5 URB: Urbandevelopment -Options for Victoria '
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711.30994 5 URB: UrbanDevelopment -options for Victoria ' . •:• P u b I i c •:• C o n s u I t a t i o n •:• R e p o r t •:• -.' P~NNJNG AND EPA LIBRARY· . State Government of Victoria Department ofPlanning and Housing . 1991 Printed on recycled paper Foreword In January 199i, I released the Urban Development Options for Victoria discussion paper' and · launched a four month public consl.lltation period. The discussion paper synthesises the major issues raised in ba.cl<ground working papers, and outlines trends and opportunities for. Victoria's long term urban development. · . ·. During the consultation process, I was pleased to meet people and q.isct,Iss a broad range of issues, at the nine seminars I attended in regional Victona, Melbourne and Dandenong. It is apparent that the overwhelming majority of people, .recognise that planning for future patterns of growth is a vitally important issue, and requires a comprehensive strategy which addresses ilie needs of Victoria as a whole. · Over the past few months my Department has received a total of 128 written subrilissions canvassing a broad perspective of Issues. In this r~gard it is importiffit to mention that very strong support was received for urban consolidation policies, and the role played by the regional centres .in V~ctoria's urban development process. I have· much pleasure in releasing this report, which provides details .of the community consultation process and provid~s a summary of the major issues raised.. · . The conclusions from this report will provide a basis for the preparation of the strategy currently being developed, to set. the parameters for future growth in Victoria. It is my i~tention to release this strategy in November. Andrew McCutcheon· Minister for Planning and Housing .. Disclaimer· . The views presented in this working paper do not represent the official position: of the Victorian Government or agenc1es involved in the strategic studies. · . I • Contents Introduction 1 Exeeutive summary 2 1. Background 3 2. Public consultation process 4 2.1 Public consultation seminars 4 2.1.1 Format of the seminars 4 2.1.2 Minister's speech 4 2.1.3 Additional seminars 4 2.2 Newsletters 5 3. Analysis of submissions and issues raised at public seminars 6 3.1 Environmental/ agricultural 6 3.2 Economic overview 7· 3.3 Urban infrastructure 8 3.4 Transport . 9. 3.5 Density issues. 11 3.6 Leisure and recreation issues 12 3.7 .Commui:uty development 13 3.8 Immigration 14 3.9 Regional centres 14 3.9.1 Infrastructure in regional centres 14 3~9.2. ' The regional eeonomy . 15 3.10 Issues addressing specific regions 16 3.10.1 Metropolitan Mell:xmrne. 16 3.10.2 Outskirts of Melbourne 17 3.10.3 Geelong· · · 18 3.10.4 Ball~at- Central Highlands regio~ . 19 3.10.5 Bertd1go- Loddon/Campaspe regt.on 20 3.10.6 Murray Goulburn and tne Northnast 21 - Wodonga 21 - Shepparton 22 - Wangaratta 23 3.10.7 Latrobe Valley 23 3.10.8' South and East Gippsland 24 3.10.9 Mallee 25 .3.10.10 South Western Victoria 25 3.10.11 · Wimmera · 26 4 .. General con:clusions 28 Appendice.~ 1. Table of seminars attended by the Minister. · . 32 2. Minister's s~h preser:'-ted at Melbourne seminar 8/3/91 35 3. Table of additional semmars .. · . 44 ·4.' Summary of respondents 45 5.. List of all submitters . 46 6. I Table of issues .given major emphasis in submissions 48 7. Summary of responses . 49 8. The Public Consultation Project team . 50 1 Introduction This document is part of a long term commitment by the Department of Plannin& and . Housing to provide for the development of this State. several strategies have been designed to ensure tnat Victoria's growing population has a high quality ·fiving environment and opportunities for sustainable development. These include the VictprJ<m Housing and ~ntial Devel~Ement Plan,Jhe_Vi<;torian_Code for Residential DeVelopment anagrowm- ~p_~~~l!2!.s~-- Victoria's Long Term Urban Development Strategy is the most comprehenSive policy being· . prepared for -Victoria, embracing all aspects of urban growth mcluding employment, transport, environment and the economy. Once this strategy is adopted it will signal the beginning .of a planning process to gmde development in the context of environmental. protection and sustainabTe growth. Public partiCipation has been a very important part of this process. Local Government, the planriing industry,, other Government agencies and local communities have provided valuable input to the strategy development process, as. demonstrated in this document. Robert A Carter Director General Department of Planning and Housing 2 ·Executive summary This report has been produced at the end of an extensive community consultation process for the Urban Development Options for Victoria