Town Centre Comprehensive Development Plan

Planning Scheme Amendment C45 Explanatory Report

1. What is Planning Scheme Amendment C45

Amendment C45 to the Whittlesea Planning Scheme has been prepared by the City of Whittlesea, which is also the Planning Authority for this amendment.

The Amendment seeks to formally incorporate the Mernda Town Centre Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) into the Whittlesea Planning Scheme to direct land use patterns and transport system design within the designated Town Centre site.

Amendment C45 will impact, either directly or indirectly, on all land in the Mernda / Doreen section of the Plenty Valley Growth corridor. This is the same land that is affected by the exhibition version of the Mernda Strategy Plan (2002). It also corresponds to the residential growth area that was formalised with the approval of the Plenty Valley Strategic Plan in 1989. Figure 1 shows the subject area.

Amendment C45 applies more specifically to the site of the Mernda Town Centre as proposed by the Mernda Strategy Plan – which was exhibited as Amendment C30 between 14 February and 12 April 2002. Amendment C30 proposes to rezone the subject land from Residential 1 Zone to Comprehensive Development Zone (CDZ). Approximately 58Ha (including sites for retarding basin and transport interchange) is proposed to be rezoned and would therefore come under the control of the Mernda Town Centre Comprehensive Development Plan. The subject land is concentrated around the intersection of Plenty Road and Bridge Inn Road. A copy of the rezoning plan for the Town Centre site, as proposed by Amendment C30, is provided as Figure 2(a-d).

The Mernda Town Centre CDP will also apply to two parcels of land that extend beyond the area nominated for rezoning to CDZ in Amendment C30. The first of these land parcels, at 1360-1370 Plenty Road, adjoins the southern boundary of the proposed CDZ boundary in Amendment C30. The second parcel to be added to the Mernda Town Centre CDP area is described 620 Bridge Inn Road. This land is south Figure 1. Mernda Strategy Plan area in municipal context Figure 2 (a). Comprehensive Development Zone as proposed by Amendment C30 Figure 2 (b). Comprehensive Development Zone as proposed by Amendment C30 Figure 2 (c). Comprehensive Development Zone as proposed by Amendment C30 Figure 2 (d). Comprehensive Development Zone as proposed by Amendment C30 of Bridge Inn Road and east of the railway reservation. It is proposed that both of these land parcels be rezoned to Comprehensive Development Zone as part of a separate Planning Scheme Amendment following completion of the necessary ecological and archaeological assessments. The Mernda Town Centre CDP document clearly shows the proposed additions to the underlying Comprehensive Development Zone. With these rezonings, the Comprehensive Development Plan will apply to an area of approximately 74.5 hectares.

More specifically, Amendment C45 will impact directly on the properties listed below:

• 1435; 1455; 1460; 1470; 1464; 1450; 1446; 1444; 1438-1440; 1410; 1390; 1360- 1370; 1421-1425; 1415; 1405; and 1395 Plenty Road, Mernda.

• 571; 575; 581; 595; 591; 601; 607 and 620 Bridge Inn Road, Mernda

2. What does Amendment C45 Do?

The primary purpose of Amendment C45 is to incorporate the Mernda Town Centre Comprehensive Development Plan into the Whittlesea Planning Scheme. The Amendment C30 Explanatory Report foreshadowed Council’s intention to prepare a Comprehensive Development Plan for the land that is proposed for rezoning to CDZ. Amendment C45 carries out this action.

The Mernda Town Centre Comprehensive Development Plan will become an incorporated document referred to in Schedule 1 to the Comprehensive Development Zone. It will be included in the list of Incorporated Documents that forms the schedule to Clause 81 of the Whittlesea Planning Scheme. This will mean that all future subdivision and development on the subject land will need to be generally in accordance with the Mernda Town Centre CDP.

The Mernda Town Centre CDP will facilitate the staged establishment of a mixed-use activity centre with capacity for at least 25,000m2 of retail floorspace and up to 77,450m2 of non-retail commercial floorspace. These allocations are generally in line with the recommendations of background reports prepared by Essential Economics (2000) and Charter Keck Cramer (2001).

Activity centres are an integral part of human settlements and can be drivers of economic activity and community cohesion. In order to create a vital social and economic environment in the Mernda Town Centre, it is necessary to provide for an appropriate combination of retail/commercial, employment, residential and community land uses. It is also important to integrate the Town Centre with the private and public transport systems and to create a quality public realm. To achieve these outcomes, the Mernda Town Centre Comprehensive Development Plan proposes a pedestrian-oriented design which has a traditional ‘Main-Street’ as its centrepiece. The plan should enable the Mernda Town Centre to achieve the following:

• Form the social and economic heart of the community; • Remove the need to use a car for many local trips; • Support public transport services; • Generate local economic activity and employment.

