Merrifield North

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA), now part of the Department of Transport and Planning’s New Communities (DTPNC) is preparing a Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) and accompanying Infrastructure Contributions Plan (ICP) for the Merrifield North Precinct, working in partnership with Hume City Council, and Mitchell Shire Council.

The PSP provides a long-term vision for the future development of Merrifield North precinct – a 970 hectares employment precinct in the Northern Growth Corridor that will deliver approximately 4,700 jobs.

Merrifield North is identified as an employment PSP in Plan for Victoria (2025), which directs the future of planning in Victoria, and supported by the Economic Growth Statement (2024) as a State Significant Industrial Precinct.

It is also supported by A 10-Year Plan for Melbourne’s Greenfields (2024) and the North Growth Corridor Plan (2012) as an industrial precinct.

A Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) is a land use and infrastructure plan to guide the development of an area over time. It gives certainty for community members and developers by providing a long-term vision for how an area will develop into the future.

A PSP sets out the preferred locations of residential and employment land and infrastructure while providing 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 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, which changes the basis of planning decisions in the future.

The VPA is leading the preparation of the PSP and planning controls for the Precinct in consultation with Hume City Council and Mitchell Shire 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 community group

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

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.

An Infrastructure Contributions Plan (ICP) is a statutory document incorporated in a planning scheme for the purposes of imposing infrastructure contributions to fund the provision of works, services or facilities and securing land for public purposes.

Infrastructure contributions fund basic and essential local infrastructure that new communities need, such as the land and first carriageway for arterial roads, sports reserves and community centres. ICPs can fund provision within the ICP plan area or outside the ICP plan area if it is essential. State infrastructure (apart from the land and first carriageway for arterial roads) cannot be funded by ICPs in Melbourne’s growth areas. This infrastructure is partly funded by the Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC).

To implement an ICP, it must be strategically justified and linked to the planning policy framework in the planning scheme. The PSP will set out the type, location, size and use of land required for public purposes and should relate the need for that land to the future development of the area. An infrastructure contribution may consist of either or both of the following two components: a monetary levy or land component.

The methods for calculating the ICP land are specified in the Ministerial Direction – Preparation and Content of Infrastructure Contributions Plans. For more information about the background of ICP, please refer to the VPA Fact Sheets on ICPs and the DTP Infrastructure Contributions.

When preparing an ICP, the scope and cost of the infrastructure to be included need to be determined. The Benchmark Infrastructure and Costs Guide developed by VPA in 2019 as a living document will inform the benchmark designs and costs in preparing ICPs.

Growth Areas Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC) is an infrastructure contribution paid by developers to contribute funding towards essential state infrastructure in Melbourne’s growth areas. It is a fee collected by the State Revenue Office when land sales and/or subdivision occur. The collected fees are distributed equally between two special purpose accounts: the growth areas transport fund and the building new communities fund.

GAIC funds must be spent in, or for the benefit of, any of the seven designated growth area councils including Hume and Mitchell. Funds are used for infrastructure projects like land acquisition, capital works and start-up operating costs for new public transport services.

Different rates of GAIC apply to different types of land. Land in Merrifield North Precinct is classified as potential Type B-1 land.  Developers can seek to provide works or land for future state infrastructure in lieu of paying the contribution under a GAIC work-in-kind agreement. This can offset all or some of a developer’s GAIC liability.

To give effect to the Economic Growth Statement and streamlining planning processes in the VPA Business Plan 2025-26, Merrifield North was fast-tracked subject to securing Third Party Funding. To implement the Government’s commitment to bringing employment land to market, public consultation was brought forward and the preparation of the Merrifield North PSP was prepared on an accelerated program.

Infrastructure and Development Staging Plan guides the orderly release of land for development in accordance with infrastructure delivery across the PSP. This plan linked with a Specific Controls Overlay (SCO) represents the preferred development staging as determined at the time of preparation, considering the local and regional context and the infrastructure requirements of new developments.

The SCO is proposed to be applied to Gunns Gully Road interchange. The SCO will ensure that the development of land within the precinct does not outpace the delivery of key transport infrastructure.

The following assumptions are used to inform the development staging plan. The proximity to new or existing arterial road and freeway, the proximity to existing or proposed development fronts or serviced land and the developing sequence of the Development Services Scheme (DSS).

A stage gate is proposed for Gunns Gully Road Interchange in the precinct.

The VPA has commissioned technical studies in consultation with the Registered Aboriginal Party, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, which will inform the assessment, protection and conservation of Aboriginal cultural heritage and values in the precinct. This work will be informed by any Cultural Heritage Management Plans that are in preparation or approved for the precinct.