DiscussiOn Paper, which was ·launched by the· Minister for Planning and Housmg on January 25, 1991. The reJ?Ort provides details of the community consultation process and provides a summary of maJOr issues raised within the comm~nity .. -So~e g~neral conclu~ions are pr~vide<;l to. identify the major is_sues canvassed and this section highlights the need for further mvestigations. , . · The main issues rclised by the community· were: the widespread communitY support and commitment to a comprehensive stafe-wide strategy to guide Victoria's growth; · · · . a clear expression of people's val~es and preferenc~s in regard to Victoria's .future urban and regional growth; . · . · the desire and need· to halt Melbourne's sprawl, incorporating urban consolidation principles; · the need fo~ sustainable .development principles to be incorporated into planning for future growth; . · · · · ·· supp<)rt for further population and economic growth in regional Victoria; and the need for stronger recognition of competitive advantages of regional centres and their catchments; · · . · · . · the need to identify_ and recognise areas of el)vironmental, landscape and agricultural significance, when planning for future development; . support for the retention of the corridor-green wedge pla~ing policy; support_ for the further stimulation of development ·at Dandenong, balanced with the recognised need to prote~t .the surrounding natural· environment, agricultural !arid and tl}.e sensitive ecology of Westernport Bay; · . support for the introduction of adequate pricing systems arid developer levies to· assist in the provision of infrastructure in Melbourne and ~egional centres; the need to pi_an new ur~an areas to cap~talise on public transport infrastructure and reduce the rehance on pnvate motor vehicles; · . the need to r~cognise the advantages of provinCial centres. in regard to life style qualities and cost effective use of infrastructure; . _- recognition of the importance of Melbourne as a. national and international centre of economic growth and its role in encouraging investment in Victoria as a whole. · . ' . 1 3 1. · . Background In August 1988 the State Government· released .its publication Trading on Achievement .. This report emphasised the need to focus on competitive strengths as the basis for economic growth and diversifi~ation. The capacity for regional centres ·in Victoria. to accommodate additional population levels and further eeonomic growth was identified, and several broad options were suggested. · An Interdepartmental Steering Co~ttee was established to research these options further and to oversee the production of a series of issues papers and technical'reports. The titles of these working papers were: · , . · · . Victoria'n Regional Development- A Recent Perspective, Regional Centres Study, · · . The Immediate Future Towards the Year 2000, · Housi"!g. ¥.elburniaris for the Next Twenty Years: Probl~, Prospects and · Posszoiltttes, · . · . Population Trends and Forecasts, . · Statewide Employment Projections: the Next Fortv Years, . Physical Planning Aspects of Victoria's Future l.Irban Development, Catchments of Provincial Centres in Victoria · · . · Water.Supply, Sew~rage and Drainage Services, . The Vzctonan Spatwl Econ(Jmy, . · . Relative Infrastructure Costs of Urban and Provincial Development, Transport 'Working Paper, ami · . Statistical and Data Analysis These reports were prepared by ·a variety of government ·agencies, but particularly the· Departments of Manufacturing and Industry Uevelopment, Labour, Conservation and Environment, Transport and Treasury. Other specialists and research groups frqm Monash University, Swinburne Institute of Technology, RMIT and planning consultants also prepared reports.· · · · · · On 25·January 1991 the Minister for Planning and Housing', the Hon Andrew McCutcheon· launched the Urban Development Options for Vic;toria Discusswn Paper. The Discussion Paper synthesises the.working papers relerred to above and outlines trends and opportunities for .. long term urban devefopment. The intention of the Discussion Paper was to encourage thoughts and contributions from the community about the future urban development of · Victoria. The Discussion Paper outlined current ~rends inCluding popuiation, economic aspects and the environment, and discussed the impact on the future aevelopment of Victoria. The paper highlighted the need for the community and government to formulate a ·strategy to. gu•de · . future growth; The Paper provided. four inain development alternatives for Melbourne and regional centres in order to promote discussion of alternative development scenarios. 4 2. Public consultation process A four month public consultation period for the Discussion Paper concluded on 31 May. The purpose of the cornmuniry consultation program