To realise the type of town centre that is envisaged by the Mernda Strategy Plan, five sets of ‘Urban Design Principles’ have been identified to guide the future development of land affected by the Mernda Town Centre CDP. These are set out under the following headings:

• Land-use Integration and Density • Access and Connectivity • Diversity and Adaptability • Local Identity and Legibility • Ecological Responsiveness

Adhering to these principles, the Mernda Town Centre CDP provides for a core mixed-use area on the south-east corner of Plenty Road and Bridge Inn Road. A new east-west ‘Main Street’ will be created between Plenty Road and the proposed rail station site on the existing rail reservation, south of Bridge Inn Road. The Main Street will be intersected by a ‘Second Street’ to create four super-blocks. At full development, these are likely to contain two supermarkets, a discount department store, and community buildings. The large-format retail buildings will be sleeved with fine-grain specialty shops to activate street frontages and create a pedestrian-friendly environment.

Numerous sites for highway-type retailing will be made available along Plenty Road and Bridge Inn Road, within the confines of the Comprehensive Development Plan area.

At the eastern end of Main Street there will be a transport hub, which may ultimately comprise a rail station and bus terminal. This will be part of the Main Street fabric and will be supported by medium density housing. The design of the transport hub will be sufficiently flexible for it to provide for either heavy rail or road-based public transport options.

The Mernda Town Centre will be characterised by its integration with the supporting neighbourhood precincts. There will be multiple access options to the Town Centre from the surrounding residential land. This will distribute traffic across the road network and improve the efficiency of the primary arterials – Plenty Road and Bridge Inn Road. The proposed road network around the Town Centre will result in a number of cross-intersections on Plenty Road and Bridge Inn Road. These will help to disperse traffic and facilitate appropriate traffic volumes on the Town’s Main Street. The synchronisation of traffic signals at the intersections on Plenty Road will prevent any serious impediment to traffic flow, but will however serve to calm traffic speed as it passes through the Town Centre precinct. This has benefits for pedestrians and cyclists and will enhance public amenity.

The Town Centre design is sensitive to the site’s natural and cultural heritage, with key elements being incorporated into the urban fabric. The medium density housing in the Town Centre will be orientated to have direct frontage to the Plenty Gorge Parklands.

At the southern end of the plan area, approximately 7.7 hectares of land has been designated to support a variety of employment-generating land-uses. This employment park could accommodate an array of commercial, light-industrial and trade-based retail development that is compatible with surrounding residential areas.

3. Background to Amendment C45

The Mernda Strategy Plan was prepared by Council during 2001 and placed on public exhibition, as Amendment C30, during February/April 2002. A detailed background to this amendment is provided in the Amendment C30 Explanatory Report. The Mernda Strategy Plan essentially provides for a series of residential neighbourhoods that support a mixed-use town centre of sub-regional status.

Amendment C45 originates from Amendment C30 and represents a logical advancement in the planning process. It provides a more detailed plan that prescribes land uses and transport routes for the Town Centre site.

The preparatory work associated with the Mernda Strategy Plan revealed that a substantial town centre would be required to meet the needs of the emerging new communities. Council recognised that the creation of sustainable communities is dependent upon the establishment of an exemplary Town Centre. To this end, Council commissioned the following consultant reports to inform preparation of the exhibited Mernda Strategy Plan:

• Essential Economics Pty Ltd (2000). Mernda Retail Analysis. City of Whittlesea • Charter Keck Cramer Pty Ltd (2001) Mernda Employment Areas Review. City of Whittlesea

The work by Essential Economics (2000) estimated the demand for retail floorspace that would be generated by the anticipated development scenario. The required retail floorspace was then distributed across the Strategy Plan area in a retail hierarchy comprising the town centre, precinct activity centres and local convenience centres. Figure 3 shows the retail hierarchy as proposed by the exhibition version of the Mernda Strategy Plan.

Charter Keck Cramer’s (2001) study focused primarily employment-based development activity. It was reported that the combined demand for all forms of employment land use (retail, business/commercial and industrial) floorspace is likely to be between 90,000 and 113,000m2. This translates to a land area requirement of between 22 and 28 hectares. Charter Keck Cramer (2001) also advised that the Mernda Town Centre is well located to attract a significant ‘one-off’ development such as a tertiary educational campus, research centre, or similar.

In addition to retail and business/commercial land uses, the Town Centre may also support social infrastructure including a community services centre, a branch library and a child care centre. The designated Town Centre site is considered optimal because it is central to the urban growth area and integrated with the transport hub. The site is well positioned to take advantage of the expected traffic movement that will occur on Plenty Road (38,000 vehicles per day) and Bridge Inn Road (22,000 vehicles per day).

