housing strategy, another step closer

report from the roundtable - 10 may

At this weeks meeting councillors had to consider Planning Scheme Amendment C97. C97 puts into effect Council's adopted Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Character Study using a series of different planning controls which address sub-division, building height, site coverage, vegetation protection and design criteria. It also defines residential land in the shire into areas of consolidation (higher density), incremental change (infill development) and least change (no change or low density).

There has been extensive public consultation around C97, it affects around 39,000 households in the shire and yet the shire only received 150 submissions. Some of the submissions sent to council are not supported by council so we are obligated to request the Minister of Planning appoint and independent Planning Panel to review the submissions.

As a result of submissions Council has endorsed some changes to the proposed planning controls including greater vegetation controls in Mount Evelyn and changes regarding subdivisions in court locations, these as well as others will from part of council's submission to the Planning Panel.

It's been a long process, one that started well before I was elected to council, but its good to be inching closer and closer to seeing the Shire's Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Character Study being incorporated into the Yarra Ranges planning scheme.