Officer South (Employment)

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 simplified system for funding basic and essential local infrastructure required for a new community. 

An ICP ensures that developers within a new precinct contribute to the cost of providing new intersections, local open space and community facilities. 

An ICP may be made of one or two parts: a standard levy and/or a supplementary levy. The standard levy is a pre-set rate that may be used to fund transport, community and recreation infrastructure and public land provision. In particular circumstances, a supplementary levy may also apply to fund additional infrastructure needs. 

For further information, refer to Infrastructure Contributions Plans.

A supplementary ICP is required when an additional levy is needed to fund ‘non-standard’ infrastructure or costs. A supplementary levy is only intended to be used in limited circumstances. A development context can vary in terms of size, location, scale and infrastructure requirements, and so a standard levy, by itself, may not always provide enough funding to deliver the basic and essential infrastructure needed by the community. The supplementary levy is indexed on 1 July each year in accordance with the indexation method specified in the Ministerial Direction.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is leading the preparation of the precinct structure plan and planning controls for the Officer South Employment Precinct in consultation with the Cardinia Shire Council. The VPA is also coordinating and facilitating a whole of Government approach which includes the consultation of all relevant agencies and Council.

The Officer South Employment Precinct is in Cardinia Shire Council and is approximately 45km south-east of Melbourne’s central business district. The precinct is approximately 1,069 hectares and is bound by Cardinia Creek to the west, Lower Gum Scrub Creek to the east, Princes Freeway to the north and green wedge area to the south.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is leading the preparation of a structure plan for the Officer South Employment Precinct. We are working in partnership with Cardinia Shire Council, state government agencies and service authorities.

The Officer South Employment Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) will deliver a regionally significant commercial and state significant industrial area. It will be a precinct that locates employment areas and housing close to open space, activity centres, community facilities and access to public transport. The precinct is expected to provide approximately 22,000 jobs and deliver around 1,600 new homes.

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.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is leading the preparation of the PSP and planning controls for the Officer South Employment Precinct in consultation with the Cardinia Shire Council. The VPA is facilitating a whole-of-government approach, which includes consulting with all relevant stakeholders, including state government agencies, council, and landowners.

The plan proposes a planning scheme amendment to the Cardinia Planning Scheme to implement the Officer South Employment PSP and Supplementary Infrastructure Contributions Plan (ICP) to guide growth in this area over the next 20-30 years.

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 via a Planning Scheme Amendment to change the way land can be used or developed or to improve a particular scheme.

A Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) is a high-level strategic plan for a defined ‘precinct’ area that sets out the preferred location of land uses and infrastructure to guide development, subdivision and building permits which is incorporated into the local Planning Scheme through a Planning Scheme Amendment

PSPs are prepared having regard to existing features of the site and surrounds, relevant state government and council policy (including the Precinct Structure Planning Guidelines: New Communities in Victoria – October 2021) and the aspirations of the community. The views of landowners within the precinct are also taken into account subject to them being consistent with the above.

Matters considered in a PSP may include the location of future activity centres, roads, cycle and pedestrian paths, heritage places, parks, waterways and other open spaces, schools, and community infrastructure.

Once PSPs are incorporated into the relevant local Planning Scheme they are implemented primarily through subdivision planning permit applications lodged with the local council.

Planning applications to subdivide and develop land within a precinct must be generally in accordance with an approved PSP. For further information, refer to Generally in Accordance.

This is the key plan that provides the overall direction on future land uses, major transport networks, open space and activity centres within the precinct structure plan (PSP).

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 may be made of one or two parts: a standard levy and/or a supplementary levy. The standard levy is a set rate that may be used to fund transport, community and recreation infrastructure and public land provision. In some circumstances, a supplementary levy may also apply. For more information, refer to the ICP Guidelines Summary by the Department of Transport and Planning.

The Supplementary ICP is the primary mechanism for council to collect funds to contribute towards non-standard but allowable basic and essential local infrastructure as identified by the Officer South Employment PSP not already covered by the standard levy. The supplementary ICP for public consultation includes the draft cost estimates for which development will provide a contribution towards.

The Minister for Planning has issued the Ministerial Direction on the Preparation and Content of ICPs under section 46GJ of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (the Act) and reporting requirements for ICPs under section 46GZI of the Act.