The Mernda Strategy Plan (Amendment C30) aimed to facilitate the development of a Town Centre with the following characteristics:

• Provision for at least 27,500m2 of retail floorspace, 77,450m2 of other business/commercial development and appropriate sites for large-scale institutional developments or corporate headquarters. • A traditional Main Street that offers an attractive and safe urban environment for pedestrians. • Appropriate sites for highway-commercial developments that do not diminish the quality of the pedestrian-friendly Main Street. • Prominent sites for community buildings including a library and community services centre. The Town Centre design will integrate the civic and commercial spheres. • Quality architecture and urban design featuring articulated building facades with a vertical scale and strong presentation to the street. Design themes will differentiate Mernda from competing centres. • A diversity of retail, business/commercial, medium density residential, and community land uses. • Appropriate sites for anchor stores. • Interconnection with the Plenty Gorge Parklands and the bicycle network it contains. • Strong integration with a railway station / transport interchange and the wider transportation system. • An urban design theme that is expressive of the sites natural and cultural heritage. • Visual and physical links with the surrounding residential precincts. • Drive local economic growth and generate employment opportunities. • Figure 3. Proposed Activity Centres for Mernda Strategy Plan area. Strategic Justification for Amendment C45

The need for a significant Town Centre in the Mernda growth area is well established. The Plenty Valley Strategic Plan (1989) designated a major activity centre and employment precinct around Plenty Road/Bridge Inn Road intersection.

As well as providing for the retail and commercial needs of local residents, activity centres contain community infrastructure and provide places for social interaction. They also offer local employment opportunities and provide a focal point for public transport services.

It is estimated that the Mernda Town Centre will ultimately serve a primary catchment of about 50,000 people – taking account of potential for some population growth in the Whittlesea township and the rural north of the municipality.

The establishment of a new activity centre at Mernda is consistent with Ministerial Direction No.7, the Plenty Valley Strategic Plan (1989) and the State and Local Planning Policy Frameworks (SPPF & LPPF) of the Whittlesea Planning Scheme.

Clause 17.01 of the SPPF relates to Activity Centres. It expressly states that activity centres should be planned to:

• Provide a range of shopping facilities in locations that are readily accessible to the community. • Incorporate and integrate a variety of land uses, including retail, office, education, human services, community facilities, recreation, entertainment, and residential uses where appropriate. • Provide good accessibility by all available modes of transport (particularly public transport) and safe pedestrian and cycling routes, and to encourage multi- purpose trip-making to such centres. • Facilitate ease of pedestrian movement between components of centres, public transport interchanges and parking areas. • Maximise opportunities for the co-location, multiple use, and sharing of facilities. • Provide child care facilities to a level consistent with the role of the centres. • Minimise the effects of commercial development on the amenity of residential and parkland areas, for example as a result of traffic congestion, noise or overshadowing. • Provide attractive environments for community activities.

The Mernda Town Centre CDP, as proposed by Amendment C45, satisfies these criteria. It also complies with the strategic directions set out in Living Suburbs – Metropolitan Policy (1995) and Transporting Melbourne (1996).

Perhaps more significantly, Amendment C45 is consistent with the ‘transit-city’ concept that is set to become a key plank in the new Metropolitan Strategy due to be released by the Department of Infrastructure in late 2002.

Clause 21.06-5 of the LPPF contains the following objective with respect to Activity Centres : To define the role and extent of a series of activity centres which establish a focus for the provision of accessible goods and services, employment generation, community meeting places and associated land-uses.

The LPPF supports the creation of additional retail floor space that accessible and commensurate with population growth. It also recommends the allocation of employment nodes in accordance with the Plenty Valley Strategic Plan (1989).

Clause 21.06-6 of the LPPF relates to Transport and Accessibility. It has the following objective:

To establish an efficient, interconnected (multi-modal) transportation system that increases the level of accessibility and choice within and beyond the City of Whittlesea.

To achieve this objective, a stated strategy of the LPPF is to: “improve the level of accessibility to services and facilities within growth areas so that individual communities are more self-sufficient and do not rely on access to existing services and facilities in established settlements”.

What are the Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts of Amendment C45?

The Mernda Strategy Plan (Amendment C30) embraced the notion of sustainable development as its guiding philosophy. The Mernda Town Centre Comprehensive Development Plan builds on this by applying sustainable design concepts at a more micro scale. Adherence to a sustainable development agenda is expected to result in desirable outcomes in the social, economic and environmental realms. a) Economic

The economic impacts of Amendment C45 will certainly be positive. The Mernda Town Centre will directly service an urban area containing about 40,000 residents, and a wider catchment area with a population of up to 50,000 people. This means that the Mernda Town Centre has the potential to develop as a small sub-regional activity centre to complement the South Morang Activity Centre, which is likely to comprise some 40,000m2 of retail floor-space at full development.

