INFASTRUCTURE Vision for a smaller planet Andrew Gray THE VPELATHE ARG Planning victorianrevue / planning / environmental / law / association / volume 95 June 2015 1 / VPELA Revue June 2015 Contents President 3 Awards 4 Minister 9 Shadow Minister 11 Seminar Reports The (new) residential zones – 1 year on 15 Meet the Minister 21 Coastal planning – where are we at? 54 Expert Evidence Seminar 57 Places Planning… Like an Egyptian 22 Melbourne School of Design 40 People 1950’s Rock n Roll Gala 28 A day with Prof. Rob Adams 38 Peter Allen’s brilliant career 56 The Business New members 59 VCAT Bias: real or perceived 7 In the know 59 Planning policy and government investment 10 Residential zones, reflecting one year on 13 The new residential zones one year in transition 17 The low down on tall towers in Melbourne 25 Apartment standards, more Maslow or more area 33 Infrastructure provision in growth areas 35 Municipal matters 42 Making better decisions in Australian cities 45 The fast lane 47 Permit Triggers…to tick or not to tick 48 Legal world 51 Rory’s ramble 53 Cover photo: The Hon Richard Wynne MLA, Minister for Planning presenting Geoff Underwood the Richard J Evans Award. Newsletter editor: VPELA Bernard McNamara PO Box 1291 Camberwell 3124 M: 0418 326 447 www.vpela.org.au E: [email protected] E: [email protected] T: 9699 7025 T: 9813 2801 2 / VPELA Revue June 2015 President Utopia and bipartisanship Tamara Brezzi President, VPELA Inevitably upon the coming and going of each election cycle, a arose not only from the ABC TV show of the same name, but from discussion about planning, and its system, turns to bipartisanship. a desire to explore what constitutes planning industry perfection As any government’s four year term comes to a close, there is for any given group of people and to ask in what parts of our an inherent uncertainty that arises in the development sector system bipartisanship could play a greater role; what issues, about whether a new government will want to tinker, overhaul or really, should be free from election cycle promises? otherwise mess with planning (regardless of whether there is a change in governing party). While the next Victorian election is still over three years away, the Federal arena and experience in other states has demonstrated 2014 was no exception. As the Coalition’s first term came to a that electorates are no longer shy about delivering single term close, I heard many a conversation that reflected on the significant governments; and planning, being a system that is inherently changes that had been brought to planning over the preceding strategic and focused on delivering outcomes well into the long four years-Plan Melbourne, Residential Zones, the evolution of term, will almost certainly struggle to deliver great results if it’s the MPA and numerous system reviews to name a few. faced with a ‘new normal’ every four years. Those reflections would come with cautious breath-if the I encourage you to sign up to attend the conference in August government wins a second term, will the pace of change in Lorne and to bring some reflections and thoughts about how continue? If the government is not returned, will the system be bipartisanship might itself become the new normal, indeed a subject to a further round of reviews? Will the players be asked new utopia of sorts. to wait for policy certainty? Or what if there is a system upheaval on the cards; a reversal of the ‘new normal’ established only one Tamara Brezzi, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright. or two years earlier? What if, what if, what if…. President Victorian Planning & Environmental Law Association VPELA’s Conference this year will be held in Lorne on 13 and 14 August at the Mantra Erskine House resort. The theme, “Utopia”, THE PAUL JEROME AWARD 2015 Nominations are invited In 2005 the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association established The Paul Jerome Award, as a memorial to a much loved and respected colleague. This award was created to encourage, recognise and support outstanding contribution to public administration. The principal focus of the award is planning within the umbrella of public service to state and local government and the list of past recipients has brought prestige to the award. Nominations are now called for the 2015 Award. Nominations must be forwarded and be received at the VPELA office by close of business 17 July 2015. Nominations will be assessed by a panel and the announcement and presentation made at the VPELA Conference in August. The recipient will be presented with an engraved trophy at the VPELA Conference Gala Dinner, to be held at Mantra Erskine Beach Resort Lorne on Friday 14 August 2015. The recipient will also be invited to attend the VPELA conference the following year as VPELA’s guest. Criteria for the award and a nomination form The