Plan may stifle council

By Casey Neill
KNOX residents may lose their say on how land is developed if State Government changes to housing zones override the Knox Planning Scheme.
The policy was formed through community consultation and controls land use and development within Knox.
Knox councillors voiced concerns about the proposed zoning changes at the council’s 8 April meeting.
Councillor Karin Orpen was said it was unclear how the new legislation would coexist with the Knox Planning Scheme
She said the discussion paper did not specify who would decide how the zones would be applied.
“This is a process that has always been in the realm of local government,” she said.
“We need to make sure that we keep the local in local planning to make sure we have a meaningful buy-in as to how this city will be divided.”
Cr Orpen said this message should be reinforced throughout the council’s submission to the New Residential Zones for Victoria discussion paper.
“I would like to see a recurring theme throughout the document of local government acting on behalf of the local community to have valid input into the proposed zones,” she said.
The proposed zones are called substantial change, incremental change and limited change.
A significant increase in new homes will be promoted in substantial change zones.
Development in incremental changes zones will be in line with existing development, while limited change zones will have limited opportunity for increased housing to protect the natural surrounds.
Knox director of city development Angelo Kourambas said residential one zoning currently applies to most areas across metropolitan Melbourne.
Areas zoned residential two are exempt from planning requirements to encourage higher density housing, while development in residential three areas is subject to height control limits.
“The proposed zones are very different,” he said.
“We haven’t been given enough information on how the new zones will apply.”
Cr Mick Van de Vreede said the council needed to be clear that substantial change zoning should be limited to activity centres.
“Having been involved in the development of the housing strategy I’d hate to see us go backwards because we haven’t got our finger on the pulse,” he said.
Cr Van de Vreede said the new zones should encourage developers to build in substantial change zones.
“Appropriate levels of restrictions within limited and incremental change zones and a measured release of land within growth corridors would have the effect of encouraging developers to refocus and become creative within substantial change zones,” he said.
The State Government released new residential zones for Victoria on 15 February in response to the report Making Local Policy Stronger, released last October.
An expert panel found that current residential zones did not reflect State and local housing policies and recommended the zones be reviewed.
The new zones are expected to be finalised in late 2008.
There will be further opportunities for councils to comment on a final draft later in the year.