Precinct Structure Plans (PSPs) are master plans for whole communities which usually cater for between 10,000 to 30,000 people. Precinct structure planning is fundamental to making Victoria's growth areas great places to live, both today and for future generations. PSPs lay out roads, shopping centres, schools, parks, housing, employment the connections to transport and generally resolve the complex issues of biodiversity, cultural heritage, infrastructure provision and council charges.
The development of greenfield sites, along with urban consolidation, is an important part of the State Government's strategy to address population growth and the housing and employment demands that flow from this.
PSPs are the "blueprint" for development and investment that will occur over many years. They provide an up to date approach to address current global issues such as adapting to climate change, reducing carbon emissions, rising living costs and pressures of increasing travel distances as our cities grow. PSPs provide a balance between meeting complex policy requirements and providing affordable development.
Our goal is to create diverse, compact and well connected communities that are affordable and rich in local jobs, transport access, services and culture. We must also protect our valuable natural and historic features and use land more efficiently.
The Growth Areas Authority (GAA) is the statutory authority responsible for overseeing the preparation of all PSPs in Melbourne's growth areas and advising the Minister for Planning on their approval.
The GAA is working in partnership with growth area Councils to complete the planning for Melbourne's Growth Areas.
PSPs can be prepared and funded by council, landowners and developers, the GAA (with funding provided by the Victorian Government) or other agencies directed to do so by the Minister for Planning. In all cases the process will require the active involvement of land owners, developers, service and infrastructure providers and Councils.
With the incorporation of new areas in the Urban Growth Boundary the GAA has set out preliminary boundaries and interim names for our PSP program. It should be noted that these may be subject to change from time to time depending on changing circumstances.
Any enquiries on the program can be made in the first instance to the GAA.
For a visual representation of PSPs please view the PSP Status Map
The GAA intends to progress the completion of all PSPs contained in its program in accordance with available resources. It should be remembered that the development of the growth areas is a 20 year program.
Not all PSPs can be undertaken at the same time and a program of PSP preparation that supports housing affordability, early identification of key infrastructure and social cohesion needs to be in place.
The current status of the GAA's PSP program, including the PSPs currently being progressed, is listed below and shown in the attached plan. It should be noted that within the list of PSPs marked "under preparation" or "at Planning Scheme Amendment stage" there is a high degree of variability of progress. Some are near completion, while work has only started on others at a sub-corridor planning level.
The PSPs being progressed have been assessed in light of the factors relating to the status of work already progressed on that PSP, logical extension of Melbourne's development, infrastructure extension, any constraints of fragmentation, supporting town centres, resource support and available land supply.
The assessment of priorities has been reliant on current information. New or updated information may result in updated priorities and therefore, the actual sequence of the planning of land may vary from the proposed sequence. The GAA has realised from experience that the PSP program is required to be flexible, as the situation of an individual PSP or land can alter and this may impact on the timing of PSP activity and/or completion. Accordingly, the GAA advises that the completion of an individual PSP may take a greater or lesser time than anticipated.
Currently, the progress on the schedule of the PSP program is:
The aim is to complete all the PSPs by 2012 within the 'old' UGB, which will create the opportunity for over 90,000 new homes.