Paul Jerome Award can be downloaded from our website is proudly sponsored by http://www.vpela.org.au/awards/paul-jerome-award/ or phone 9813 2801 to obtain. VPELA Revue June 2015 / 3 Awards Richard J Evans Award 2015 – Geoff Underwood This citation was prepared by longtime colleague and friend, Kathy Mitchell, Chief Panel Member, Planning Panels Victoria. The award was presented at VPELA’s Gala Dinner on 11 May 2015. Citation Ministerial Advisory Committee, Geoff stepped away from a role as Chair of the Housing Industry Association planning committee Geoffrey Lyle Underwood has been closely involved in the in Victoria. planning and development community for over 40 years. He was Private Secretary to Ministers for Local Government and Since completing his Ministerial Advisory Committee obligations, Planning in the Victorian Government for more than 10 years Geoff has re-connected with the Housing Industry Association before he established his own planning consultancy, Underwood and now serves on the Victorian Regional Executive Committee. & Hume Pty Ltd in 1981. Geoff was the recipient of a Letter of Commendation from the Since then he has acted for developers, local, state and federal Commander, Australian Forces Vietnam for military service in governments and a variety of infrastructure providers. Vietnam, 1970. From 1990, he combined his practice with a 14-year stint Geoff is a man of great integrity and wisdom. He has been called as Executive Director of the Urban Development Institute of upon many times to impart his knowledge of planning in Victoria Australia (Victoria). Over this period, UDIA greatly expanded to those in Government, those in bureaucracy at State and Local its membership and influence with Geoff well regarded by both Government, those in private practice and those who just want sides of the political spectrum as someone with a genuine to hear the ‘Masters voice’. He is a person who can always be interest in achieving good policy outcomes. He participated in relied up to help out, and once he commits to a task, he will a vast number policy committees and stakeholder reference always finish it. groups across a range of policy matters. His contribution to UDIA Finally, Geoff has a great passion not only for the planning (Vic) and the development and planning industry as a whole was industry in Victoria but also its history and his ability to recall recognised in 2006 with his elevation to life membership. dates, places and events in planning history continues to astound. Moreover, he now takes great delight in passing his On leaving UDIA in 2004 he became Director of Development knowledge on and is a great supporter of younger persons Facilitation with the Victorian Department of Sustainability and in the planning industry with a particular interest in VPELA’s Environment. This was followed by a senior role in helping to mentoring initiative. establish Victoria’s Growth Areas Authority in 2006. We can think of few people who have made a greater contribution Geoff then established Spade Consultants in January 2007. to planning in Victoria, and he is indeed at the very top of the Geoff served on the VPELA Board from 2004 until 2014, during mythical totem pole. which he was Secretary of the Association from 2009 until 2014. During this period he was responsible for completely overhauling the VPELA Rules to bring them in line with VPELA’s operational Geoff Underwood’s response objectives and practises. He was also Sponsorship co-ordinator, On previous occasions it has been my role to announce the forging great bonds with sponsors. He has participated in names of recipients of the Richard J Evans Award and read the numerous seminars – Expert Evidence series in the CBD citations. This is a different role tonight. and Regional Victoria, Hot Topics, Planning System Reform, Meet the Minister panel, Melbourne @ 7 Million, Development I was content being a Fellow of VPELA. Tonight I am embarrassed Contributions to name just a few, plus conferences on both that the Association ranks me in the same category of past committees and in breakouts. Geoff is currently a member of recipients of the Richard J Evans Award because the list reads the 2015 Conference Committee. as an honour role of VPELA. He has been a member of various government departmental The list includes a former Governor of Victoria (Sir James Gobbo), committees dealing with reform of the planning system including a Deputy Prime Minister (Brian Howe), former Ministers for for example the Federal Government Green Street housing policy Planning (Messrs Hunt, Walker and Maclellan), supreme court committee (also known as the Joint Venture for More Affordable judges (Stuart Morris and Robert Osborn), senior counsel, senior Housing); two editions of the Victorian Code for Residential members of our VPELA community and now me, a lowly corporal.