Integrate the reformed The Committee appears to have integrated Undertake a legal review of the policy commercial, industrial, some of the purposes of the new zones into framework and test with live residential and rural zones the policy framework. The implications of applications to identify outcomes from this on decision-making are however new policy and any unintended unclear. For example 9.07-S-01 consequences. Commercial and retail uses includes a strategy (based on the purpose of the Commercial 2 zone) to ‘facilitate commercial areas for offices, appropriate manufacturing and industries, bulky goods retailing, other retail uses, and associated business and commercial Some services’. of these uses are inconsistent with the purposes and controls of the Commercial 1 zone. The policy applies to all commercial land. Integration of the There is currently no reference in the policy The new Development Contributions development contributions framework to developer contributions. This system and Standard Levies were system may be because the policy announced on 1 May. The outcomes Government’s position was not released at the should be reflected in the policy commencement of consultation. framework. Structure of state policy Planning vision Break the Planning Vision chapter into two - planning vision including – This section needs greater prominence. context (section 3) and settlement Regional planning planning (section 4). The of Regional Policy are A minor re-structure would clarify the three ‘layers’ confusing. It is unclear as to whether roles of each of the Regional Policies. metropolitan Melbourne is a region at the The naming conventions and as Regional Victoria or akin to numbering system for Regional same “level” the regions in rural Victoria, which have Victoria and Metropolitan Melbourne been identified in the RGPs (it has been need to align as both include used interchangeably). Strategic planning guidelines Clarity about the weight to be given to the strategic planning guidelines is The weight to be given to planning ‘strategic needed. is also unclear. Will it be less guidelines’ than the rest of the policy? The implementer Amend the PPF so that it is clear who of the strategic planning guidelines are also is responsible for implementing each unclear. of the strategic planning guidelines. There is an opportunity to bookmark future Include place holders for new State State policy. Policy.
Integrate the reformed commercial, industrial, residential and rural zones The Committee appears to have integrated some of the purposes of the new zones into the policy framework. The implications of this on decision-making are however unclear. For example 9.07-S-01 Commercial and retail uses includes a strategy (based on the purpose of the Commercial 2 zone) to ‘facilitate commercial areas for offices, appropriate manufacturing and industries, bulky goods retailing, other retail uses, and associated business and commercial services’. Some of these uses are inconsistent with the purposes and controls of the Commercial 1 zone. The policy applies to all commercial land. Undertake a legal review of the policy framework and test with live applications to identify outcomes from new policy and any unintended consequences. Integration of the development contributions system There is currently no reference in the policy framework to developer contributions. This may be because the Government’s policy position was not released at the commencement of consultation. The new Development Contributions system and Standard Levies were announced on 1 May. The outcomes should be reflected in the policy framework. Structure of state policy Planning vision This section needs greater prominence. Regional planning The three ‘layers’ of Regional Policy are confusing. It is unclear as to whether metropolitan Melbourne is a region at the same “level” as Regional Victoria or akin to the regions in rural Victoria, which have been identified in the RGPs (it has been used interchangeably). Strategic planning guidelines The weight to be given to ‘strategic planning guidelines’ is also unclear. Will it be less than the rest of the policy? The implementer of the strategic planning guidelines are also unclear. There is an opportunity to bookmark future State policy. Break the Planning Vision chapter into two - planning vision – including context (section 3) and settlement planning (section 4). A minor re-structure would clarify the roles of each of the Regional Policies. The naming conventions and numbering system for Regional Victoria and Metropolitan Melbourne need to align as both include Clarity about the weight to be given to the strategic planning guidelines is needed. Amend the PPF so that it is clear who is responsible for implementing each of the strategic planning guidelines. Include place holders for new State Policy.
Submission-to-Integrated-Planning-Policy-Framework-May-2014.docx