enn Melbourne 2030 Monthly email update ISSN 1834-3856 March 2007 Carlton Housing Estate Facelift gets Planning Green Light – 19 March 2007 Planning Minister Justin Madden has approved redevelopment of three public housing sites in Carlton, creating capacity for 250 additional low income tenants. Mr Madden approved Amendment C117 to the Melbourne Planning Scheme, as recommended by an independent planning panel. “Now we’ve got the planning right for these important sites, we can get on with the job of replacing some of Melbourne’s worst public housing eyesores,” Mr Madden said. The Minister for Housing, Richard Wynne, said the redevelopment would create brand new, environmentally-friendly homes for lower-income people. The project will supply well-located, affordable housing – delivering on Melbourne 2030 objectives. Interactive Online Mapping - Urban Development Program The Urban Development Program (UDP) is a key element of Melbourne 2030 to monitor supply, demand and adequacy of residential and industrial land across metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong. UDP data, including data from the 2006 Annual Report, can now be accessed online through the web-based application MapsOnline. MapsOnline can be used to generate reports, track land supply, search for projects and print and download maps. A users guide is available to assist and can be downloaded from the Urban Development Program website. Victoria Leading the Way with Clean Green Buses – 6 March 2007 Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky has announced the introduction of Euro 4 Clean Diesel buses, one of the most environmentally friendly buses in Australia. The Euro 4-standard engines produce reduced emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, nitrogen oxides and smoke, and the buses run on cleaner diesel fuel. “The Euro 4 standard engines are a much reduced burden to our environment and are being introduced to Victoria well before the standard becomes mandatory for all buses in Australia on 1 January 2008,” Ms Kosky said. The buses have been purchased under the State Government’s $189 million four- year Bus Replacement Program, which involves the replacement of 880 buses across Victoria with modern, air-conditioned vehicles to improve passenger comfort. The new buses contribute to Melbourne 2030 implementation by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring that transport planning contributes to improved air quality, and promoting the use of sustainable transport options. Interim Provisions for Structure Plans An updated interim advisory note, ‘Interim provisions for structure plans’, has been released. The note provides information about: - how to request interim provisions for structure plans; - when the Minister will agree to introduce interim provisions for structure plans; and - how interim provisions for structure plans are implemented in the planning scheme. It replaces the previous advisory note 'Melbourne 2030, Activity Centres - Interim Structure Plans, December 2004'. A Victorian Government initiative New Tram Stops for Burwood Highway, Plenty Road and Victoria Parade – 8 and 20 March Four new platform tram stops in Victoria Parade (East Melbourne), and six pairs of stops on Plenty Road (Bundoora), have been opened by Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky. The new platforms make boarding of trams safer and easier for all passengers, and provide disabled and pram access. In addition, the upgrade of five pairs of tram stops on Burwood Highway is nearing completion. The new platforms have been delivered as part of the Government’s Think Tram program - improving tram travel times, reliability, access and safety along the busiest parts of Melbourne’s tram network. The works contribute to Melbourne 2030 implementation through the upgrade and improved operation of public transport services. Changes & Challenges Course - A Metropolitan Perspective A comprehensive 2 day course on land use planning will be held at RMIT on 18-19 May 2007. The course will focus on councillors’ roles in land use planning and council’s development of local land use planning policies within the strategic context provided by Melbourne 2030. The course is designed for councillors in metropolitan and surrounding councils and will enable them to work better with residents, planning officers, consultants and developers. The course will include expert speakers and presentations relating to all aspects of the planning process. For an enrolment form please visit the Victorian Local Governance Association website. New Train Control System Contract Awarded – 11 March 2007 A $27 million contract to design and install a new state-of-the-art train control system for Melbourne’s metropolitan rail system has been awarded by Public Transport Minister Lynn Kosky. Ms Kosky said the upgrade will increase the efficiency of the network and support major infrastructure projects planned by the Government to relieve rail congestion. “This is the first stage of the $88 million project to replace the ageing Metrol system, as announced last year in the Government’s 10-year transport blueprint, Meeting Our Transport Challenges,” Ms Kosky said. “When the full project is completed, passengers will see the benefits in terms of improved punctuality, reliability and up-to-the-minute timetable information.” The new control and monitoring system is expected to be commissioned by late 2010. It will contribute to Melbourne 2030 implementation by improving the operation of the public transport network. Bracks Government Tackles Transport Congestion – 14 March 2007 Treasurer John Brumby has released the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission Report Making the Right Choices: Options for Managing Transport Congestion, as well as the Government’s response to the report. The report provides an independent analysis of transport congestion in Melbourne and suggests new options to improve traffic flows. It found that while the cost of congestion was valued at about $1.3 billion per annum, Melbourne was better off than many other cities. “The draft report was released before the Government’s $10.5 billion Meeting Our Transport Challenges policy. Many of the options in the report have already been implemented,” Mr Brumby said. “Tackling congestion requires an integrated approach using a range of options, including new infrastructure, the most efficient use of existing networks, recognising the importance of freight and economic activity and a better integration of planning and consultation across all levels of government.” Improved management of the road system is a focus of Melbourne 2030. East-West Link Needs Assessment A study to assess the need for an east-west transport link across Melbourne is underway. The East-West Link Needs Assessment is being led by Sir Rod Eddington, an Australian engineer and businessman who is a leading international expert on transport matters. Individuals or groups are able to make a submission to the assessment until May 2007. Details on how to make a submission are on the Department of Infrastructure website. Creating an efficient and safe road network is a key component of Melbourne 2030. Commercial Office Building Energy Innovation Initiative Sustainability Victoria is seeking expressions of interest for its $300,000 Commercial Office Building Energy Innovation Initiative. The initiative assists developers, property owners and tenants to demonstrate innovation in the design and application of sustainable energy in new buildings, major refurbishments, tenancy fit outs and building service upgrades. It will assist in the Melbourne 2030 objective of reducing energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions. A Victorian Government initiative Conferences • The national Urban Design Strategies Conference, being held on 17-18 April 2007 in Melbourne, will provide insights into urban design strategies adopted by local and state governments and private design practices across the nation. It will provide leading examples of how state and local governments and private developers have designed positive and sustainable urban community identities. • The Waves of Change – Cities at Crossroads international urban design conference will be held on 6-8 September 2007 on the Gold Coast. The conference will examine how future challenges such as global warming, sea level rise and high fuel costs will affect communities and urban centres world- wide. The event includes workshops, debates and tours of South East Queensland. • The City and Urban Development Summit 2007 will be held on 16-17 October 2007 in Brisbane. The summit will address important and strategic issues in the future development of our cities and communities. It will feature keynote speaker Edward Blakely, Executive Director of the Recovery Office for the City of New Orleans and Chair of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Sydney. • The 2007 Planning Institute of Australia National Congress will be held on 1-4 May 2007 in Perth. The congress will focus on planning, both as a big picture and through showcasing the international cities of Shanghai, San Diego, Santiago, Cape Town, Vancouver and Perth. A strong cast of eminent speakers will compare national and international planning, growth management and redevelopment experiences. Melbourne 2030 Implementation Program For details of other projects that are under way to implement Melbourne 2030, visit the Melbourne 2030 Implementation Program at http://www.melbourne2030.vic.gov.au Email [email protected] for any queries regarding this email bulletin or to be added to the email list. Published