The Minister for Planning has now removed the Residential Growth Zone in Yarra. Another bonus for proactive councils believing they can do more for their residents! Here’s the Yarra Media Release and the new schedules – please take careful note of the height limits in the General Residential Zones. Glen Eira has 10.5 metres.
Council welcomes decision on new residential zones
04 May 2015
Yarra Council welcomes the State Government’s decision on Yarra’s new residential zones.
Yarra Mayor Cr Phillip Vlahogiannis said the new residential zones will provide greater certainty about the height and scale of developments that can be built in those zones.
“Council is pleased to see the State Government endorse Yarra’s strategic vision for maintaining Yarra’s liveability and protecting neighbourhood character – especially in our heritage precincts,” Cr Vlahogiannis said.
“Yarra’s submission to the State Government on the new residential zones was based on robust strategic planning considerations and extensive community consultation. Our submission was sensible and responsible,” he said.
In early 2014 Council undertook extensive consultation with the community, evidenced by the near 400 written submissions received.
“Council knows that Yarra’s population is growing rapidly, with roughly 25,000 extra people expected to be living here by 2030. With that projected growth in mind, Council aims to deliver the best outcomes for Yarra as a whole, to protect Yarra’s residential heritage character, while identifying areas for housing growth.
“Yarra will accommodate housing growth in appropriate areas across the municipality, such as activity centres that have capacity.
“The Minister for Planning’s decision is a deserved vindication of the good work of Council’s strategic planning professionals and brings some relief to the Yarra community whose amenity has been constantly challenged by ever-intensifying development.
“We are particularly pleased that the Minister has indicated that the Residential Growth Zone is no longer necessary as this will provide comfort to residents concerned about overdevelopment in their neighbourhoods,” Cr Vlahogiannis said.
The approved residential zones will apply as follows:
- The Neighbourhood Residential Zone applies to about 74% of Yarra’s existing residential zones. This would restrict larger-scale development in Yarra’s heritage precincts and includes a building height limit of eight metres.
- The General Residential Zone applies to about 26% of Yarra’s existing residential zone. This zone is similar to Yarra’s existing residential zone, but with the added protection of limiting building heights to nine metres.
“Yarra has not shirked the responsibility to provide its fair share of housing to meet the needs of Melbourne’s growing population. In Yarra’s case, that additional housing stock is being, and will be, delivered predominantly through other zones – particularly the mixed use zone and the commercial 1 zone,” he said.
Source: http://www.yarracity.vic.gov.au/News/council-welcomes-decision-on-new-residential-zones/
PLUS
No Residential Growth Zone
The Minister for Planning removed the requirement for the Residential Growth Zone in Yarra.
This zone provides for increased housing growth and density.
The Minister’s determination is consistent with Council’s position that the Residential Growth Zone is not needed because housing growth is already occurring in Yarra’s mixed use and commercial zones.
The process to evaluate the introduction of the Residential Growth Zone (draft amendment C179) is no longer required.
Summary table of zones and schedules – approved 2015
Glen Eira Debates 
May 5, 2015 at 12:09 PM
The tally of councils getting what they want is growing and growing. Good on Yarra. Glen Eira sits on its backside and indulges in scare mongering instead of doing what they are paid to do – proper planning and getting rid of the growth zones in quiet streets and over heritage areas.
May 5, 2015 at 1:32 PM
Bayside now Yarra and there will be plenty more but not Glen Eira because they think they are so perfect that nothing needs changing. They are a disgrace and should be sacked lock stock and barrel and the whole planning department plus Newton resign immediately. I am fed up with the incompetence and waste.
May 5, 2015 at 3:45 PM
In private discussions between councillors, council staff, and the entourage of the disgraced ex-Planning Minister, agreement was reached that if GECC sacrificed a chunk of the municipality to RGZ, the Minister would agree to grant greater protection to its NRZ areas than ResCode required. Critically, the deal was not to be subjected to public scrutiny—hence the continuing fiction from Council that the new zones were a “neutral translation” of existing policy. Not so clear was just who participated and agreed to the contentious rezoning of some Minimal Change area land to GRZ. The fact of this rezoning inconveniently contradicts some assertions Rocky Camera made in his report to the last Council Meeting.
Then just a few days ago the ABC had in its News an item showing dwelling approvals. It should come as no surprise that the graphic showed an explosion of development in Melbourne in the “4+ storey category” starting around August 2013—which was when Matthew Guy rolled out the unilateral, mistake-ridden, changes to the Glen Eira Planning Scheme that the cabal of Crs Pilling, Hyams, Esakoff, Lipshutz and Lobo publically endorsed with their presence at the Minister’s announcement/photo-op.
May 5, 2015 at 6:23 PM
Council keeps bleating the line that the zones provide greater protection and “certainty” everywhere. The use of the word “greater” is becoming ubiquitous when applied to permeability, open space, and site coverage in the Nrz areas. The truth is that nothing changed with the introduction of the residential zones in 2013 for the Nrz sites. Permeability had already been set at 25%; site coverage had already been set at 50% and open space was likewise set. All of this happened with C25 that came in 13 years ago. What wasn’t “neutral” was the inclusion of more into the Grz and Rgz zones. Oh yes – there was the mandatory height limit of 8 metres but then if anyone lives on a larger site than their neighbours in Nrz then they’d better watch out. 8 metres, 10.5 metres and 13.5 metres was all negotiable. Council could have set a lower height limit if they wanted. Our jolly lot were happy to go along with the good Guy and promise that they would let developers have their head. That about sums up this council and the zones.
May 5, 2015 at 8:44 PM
Macca, you’re absolutely right. And remember that 13 years ago there was a Labor government, which approved the C25, and did not enforce Melbourne 2030 on Glen Eira. So, unless there is a complete change of Councillors and administration there is not going to be changes in Glen Eira. The current Labor state government is not going to force things on Glen Eira unless it has the support of voters. Next year election will determine if the composition of the Council changes to suit those that want changes. I for one will not hold my breath.
May 5, 2015 at 10:04 PM
You are probably right concerning the need to toss out the current incumbents. Yet, there are some glimmers of hope. Lobo has spoken out, Okotel has ineffectually spoken out re consultation, but the best admission came from Delahunty according to a post put up recently. Didn’t she say that the zoning for Bentleigh East was questionable? Elsternwick also? Chinks are appearing. Even Sounness may be starting to see the light. With more and more councils getting their way the dam walls have to burst and take the rubbish with them.
May 6, 2015 at 8:58 AM
Who could forget that photo-op, Pilling everlasting shame, up there with all his Liberal Party mates, no wonder the Greens tossed him out.