Melbourne 2030 Monthly email update October 2006 Proposition 3047 Award Winners – 9 October 2006 Hayball Leonard Stent Architects and Sense Architecture have been named the winners of the $10,000 Jury First Prize in Proposition 3047 – a new, annual architecture and design competition. This year, entrants were asked to design proposals to revitalise key locations in Broadmeadows, a Transit City under Melbourne 2030. The winning entry, announced on 6 October, included a proposal for the Broadmeadows Railway Station precinct featuring new mixed-use buildings, shops, offices, housing, community facilities and a new bus interchange and commuter carpark. 2006 Planning Institute of Australia - Planning Excellence Awards The presentation ceremony for the Victorian Division of the 2006 Planning Institute of Australia Planning Excellence Awards was held on 20 October. Awards were presented for a range of planning categories, including the ‘Planning Minister’s Award for Melbourne 2030 Implementation’ for projects that make a significant contribution to integrated implementation of Melbourne 2030. This year, the Planning Minister’s Award was presented to two recipients: • David Lock Associates and Darebin City Council jointly for their work on the Preston Central Structure Plan; and • Tract Consultants and Autcorp Group jointly for their work on ‘The Village’ housing development at Clayton South. Cutting Red Tape – 4 October 2006 The Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls, has announced a pilot project to trial the Code Assess Initiative as part of the government’s plan to reduce red tape in planning. Code Assess involves simplifying the process to obtain planning permits for a wide range of works such as warehouses in industrial zones, new shops and signs in existing shopping centres and house extensions. The initiative is being trialled by four municipalities – Hume, Maribyrnong, Ballarat and Port Phillip. Mr Hulls said that Code Assess was one of the key recommendations in the Cutting Red Tape in Planning report, released on 30 August 2006, and delivers on the Melbourne 2030 commitment to an efficient and effective planning system. Coastal Spaces Landscape Assessment Study – 27 September 2006 In September the Minister for Planning, Rob Hulls, released the Coastal Spaces Landscape Assessment Study: State Overview Report. The landmark study, drawn in large part from the photos supplied by Victorian beach lovers, provides an overview of the State's significant coastal landscapes and outlines a number of recommendations on how management and protection of these important landscapes can be better achieved through planning schemes. Rural Residential Development Guidelines The Department of Sustainability and Environment has released Rural Residential Guidelines to assist planning authorities and developers in planning and evaluating the sustainability of rural residential use and development. The guidelines provide practical advice to ensure that new rural residential development is a sustainable use of the land. Towards An Integrated Victorian Housing Strategy The Minister for Housing, Candy Broad, has released Towards an integrated Victorian housing strategy – A framework to address our future housing challenges, which sets a five-year vision to create more housing choice for working families in Victoria and provides a framework for future government spending. 1 Ride to Work Day – 4 October 2006 More than 5,000 cyclists were welcomed to a free breakfast in Federation Square by Transport Minister Peter Batchelor to celebrate Ride to Work Day on 4 October. “Riding to work is one way to avoid the frustration of peak hour traffic. It is a healthy way to clear your mind and kick start the day,” Mr Batchelor said. “Riding a bike is also a cheaper alternative to a car – especially in times of high petrol prices.” The breakfast was sponsored by the Government’s TravelSmart program, which encourages people to choose sustainable transport alternatives to cars such as walking, cycling and public transport. The program supports Melbourne 2030 implementation by promoting sustainable personal transport options and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Improvements to Local Bus Services in Melbourne’s South-East – 11 October 2006 An extra 736 trips a week have been added to local bus routes through the municipalities of Bayside, Kingston and Greater Dandenong. The extra services are part of a major roll-out of increased bus services, with buses running until at least 9pm seven days a week and more regular services on Saturday and Sunday. Among the improvements are bus routes 811 and 812 from Dandenong to Brighton which will operate a combined extra 188 trips per week. The bus overhaul is part of the Government’s Meeting Our Transport Challenges action plan, which will inject $10.5 billion over 10 years into Victoria’s transport network and support Melbourne 2030 implementation. Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy – 18 October 2006 Premier Steve Bracks announced a comprehensive plan to secure water supplies for homes, business, industry, agriculture and the environment for the next 50 years. The Central Region Sustainable Water Strategy outlines actions to provide an additional 400,000 megalitres of water for urban, agricultural and industrial use by 2055. The Strategy will be underpinned by spending of $1 billion through government water authorities over the next ten years. The Central Region covers an arc around Melbourne, including Geelong, Ballarat, the Macedon district and West Gippsland. “The Strategy will deliver a major boost to household water savings, industry and agricultural recycling, new water infrastructure and the reconnection of the Tarago Reservoir” Mr Bracks said. It is part of the Government’s Our Water Our Future action plan to protect Victoria’s water for the next 50 years. Water-Efficient Showerhead Exchange – 15 October 2006 Water Minister John Thwaites announced that Melbourne’s water authorities will distribute another 10,000 water efficient showerheads by the end of the year to boost household water-savings. “Water-efficient showerheads are one of the cheapest and most effective ways to cut household water use and can save up to 20,000 litres per household per year,” Mr Thwaites said. The program delivers on the Melbourne 2030 commitment to ensure that water resources are managed in a sustainable way. To register to exchange your old showerhead, contact your local water authority. Water Use Efficiency Projects in Werribee (4 October 2006), Nillumbik (10 October 2006) and Bendigo (16 October 2006) A number of major water use efficiency projects were announced throughout October by Water Minister John Thwaites. In a $3.34 million investment for Werribee, recycled water will be used to irrigate Sistems Golf Park, Victoria University’s sports ovals and gardens, Wyndham City Council parklands, Heathdale Christian College and Werribee Racing Club. A project to demonstrate best water management at four Nillumbik Sports Grounds will receive $1.3 million. In Bendigo, $6.5 million for the Epsom Spring Gully Recycled Water Project will see up to 4.3 billion litres of recycled water supplied for agricultural irrigation and stock watering as well as water for use on city parks, gardens and recreation areas. In addition, the Minister launched Victoria’s first recycled water home in Cranbourne East. The projects contribute to the Melbourne 2030 objective of managing water resources in a sustainable way. Growth Areas Authority Email Updates The new Growth Areas Authority (GAA), announced by the Minister for Planning in September, now provides a regular email update service highlighting new information available on the GAA website, including new publications. The GAA is an independent statutory body established by the Bracks Government to guide development in the five growth areas identified in Melbourne 2030 (Casey-Cardinia, Hume, Melton-Caroline Springs, Whittlesea and Wyndham). To register for the email update, visit the GAA website. 2 Melbourne 2030 Implementation Program For details of other projects that are under way to implement Melbourne 2030, visit the Melbourne 2030 Implementation Program at http://www.melbourne2030.vic.gov.au Email [email protected] for any queries regarding this email bulletin or to be added to the email list. 3 .