VICTORIA 197 4-75 TOWN & COUNTRY PLANNING BOARD OF VICTORIA THIRTIETH ANNUAL REPORT FINANCIAL YEAR 1974-1975 PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION S (2) OF THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1961 By Authority: No. 79.-11166/75.-PRICB $1.00 C. H. RIXON, GOVERNMENT PRINTER. MELBOURNE. Contents 5 The year in review 7 Legislation 8 Delegation of the Board's powers and functions 9 State Planning Council 12 AlburyjWodonga 14 Melton and Sunbury 18 Urban renewal 20 Strategic planning 20 Investigation and designated area studies 21 Regional planning 23 Co-operative activities with Commonwealth Government agencies 24 Statements of planning policy 26 Other studies 27 Statutory planning 27 Planning schemes being prepared by the Board 30 Planning schemes approved 31 Melbourne Metropolitan planning area 32 Interim development orders 32 Permits 32 Revocations 33 Committees 36 Promotion of planning 38 Planning and Privacy 42 Board members and staff 43 Appendices THIRTIETH ANNUAL REPORT 235 Queen Street, Melbourne, 3000 The Honorable the Minister for Planning, 480 Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000. Sir, In accordance with the prov1s1ons of Section 5 (2) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1961, the Board has pleasure in submitting to you for presentation to Parliament the following report on its activities during the twelve months ended 30th June, 1975. The Year in Review This has been yet another important year for planning in Victoria. New concepts introduced last year changed the scope and direction of planning considerably involving the Board in a greater range of activities. The recent involvement of the Commonwealth Government in urban and regional planning has continued. The first joint planning project in which the Governments of Victoria and the Commonwealth were involved was the commitment, together with the New South Wales Government, to the development of a new city in the AI bury JWodonga area. The initial agreement was signed in January, 1973, and the Board has been heavily involved in the subsequent periods. In addition to the AI bury JWodonga project, the Board has been engaged directly and indirectly in wide ranging activities with Commonwealth agencies principally the Cities Commission and the Department of Urban and Regional Development. A second major factor contributing to the increased depth and scope of planning was the passage of the Development Areas Act 1973. In the first four months of its operation, three designated and thirteen investigation areas were declared. For each investigation area, the Board is required to prepare a report within the period specified by the Governor in Council, such period being not longer than one year. The declared areas are largely within the planning areas of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, the Western Port Regional Planning Authority and the Geelong Regional Planning Authority. The Board employed a consulting firm to undertake the necessary studies and prepare the Board's reports under the surveillance of a steering committee appointed by the Board. Reports on twelve of the areas were released during this year. As a result of the findings of the Melton and Sunbury Investigation Area studies, Melton and Sun bury were declared Designated Areas for the purposes of accelerated growth and their selection as satellite cities was reaffirmed. The Board has consequently been heavily involved in the early development prior to the establishment of a development corporation. In addition to this new work, the Board has continued with its State-wide strategic studies. The State Planning Council, its Advisory Committee and Co-ordinating Groups met regularly, a statement of planning policy for Central Gippsland (Brown Coal Deposits) was approved, those on Western Port and Mornington Peninsula were the subject of review and others are in course of preparation. The Board was also involved in reporting on urban renewal proposals pursuant to the Urban Renewal Act 1970. 6 Regional planning studies continued. There is a regional planning authority in the Loddon-Campaspe region and a provisional committee in East Gippsland. The Board provides supportive services for both. Investigations are currently taking place in the Yarra Valley jDandenongs and Central Gippsland regions. The Board believes it should promote the early establishment of regional planning authorities and has sought staff and finance for this purpose. An increasing volume of statutory planning was executed. Planning schemes were approved for Phillip Island, City of Benalla, Shire of Colac (Colac Environs) and Shire of Maffra (Heyfield Township). Twenty-one interim development orders were approved, one to be administered by the Board and the balance by councils. Seven councils and a development corporation resolved to prepare schemes for all or part of their areas. In the metropolitan area, following the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works' Report on Concept Objections to Amendment Nos. 3 and 21 and its review last year by the Board, processing and adoption of parts of these amendments has begun. Several other amendments to the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme were approved and others are being processed. Work in the preparation of the Board's own schemes advanced well. The hearings of objections to the Maldon scheme and the Wangaratta Sub-Regional scheme were completed, the schemes for Lake Cairn Curran and Lake Glenmaggie and Wangaratta Sub-Regional were exhibited and the Lorne scheme is approaching that stage. Significant steps continue to be taken in the planning of the Gippsland Lakes with the refinement of interim development controls. A considerable amount of work has been involved in the adminstration of the Board's interim development order over the Ovens-Upper Murray area, within which the new growth complex of AI bury fWodonga will be developed. The committee established to advise the Board on the preservation of places of historic interest met as required and the Board's representation on various other committees was maintained. Board members and staff continued with their promotion of planning: visiting many areas to discuss and explain to councils and the public the advantages of plan.ning ; assisting municipalities contemplating planning control or preparing interim development orders or planning schemes and maintaining liaison with regional planning authorities and the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works. A growing awareness of the importance of planning has been reflected in the increasing number of requests for speakers, articles, project material and general information. The Chairman, Deputy Chairman and senior officers have been invited to speak at many conferences and seminars in the metropolitan area and country centres, and to prepare articles for publication in various journals. The Board's programme of publishing material and conducting seminars to stimulate interest and develop an understanding of planning has continued and for the first time a display was staged at the Royal Agricultural Show. The staff continued to carry out their duties with efficiency and enthusiasm despite the increasing work load which all officers have been called upon to bear. Although the Board benefited by several staff Increases during the year, the additions were inadequate to enable the Board to discharge its responsibilities as fully as it would wish. The Board believes that staff, equipment and financial resources must be provided to meet the continuing and increasing planning commitment within the State otherwise important work must be deferred or set aside. 7 Legislation Cluster Titles Act 1974 (No. 8661} The Cluster Titles Act was passed by Parliament in December, 1974 and is to be proclaimed during the second half of 1975. This Act is a significant piece of legislation and is likely to have a profound effect on housing development in Victoria in the future. A committee comprising planners, architects, developers and others was formed in 19n to recommend the manner in which cluster development should proceed. The Committee's recommendations have resulted in this Act and also a Model Cluster Code which is a guideline for municipalities administering cluster development. At present, subdivision of land is undertaken in two ways, by conventional sub­ division pursuant to the Local Government Act or in accordance with the Strata Titles Act. The Strata Titles Act was not appropriate for some concepts of group housing because no subdivision could occur until the whole building complex had been completed and insufficient flexibility of siting was available under the Uniform Building Regulations. The Cluster Titles Act has overcome these problems. Cluster development allows the free siting of individual houses, private gardens, public and communal open space and public and private roads to enable the best possible relationship between buildings and open space. The legislation contains amongst other things, the following basic concepts : a cluster subdivision subdivides land into separately owned lots and common property, the addition of common property being the major difference from a conventional subdivision. This concept creates new possibilties for the planning of private roads and open space. duster lots do not have to be contiguous with one another nor need they have a conventional street frontage. the Act will not permit the preparation of a mixed strata and cluster subdivision. because owners of the lots will also own the common property as tenants in common, the owners will