Planning and Environment Act 1987 CARDINIA PLANNING SCHEME AMENDMENT C150 EXPLANATORY REPORT Who is the planning authority? This amendment has been prepared by the Roads Corporation (Trading as VicRoads). The amendment has been made at the request of VicRoads. Land affected by the amendment The amendment applies to various parcels of land generally abutting the existing Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road between the Pakenham Bypass and the South Gippsland Highway (refer to Figure 1 overleaf). Between the Pakenham Bypass and Manks Road, land directly adjacent to the existing Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road will be affected due to an increased road reservation. Additional areas of land will be affected around the intersections with Hall Road, Ballarto Road and Manks Road. The construction of the bypass of Koo Wee Rup will affect land parcels crossed by the new alignment between Manks Rd, Rossiter Road and South Gippsland Highway. The longer-term freeway connection to and interchange with the Pakenham Bypass will affect various land parcels between the Pakenham Bypass and Deep Creek, both east and west of McGregor Road. Figure 1 Proposed alignment of the upgraded Healesville – Koo Wee Rup Rd and land to be acquired. What the amendment does The amendment: Applies the Public Acquisition Overlay – Schedule 1 (PAO1) to the land required for the proposed road upgrade. Removes sections of the existing Public Acquisition Overlay – Schedule 1 (PAO1) that are not required for the proposed bypass of Koo Wee Rup. Revises the Schedule to Clause 52.03 to include reference to the project and the Incorporated Document titled ‘Healesville – Koo Wee Rup Road – Stage 1A (Koo Wee Rup Bypass) – Incorporated Document (September 2012)’. Revises the Schedule to Clause 81.01 to include an Incorporated Document titled ‘Healesville – Koo Wee Rup Road – Stage 1A (Koo Wee Rup Bypass) – Incorporated Document (September 2012)’. The PAO relates to all the land required to upgrade Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road over time. The timing of the staged upgrading of the route will depend on the rate of land development and traffic growth in the corridor. The following broad staging scenarios are proposed for the upgrading of the route: Initial Development: The proposed initial development of the route involves the construction of a single carriageway bypass of Koo Wee Rup (Stage 1A) and the progressive upgrading of the remainder of the road between the Pakenham Bypass and Koo Wee Rup to a divided road standard (Stage 1B). This is shown in Figure 2 overleaf. Longer-term Development: The proposed longer-term development of the route involves the conversion of the route to freeway standard (Stage 2). This includes a new link to the Pakenham Bypass, the conversion of roundabouts to interchanges and construction of an interchange with the South Gippsland Highway. This is shown in Figure 3 overleaf. The development of the land will be controlled by an Incorporated Document titled ‘Healesville – Koo Wee Rup Road – Stage 1A (Koo Wee Rup Bypass) – Incorporated Document (Setptember 2012)’. This document will provide planning approval to allow the construction of Stage 1A only of the upgrading of Healesville – Koo Wee Rup Road between the Pakenham Bypass and the South Gippsland Highway provided the conditions in the Incorporated Document are met. No further planning approval is required to use and develop land for Stage 1A if generally in accordance with the Incorporated Document. The Incorporated Document applies to Stage 1A of the project only. This is consistent with the current project referral under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Act and the decision made under the Environmental Effects Act 1978. Planning and environmental approvals for Stages 1B and 2 will be sought at the relevant time when their construction is anticipated. Construction timeframes will be set and the relevant planning and environmental approvals will be sought when the rate of land development and traffic growth in the corridor warrant the further upgrading of the route. Figure 2 – Initial Development Stages 1A & 1B Stage 1A Stage 1B Figure 3 – Longer-term Development Stage 2 Strategic assessment of the amendment Why is the amendment required? Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road provides a link between the Princes Freeway and South Gippsland Highway corridors for inter-regional traffic. The opening of the Pakenham Bypass has increased the strategic importance of the route as evidenced by the increase in traffic that has occurred. Much of this increase in traffic consists of trucks which are choosing to use this route to reduce travel times and minimise freight transport costs. This shift in traffic has relieved parallel routes such as the South Gippsland Highway through Cranbourne and Berwick-Cranbourne Road/Clyde-Five Ways Road. Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road is currently a two-lane two-way road linking a four lane freeway with a four lane divided highway. For inter-regional traffic using this route, Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road represents a lower level of service with few overtaking opportunities, delays through the township of Koo Wee Rup and direct access to adjacent properties. As well as carrying through traffic, the road also caters for local traffic generated by the developing Pakenham South Employment Precinct and farming activities along the route. This traffic consists of cars, trucks and slow moving farm machinery. The recent increase in through traffic on Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road has made it more difficult for this local traffic to access the road. The route also passes through the commercial centre of the Koo Wee Rup township with parking on both sides of the street and a high level of pedestrian activity. The queuing of traffic at the T intersection in the town, limits the ability to access on-street parking and the high level of truck traffic results in noise and air quality impacts in the shopping area. Trucks passing through the town have to stop at T intersections to negotiate the turning movements. The local community has reported increased noise impacts in the residential areas of the town with the rise in truck traffic. There is a need to upgrade the route over time to ensure that it functions as an effective inter-regional route and provides relief to other parallel routes in the region within the Casey urban growth area. The upgrading of the route is also needed to minimise the impacts of increasing through traffic on safety and amenity of the local community. The first step in any such infrastructure project is the identification and reservation of the land required for its construction. VicRoads has undertaken a comprehensive analysis process to firstly, identify its preferred route alignment and secondly, identify the land required to upgrade the road. This land must be reserved in order for it to be protected from future land development and acquired prior to construction. The introduction of a PAO is the most appropriate tool to reserve the land required. The PAOs will reserve all land required for the longer-term development of the road to freeway standard. Although some of this land will not be required in the initial stage of the upgrade, the reservation of all land required for the ultimate freeway standard will secure the land and facilitate the timely upgrading of the road in the longer-term. Additionally, it will provide land owners with a high level of certainty about the ultimate impact of the road upgrade on their properties. There is an existing PAO1 along Healesville-Koo Wee Rup Road between Ballarto Road and the Bunyip River drains, along a disused road reserve between the Bunyip River drains and Rossiter Road and along Rossiter Road to the South Gippsland Highway. The proposed upgrade of the road will affect land outside the existing PAO1 area and as such, some sections of the existing PAO1 need to be enlarged while other sections need to be removed. How does the amendment implement the objectives of planning in Victoria? The planning scheme amendment will be supportive of and assist in the implementation of the objectives of planning in Victoria as set out in Section 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. In particular: 4(1) (a) to provide for the fair, orderly, economic and sustainable use, and development of land; through the commencement of a major road upgrade which has appropriately assessed the environmental and cultural impacts to arrive at the most economic and sustainable option. 4(1) (b) to provide for the protection of natural and man-made resources and the maintenance of ecological processes and generic diversity; through the completion of a thorough, careful environmental investigation, design and assessment process; through the completion of a thorough, careful environmental investigation, design and assessment process. 4(1) (c) to secure a pleasant, efficient and safe working, living and recreational environment for all Victorians and visitors to Victoria; through its achievement of a safe, pleasant and efficient road system for local road users and the wider travelling public. 4 (1)(d) to conserve and enhance those buildings, areas or other places which are of scientific, aesthetic, architectural or historical interest, or otherwise of special cultural value; by consideration and mitigation of any potential effects on the heritage and cultural values and features of the area. 4(1) (e) to protect public utilities and other assets and enable the orderly provision and co-ordination of public utilities and other facilities for the benefit of the community; by facilitating the provision, protection and coordination of a major public infrastructure asset of benefit to the community. 4 (1) (f)to facilitate development in accordance with the objectives set out in paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e); through facilitating the development of an important component of the State and regional road system that best meets the Minister’s environmental assessment and objectives for planning Victoria.