Given the projected catchment size, the Mernda Town Centre is capable of supporting around 27,500m2 of retail floorspace. An additional 77,450m2 of non-retail employment floorspace could also be sustained.

Development in the Mernda Strategy Plan area could generate between 2,900 and 3,500 jobs based on current population projections. Most of these jobs will emanate from the Mernda Town Centre precinct.

The Mernda Town Centre Comprehensive Development Plan promotes an urban form that is supportive of economic development in a modern information and service dominated economy. The CDP promotes mixed-use development where housing is closely integrated with retailing, business services and public transport. The Town Centre will provide a suitable setting for home business activities. Presently between 2 and 3% of the municipal population operate businesses from home and this number is expected to grow appreciably over the coming years.

As well as providing an urban environment that generates economic activity, the Mernda Town Centre will be a significant source of employment in its construction phase. Council’s Household Survey (2001) reveals that over 9% of the City’s workforce is directly employed in the construction industry. A similar proportion is likely to be employed in allied sectors and associated retail. b) Environmental

The preservation of environmental values in the Plenty Valley has been a major issue since the area was first considered for metropolitan growth. The landscape and ecological significance of the location was recognised when the boundaries to the Urban Development Zone were defined in the Plenty Valley Strategic Plan (1989). Sites of high environmental significance including the riparian habitat and the Red Gum Grassy Woodlands to the north of Masons Road were precluded from development.

Council is of the view that regulated urban expansion in the City’s two greenfield growth areas (Mernda and Epping North) represents the most pragmatic and sustainable growth management solution from an environmental standpoint. In a municipality experiencing intense pressure for urban development it is essential that some land be made available for this purpose. The most appropriate strategy is for controlled expansion into master-planned growth areas with clearly defined boundaries. Without a coherent growth strategy, it would be difficult to prevent ad- hoc and disjointed residential incursions into environmentally sensitive rural areas.

By making provision for future growth, the City is better able to achieve desirable environmental and land management outcomes in the rural areas that fall outside the declared urban growth corridors. This approach limits speculative activity and land deterioration that can result from a perception that a residential rezoning is imminent. Improved environmental management of the City’s rural land is assisted by key policy documents including the Rural Review – Draft (2000), the Local Conservation Strategy (2001) and the Land Management Kit (2001).

As well as meeting municipal-wide environmental objectives, it is important to protect environmental values within designated growth areas. In Mernda, this has been achieved with the assistance of a several detailed environment studies that have identified significant trees, plant communities and patches of habitat. The existing and potential links between areas of habitat have also been documented. The design of the open space system has relied on this information. Regard has also been had for the location of existing vegetation in the layout of the Mernda Town Centre.

A feature of the Comprehensive Development Plan is the additional road link between the core mixed-use area and the residential Precinct 2B. This is an eastward extension of Main Street and involves a crossing of the Plenty River at the northern end of the corridor of land that will be acquired by Parks to extend the Plenty Gorge Parklands. Details regarding the nature and location of this crossing have not been determined. Ecological and archaeological assessments will need to be conducted as part of a feasibility study. c) Social

The social benefits of well-designed activity centres are widely appreciated. Of all urban elements, town centres are perhaps most expressive of a community’s cultural and economic condition. They can provide a sense of identity to the sometimes homogenous residential estates that characterise the urban fringe.

Town centres are focal points for commerce and serve as meeting places for organised and informal events. Vital town centres can promote civic pride and community participation in democratic processes. Moreover, they facilitate the chance meetings and countless social interactions on any given day. While urban design cannot orchestrate such random occurrences, it can certainly play a crucial role in promoting social interaction and cohesion.

Amendment C45 provides a template to guide the progressive development of a Town Centre featuring the attributes described above. It is believed that the proposed Mernda Town Centre CDP represents the optimal design solution for achieving these social objectives.

The traditional Main Street, with its active shop fronts and pedestrian scale, will support community development. The designation of sites for community buildings in prominent Main Street locations will give primacy to civic functions.

The Mernda Town Centre CDP also features a significant public transport hub at the eastern end of Main Street. The close integration of land use and transport is strongly advocated in the State Planning Policy Framework and will confer important equity benefits for transport-disadvantaged groups.

Amendment C45 can be inspected free of charge during office hours at:

Department of Sustainability and City of Whittlesea Environment Civic Centre Planning Information Centre Ferres Boulevard Upper Plaza SOUTH MORANG VIC 3752 Nauru House 80 Collins Street MELBOURNE VIC 3000