Banyule Planning Scheme Amendment C120 was prepared to implement the built form and landscape guidance of the Postcode 3081 Urban Design Framework (UDF). It has been approved by the Minister for Planning with some changes, and is now included in the Banyule Planning Scheme to assist in guiding housing change and the preferred character in Heidelberg West, Bellfield and Heidelberg Heights.

The final amendment has made the following changes to the Banyule Planning Scheme:

• Rezoned Future Diversity Areas 1 – 4 of the UDF from the General Residential Zone (GRZ) to the Residential Growth Zone (RGZ - schedules 5-9). A mandatory height limit was proposed through a new schedule to the RGZ for each area.
• Applied the Design and Development Overlay (DDO – schedules 13-17) to Future Diversity Areas 1 - 4 to provide detailed guidance on appropriate built form e.g building density, setbacks, landscaping, colours and materials. A new schedule to the DDO was proposed for each area.
• Updated the Municipal Strategic Statement and local policy to reflect the urban renewal, preferred development and built form outcomes.

View copies of the approved changes.

The Banyule Planning Scheme Amendment C120 was exhibited from 23 August - 2 November 2018. Council considered all submissions received during the exhibition period at the Council Meeting on Monday 8 April 2019. Council resolved to make a number of post-exhibition changes to the amendment in response to submissions, before referring it to an independent Planning Panel for review. Council re-notified those directly affected by the changes.

Submissions made during exhibition and re-notification were considered by a Planning Panel in July 2019. Council had Planning and Urban Design Expert Evidence prepared to support the Panel Hearing. The Panel Report and its recommendations were considered at the Council Meeting on Monday 16 September 2019. Council resolved to support the Panel recommendations and submit the amendment to the Minster for Planning for approval.

The amendment has since been approved and was included in the Banyule Planning Scheme on 15 October 2020. View the approval notice published in the Victorian Government Gazette.

Postcode 3081 Urban Design Framework

Council prepared the Postcode 3081 Urban Design Framework (UDF) in 2017 in response to the State Government’s identification of the area in Plan Melbourne as a focus for housing renewal and growth, to support the expansion of the La Trobe National Employment and Innovation Cluster (NEIC). The UDF was updated after public exhibition. It sets out a vision and range of design objectives that will inform development in the area over the next twenty years.

The UDF was created based on research and consultation. You can read a summary of how we consulted on the UDF and what we heard in the final community engagement summary report. The UDF has been updated to reflect the changes made after exhibition.

The UDF divided the residential areas of Postcode 3081 into the following five Future Diversity Areas, which formed the basis of the zone and overlay changes made the Amendment C120:

• Area 1 - Bell Street
• Area 2 - Main Roads
• Area 3 - Creekside
• Area 4 - Local Park Interfaces
• Area 5 - Hinterland

The Urban Design Framework (UDF) and associated Planning Scheme controls will apply to areas zoned General Residential Zone Schedule 1 (GRZ1) in the Banyule Planning Scheme.

General Residential Zones are areas where growth and housing diversity is anticipated. It is expected that the type of housing provided in these areas will evolve over time to provide more diverse forms of housing, but not at the expense of existing open garden character.

There are several local policies and strategies that provide a starting point to create a UDF for the GRZ1 areas in Heidelberg West. These are outlined below:

The Banyule Housing Strategy

The Banyule Housing Strategy is a strategic plan for local housing that considers housing issues affecting local people of all ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds. The Strategy reflects this planning and includes an Action Plan to guide Council actions for local housing towards 2030.

The Housing Strategy established a Residential Areas Framework to guide housing growth and neighbourhood character. This framework has been implemented into the Banyule Planning Scheme as the Residential Areas Framework.

Clause 21.06 Residential Areas Framework

Clause 21.06 Residential Areas Framework sets out a vision for Heidelberg West’s residential renewal. Key points of this vision include:

• Heidelberg West will be an ‘Accessible Area’ (which means that it is conveniently located to shopping facilities and public transport)
• Public housing sites will provide well-designed redevelopment opportunities.
• A new desired future neighbourhood character will support development opportunities. There will be a focus on Olympic Village, Bell Street Mall, public housing sites and larger properties, where there may be higher density opportunities.

Clause 22.02 Residential Character Neighbourhood Precincts

In July 2012 Council reviewed its Neighbourhood Character Strategy. This lead to a review of Clause 22.02 of the Banyule Planning Scheme, which included the redefinition of neighbourhood precincts.

Clause 22.02 expands on the vision outlined in Clause 21.06, and indicates that The Garden Suburban Precinct 6 (to which Heidelberg West belongs) should accommodate change in a manner that enhances the preferred future character for the precinct.

This means that in the future:

• Canopy trees and under-storey vegetation will make a stronger contribution to the character of the area. Particularly in the spaces at the front and rear of buildings to reinforce the character of the street and soften the interface between dwellings.
• New town houses and other medium density dwellings will be provided.
• Greater housing densities will be located on sites that:

- have a frontage to or share a boundary with the Bell Street Mall or Olympic Village Shopping Centre.
- have a frontage onto Bell Street, Oriel Road, Waterdale Road, or Southern Road
- are adjoining a public park west of McEwan Road

• The area of a site covered by a building may be greater, if the desired tree protection and planting is achieved.
• The treed and spacious feel of the streetscape character will be enhanced by ensuring front setbacks are large enough to plant a large tree and other vegetation.
• Building heights may also be increased for these developments, with the higher components generally positioned towards the front of the site, and recessed from the lower levels to reduce their visual prominence and provide space for tree canopies.

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) is developing a Framework Plan for the La Trobe Employment Cluster.

A Framework Plan is a high-level and broad strategy that will:

• Set out the future vision for the area
• Guide sustainable future growth and development over the next 30 years
• Identify the steps needed to manage growth
• Define key projects and infrastructure required to support growth
• Provide an improved and more certain environment for making both public and private investment decisions.

This framework is being developed collaboratively with Banyule and Darebin Councils. It is anticipated that the Cluster’s framework will be completed in 2017 and the VPA will then progress a planning scheme amendment to implement the framework.

Research for the framework has included comprehensive transport planning and modelling, population projections and housing growth estimates.

The work done so far for the future Cluster framework has taken Banyule’s local area planning for the GRZ1 into consideration, and has identified key transport routes, potential boulevards and options for housing typology mix. Analysis and studies done by the VPA for the La Trobe Cluster will be a valuable input to the Heidelberg West UDF project.

Current work on the cluster framework is pointing to Heidelberg West as an important place for residential growth and development between La Trobe University, Northland and Heidelberg Activity Centres.

For more information regarding the Victorian Planning Authority and the Framework for the La Trobe Cluster.

Council resolved to make a number of post-exhibition changes to the amendment in response to submissions, before referring it to an independent Planning Panel for review. Those directly affected by the changes were re-notified. The Panel report supported the proposed changes.

The maps below show the changes that were made in response to each Council resolution:

The revised maps below show changes across all area of Amendment C120:

• Changes to height limits
• Revised zoning changes
• Revised Design and Development Overlay Schedule areas

View the original Amendment C120 proposal that was exhibited.