Whitehorse News - June 2022

Council’s Strategic Planning Unit prepares and implements planning policies and strategies. The Unit also reviews the Whitehorse Planning Scheme, including amendments to the scheme.

To keep our community up to date with major strategic planning projects in Whitehorse, we publish this planning update twice each year.

Box Hill Metropolitan Activity Centre

Box Hill is a Metropolitan Activity Centre under the current state policy ‘Plan Melbourne’, making it a focus of substantial development, growth and investment.

Council developed and considered a revised Structure Plan, Urban Design Framework and planning scheme controls in 2020. The State Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) reviewed the revised documents and suggested some changes, which were considered by Council in November 2021. In December, Council requested authorisation from the Minister for Planning to proceed with the updated amendment, so that it can be exhibited for community comment. Council is awaiting a response.

Amendment C231: 34-40, 37-43 and 42-50 Moore Road, Vermont

These properties on Moore road were previously owned by the Department of Transport as part of the Healesville Freeway corridor. In 2014, the Minister for Planning rezoned these three properties to General Residential Zone Schedule 5 (GRZ5). The GRZ5 is not consistent with the zoning in the surrounding residential area. This amendment proposes to rezone these properties to Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 3 (NRZ3), which applies to areas where there is limited anticipated change. This amendment will ensure that the residential zone applying to these properties aligns with Council’s vision for housing in this area, as identified in the Whitehorse Housing Strategy 2014. Following community consultation and an independent panel hearing, Council considered the panel recommendations and adopted the amendment. A request has been sent to the Minister for Planning to approve it.

Whitehorse Infrastructure and Development Contributions

In September 2021, Council endorsed the Whitehorse Infrastructure and Development Contributions Framework,2021 and decided to proceed to Stage 2 of the project. This Framework identifies and outlines how contributions from new developers can help to deliver on infrastructure needs for our community. Stage 2 involves development of a municipal-wide Whitehorse Development Contributions Plan (DCP) and planning controls to implement the plan. The Draft DCP documents will be considered by Council in the coming months. If Council decides to proceed with the DCP, we will ask the Minister for Planning to initiate a planning scheme amendment.

Amendment C230 490-500:Burwood Highway, Vermont South

This amendment proposed to rezone the former Australian Road and Research Board site in Vermont South to the Residential Growth Zone, to encourage medium density housing growth and diversity of housing types. It also proposes application of a Design and Development Overlay, the Significant Landscape Overlay, the Vegetation Protection Overlay and the Environmental Audit Overlay. The existing Heritage Overlay will be retained. Council sent a request to the Minister for Planning to prepare and exhibit the amendment in December 2021. Council received authorisation in April and the amendment is now on exhibition for community comment on Your Say Whitehorse.

56-74 Station Street, Nunawading (former Daniel Robertson Brickworks site)

Council has received a Development Plan for Stage 2 of the former Daniel Robertson brickworks site in Nunawading. The plan has been prepared on behalf of the landowner, Norcal Station Development Pty Ltd. The proposed Plan provides greater detail on how the northeastern part of the site could be developed. The development will likely comprise retail and commercial dwellings, 10-storey buildings, basement car parking, pedestrian and bicycle links and landscaping. The proposed plan for Stage 2 was displayed for community comment in May and will soon be considered by Council.

Suburban Rail Loop East from Cheltenham to Box Hill (SRL East) project

The SRL East project proposes new stations at Burwood and Box Hill. This project may have a major impact on existing heritage properties in the Box Hill commercial area. In November 2021, Council enlisted a consultant to undertake a heritage assessment on these significant buildings along Whitehorse Road and a property in Elland Avenue in Box Hill. The assessment found that the properties were not suitable to be put on the Victorian Heritage Register. These findings were considered by Council on 23 May 2022.

Municipal-wide Tree Controls

The Significant Landscape Overlay - Schedule 9 (SLO9) is an interim control in the planning scheme that protects trees in Whitehorse’s residential areas. It has been in place since February 2018. The controls are likely to be to mid-2023, while DELWP undertakes a state-wide review of vegetation controls known as the Cooling and Greening project. A Council report in February acknowledged community concern about protection of trees in Whitehorse and called for advocacy to state government to strengthen tree controls.