government to ensure that appropriate drainage and water management infrastructure is in place to support increased demand, to protect people and property from flooding, and to protect our waterways.

The Melton East precinct will be urbanised with new homes, businesses and infrastructure. There will be new work opportunities for local residents, with approximately 2,000 new jobs expected to be generated alongside approximately 12,000 new homes. The PSP will also deliver new transport, drainage and community infrastructure, including facilitation of:

• New intersections along Melton Highway and Leakes Road, as well as several new intersections within the precinct;
• Two neighbourhood activity centres and two local convenience centres;
• Four government primary schools, a government secondary school and land for two non-government primary schools;
• Four multipurpose community centrse including kindergartens and meeting rooms for community use;
• A public open space network including a regional active open space facility, three active open space facilities and fourteen local parks.

If you choose to subdivide your land, a separate lot will need to be created for the conservation area, and an agreement must be entered with the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. To find out more, please visit DEECA’s website.

Flooding will be managed through new drainage infrastructure in the precinct. New drainage areas have been identified in the PSP and will be implemented as part of Melbourne Water’s Development Services Scheme (DSS) for the area. The DSS will ensure that development within the PSP is protected from flooding.

The PSP also includes Integrated Water Management strategies to enhance catchment resilience and manage existing and future flood risks and impacts.

The Melton East PSP area falls within the Melbourne Strategic Assessment (MSA) area under the federal Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, where the Growling Grass Frog is an endangered animal identified for protection.

The precinct contains part of Conservation Area 15 Western Growth Corridor: Growling Grass Frog corridors (north) under the MSA which is situated around Kororoit Creek. Conservation land will be zoned Rural Conservation Zone 3 (RCZ3) as part of the amendment to protect the land. The Crown will acquire the conservation land as development in the precinct occurs.

An arboricultural assessment was also undertaken to confirm the retention value of native vegetation within the precinct, and high-value trees are identified as ‘must be retained’ in the PSP.

Climate change has been considered within the plan through the incorporation of key elements such as open space, the Development Services Scheme, tree canopy enhancement, and integrated water management strategies. Additionally, the PSP emphasises achieving environmentally sustainable development (ESD) outcomes, such as a walkable built form and 20-Minute Neighbourhood, ensuring that the development will align with long-term environmental sustainability goals.

The VPA has procured an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment for the Melton East precinct to identify areas of tangible cultural heritage. To further identify any tangible and intangible cultural heritage values, the VPA has also worked with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (WWCHAC) to produce a Cultural Values Assessment (CVA). As part of the preparation of the CVA, the WWCHAC conducted a site ‘walk over’ and the PSP includes an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Plan to show areas of significance.

A Cultural Heritage Permit was also granted to undertake excavations in indicative bridge crossing locations over Kororoit creek to provide additional cultural heritage information at the sites planned for Tarletons Road and Paynes Road bridges.

The Urban Growth Zone (UGZ) designates land for future urban development, facilitating the transition from non-urban to urban use. It encourages the creation of well-planned, services urban communities in line with PSPs, streamlines approval processes in these areas, and protects non-urban land from activities that could impede its future urban development.

The Infrastructure Contributions Overlay (ICO) outlines requirements for monetary and/or land contributions within a specific area, often to secure land for public open space, sports grounds, community facilities and key infrastructure such as roads and intersections. Typically prepared by a planning authority like a municipal council or the Minister for Planning, its creation and approval follow guidelines set by the Planning and Environment Act and ministerial directives.

The Heritage Overlay (HO) is applied to identified heritage places where planning controls are required to conserve and enhance its significance. A planning permit is typically required to demolish or externally alter an existing building or to subdivide or construct a new building where a HO applies.

The Environmental Audit Overlay (EAO) ensures assessment of potentially contaminated land occurs before a new sensitive use begins. The EAO is typically applied where earlier land uses may have contaminated the land. Assessment of potentially contaminated land is done through the planning permit process.

The Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO) is applied to identified land to reserve it for a public purpose and indicates that this land could be compulsorily acquired in the future.