The draft planning scheme amendment seeks to retain existing Hertitage Overlay (HO262) Bleak House (Ruin) at 155 Gunns Gully Road Mickleham. It is recommended that the ruins and surroundings area of archaeological potential at Bleak House (Ruin) are updated in the Heritage Overlay citation and recorded on a site card for potential listing on the Victorian Heritage Inventory.

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) has updated the habitat distribution model for VGED to depict areas of potential habitat for the species. Merrifield North precinct is included in the model. The model does not predict whether the species occurs in the habitat at a particular location, it aims to show possibility for potential of occurrence.

Habitat assessment will be undertaken prior to the Standing Advisory Committee process. Target surveys will be conducted where modelled, potential habitat is confirmed on the ground through the habitat assessment.

To read more about the habitat distribution model, visit: Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon habitat distribution model

The potential wallan wallan Regional Park remains at feasibility stage and is subject to further whole-of government commitments. The feasibility study was finalised in 2022 and approved by the Minister for Environment in 2025.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is responsible for the planning of new suburbs and renewal sites in Victoria. The VPA is the designated planning authority for draft amendment GC295.

The VPA reports to the Minister for Planning, while working closely with the Hume City Council, Mitchell Shire Council, government agencies, Traditional Owners 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

Hume City Council is the local government authority for a portion of the Merrifield North precinct. It is the responsible authority for matters pertaining to land use and development of the precinct post gazettal of the PSP into the Planning Scheme.

Mitchell Shire Council is the local government authority for a portion of the Merrifield North precinct. It is the responsible authority for matters pertaining to land use and development of the precinct post gazettal of the PSP into the Planning Scheme.

As part of this process, the VPA is leading the preparation of the PSP and planning controls for the Precinct in consultation with Hume City Council and Mitchell Shire 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 community groups.

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

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 is responsible for planning new suburbs and renewal sites in Victoria. The VPA is the designated Planning Authority, which means it is responsible for this amendment.

Melbourne Water is the relevant water catchment management authority as well as the asset manager and landowner of the Kalkallo Retarding Basin. The Kalkallo Retarding Basin is central to water management and stormwater quality improvement in the area.

Melbourne Water is currently revising the 2017 version of the Kalkallo Development Services Scheme (DSS). Merrifield North precinct is within the Kalkallo DSS boundary.

Anyone can make a submission. However, submissions are usually made by people who may be affected by a proposed draft planning scheme amendment (either as the owner or occupier of land which is to be the subject of changed planning scheme provisions) or who may be affected by changes on other land, such as neighbouring residents or business owners.

In the case of a submission made jointly by a number of people, the submission should nominate one person as the group’s representative for notices and representation

Submissions must be made in writing or on the Engage Victoria platform, be clearly marked with the name of the planning project – Merrifield North.

You must also include:

• The name of the person (or nominated person if it is a group) making the submission
• Preferred contact details
• The address of the affected property if applicable, and,
• The reason/s for the submission.

Post:

Victorian Planning Authority c/- Merrifield North Precinct Structure Plan
GPO Box 2392
Melbourne VIC 3001

We have prepared a How to Make a Submission guide to help you navigate making a submission on a planning scheme amendment. You can access it on the Documents section on the Engage Victoria web page or on the VPA web page.

Submissions provided to the VPA are part of an open public process where all parties affected by the planning scheme can provide input into the draft amendment.

If you choose to make a submission, you consent to your submission being made public, and being identified as the author of the submission.

Your submission will be made available for public inspection on the VPA website until two months after gazettal of the resulting planning scheme amendment and will also be made available to relevant Ministers and local councils, and other involved government agencies.

If you are a private individual, your personal information will be removed from your submission before it is released to parties outside government or local councils. Contact details do not include the address of land which is the subject of your submission.

By making a submission, you also give permission for copyright material to be copied and made public.

Contact the team if you would like to receive translated copies of any material via MerrifieldNorthPSP@transport.vic.gov.au 

Submissions must be received by Tuesday 15 September 2026.

Submissions received after this date may not be considered by the VPA and will be assessed to determine how or if they can be considered.

You can contact the VPA project team Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm via:

Dale Bristow (Strategic Planning Manager) on 03 9651 9619.

You can also email the team via MerrifieldNorthPSP@transport..vic.gov.au

Once a submission is made to the VPA, you will first receive a notice to acknowledge it has been received.

After the consultation period ends, the project team will review all submissions received. As part of this process, the project team may contact submitters as required to further discuss their submission and any changes sought.

If required, draft Amendment GC295 may be subject to the VPA Projects Standing Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC has been established to provide independent advice on draft planning scheme amendments to the VPA and the Minister for Planning.

While the VPA will seek to resolve issues raised by submitters, following the public consultation process, the Minister for Planning will be advised of the outcomes and provided with options to resolve submissions, including, but not limited to, referral to the SAC. If so, submitters will be contacted regarding next steps, process, and timing.