The Ministerial Direction specifies where ICPs can be used (i.e. which development settings) and the requirements for preparing an ICP, including standard levy rates, land valuation and indexation methods, and the infrastructure that can be funded by an ICP.

A Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO) has been applied to the north of the proposed Thompsons Road alignment to ensure the future delivery of the Thompsons Road corridor within the precinct. The PAO extends the total width of the corridor to 70 m, 29 m beyond the standard 41 m allowance for primary arterial roads. This is consistent with the design prepared as part of the federally funded business case for the corridor.

A Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO) has been applied to land to the east of Officer South Road adjoining the Princes Freeway. Its purpose is to protect land from inappropriate development and land uses to ensure the future construction and delivery of east facing ramps connecting the freeway to Officer South Road.

Regionally Significant Commercial Areas (RSCAs) are identified in Plan Melbourne as major activity centres or growth area businesses with residential precincts, identified in the Victorian Government’s Melbourne Industrial and Commercial Land Use Plan (MICLUP). They should provide for and support access to a wide range of goods and services, including office and retail development and provide for a wide range of employment opportunities. RSCAs are expected to deliver more intensive forms of employment uses including office and commercial activity.

Plan Melbourne identifies the Officer South Employment PSP as a RSCA for the area north of Lecky Road. There is a provision in the MICLUP that states RSCA’s should have a primary role for economic and employment purposes with no less than 50 per cent of the land in each precinct being allocated for these purposes.

State Significant Industrial Precincts (SSIPs) are identified in the Victorian Government’s broad planning framework, Plan Melbourne. They provide strategically located land for major industrial development linked to the Principal Freight Network and transport gateways. It is state policy that these areas are protected from incompatible land uses to allow continual growth in freight, logistics and manufacturing investment.

The Officer South Employment PSP is identified as a SSIP south of Lecky Road. There is provision within Melbourne Industrial and Commercial Land Use Plan (MICLUP) that states that the Officer South Employment SSIP may be reconfigured to support the establishing community at Cardinia Road Employment PSP.

State Government policy sets clear expectations for the Officer South Employment Precinct and identifies the southern portion as a future State Significant Industrial Precinct (SSIP) and the northern portion as future Regionally Significant Commercial Area (RSCA).

The Officer South Employment Place-based Plan delivers on state government policy to prioritise employment outcomes for the south east while providing a high-amenity residential area with key community infrastructure to support a complete integrated and connected neighbourhood.

State policy and guidance, set out in Melbourne Industrial and Commercial Land Use Plan (MICLUP), requires that employment is the main focus of the precinct and the amount of SSIP land must be preserved. MICLUP also requires that no less than 50 per cent of the RSCA is allocated to commercial uses. The policy also states the PSP process can explore reconfiguration of the SSIP to support stronger interface outcomes for the adjoining Cardinia Road Employment precinct. If reconfiguration of any state-significant industrial land is required, there must be no net loss of overall state-significant industrial land provision.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) worked within the MICLUP guidance to consider various land use configuration options for the precinct through the Co-Design and Agency Validation process. The land use options were evaluated through a first principles assessment based on the Precinct Structure Planning Guidelines and performance targets based on planning for integrated and connected neighbourhood. The land use options were then refined based on outcomes of the economic and community infrastructure analysis to achieve good economic outcomes and ensure community infrastructure can be provided for the new community.

A Victorian Heritage Inventory (VHI) site is a site identified within the Victorian Heritage Inventory for having known archaeological values.

An archaeological site is a place which:

• Contains buried evidence like an artefact, deposit or feature which is 75 years old or more
• Provides information about past activity
• Needs archaeological methods to reveal information about the place
• Is not associated only with Aboriginal use.

The PSP 2.0 process is one part of the Precinct Structure Planning Guidelines. The Guidelines set out what needs to be achieved for planning for Victoria’s growth and gives clarity on how this can be done.

The Guidelines apply to the preparation of PSPs for new residential communities and new employment areas. The purpose of the Guidelines is to:

• Increase consistency and certainty when we are planning for growth
• Assist in the timely preparation and completion of PSPs
• Facilitate the creation of new communities that are better places to live and which respond to the challenges of the future.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is implementing a process called ‘PSP 2.0’ for this precinct, which changes the traditional planning process. This new approach to planning establishes a vision and purpose for the precinct and seeks to understand what is valued by the stakeholders from the start of the process.