Hobsons Bay Activity Centres Strategy: Technical Report December 2016 Council acknowledges all language groups of the Kulin Nation as the traditional owners of these municipal lands. We recognise the first people’s relationship to this land and offer our respect to their elders past and present. Council acknowledges the legal responsibility to comply with the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 and the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 is designed to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens. The Charter gives legal protection to 20 fundamental human rights under four key values that include freedom, respect, equality and dignity. Preface The Hobsons Bay Activity Centres Strategy: Technical Report has been prepared by Essential Economics Pty Ltd in association with Hansen Partnership and Martyn Group. In preparing the Strategy, a detailed consultation program has been undertaken with the assistance of Hobsons Bay City Council, including workshops, face-to-face meetings and a community survey. An activity centres strategy seeks to provide a sensible planning and development policy framework that ensures the commercial areas in a municipality function in a manner that supports business growth, employment and community wellbeing. This technical report updates the existing activity centre policy framework in Hobsons Bay. It reflects recent changes to the planning system in Victoria and ensures that policy settings are consistent with current requirements. A particular focus is to ensure that a balanced approach to residential development in activity centres is implemented so that future demand for residential development which is of a greater level of density is achieved, while respecting heritage and built form values. Consideration is also provided in relation to opportunities to support business growth and development by ensuring the creation of accessible, vibrant and high- quality activity centres. A policy framework is applied in the technical report that emphasises the application of an activity centre hierarchy as an important tool to guide investment and to determine the role and function of individual centres. Ultimately, it is envisaged that this technical document will inform an Activity Centres Strategy that guides future decision-making by Council and relevant stakeholders. The activity centre hierarchy proposed in this Technical Report (Volume 1), will be reviewed for the Draft Activity Centres Strategy and may be modified to simplify the structure and re-categorise some centres to reflect their dynamic nature and future development opportunities, as opposed to a strict interpretation of the existing situation. Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3 Part A: Background Report ....................................................................................................... 8 1 Context ........................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Hobsons Bay Regional Context ..................................................................................................... 9 1.2 Why Have an Activity Centres Strategy? ..................................................................................... 11 1.3 Importance of Activity Centres for the Hobsons Bay Economy .................................................... 12 1.4 Trends in Activity Centre development ...................................................................................... 14 1.5 Key Issues Raised by Stakeholders .............................................................................................. 17 1.6 Implications for a Strategy ......................................................................................................... 18 2 Planning and Urban Design For Activity Centres .......................................................... 19 2.1 Strategic Policy Objectives for Activity Centres ........................................................................... 19 2.2 Metropolitan Strategy ............................................................................................................... 20 2.3 Municipal Policy Context ............................................................................................................ 23 2.4 Planning Zones .......................................................................................................................... 24 2.5 Local Planning Tools ................................................................................................................... 28 2.6 Housing in Activity Centres ........................................................................................................ 30 2.7 Urban Design and Activity Centre Planning................................................................................. 30 2.8 Implications for a Strategy ......................................................................................................... 32 3 Transport and Accessibility ........................................................................................... 33 3.1 Existing Transport Network in Hobsons Bay ............................................................................... 33 3.2 Transport Principles for Hobsons Bay Activity Centres ................................................................ 33 3.3 Implications for a Strategy ......................................................................................................... 38 4 Demographic and Socio-Economic Trends .................................................................... 39 4.1 Study Area Precincts .................................................................................................................. 39 4.2 Population Trends by Precinct .................................................................................................... 41 4.3 Socio-Economic and Demographic Analysis ................................................................................ 43 4.4 Housing Demand ....................................................................................................................... 47 4.5 Tourism and Visitation ............................................................................................................... 50 4.6 Local Labour Force and Jobs ....................................................................................................... 51 4.7 Implications for a Strategy ......................................................................................................... 52 5 Activity Centres Hierarchy ............................................................................................ 53 5.1 Hobsons Bay Activity Centre Hierarchy ....................................................................................... 53 5.2 Major Activity Centres ............................................................................................................... 58 5.3 Neighbourhood Activity Centres ................................................................................................ 71 5.4 Enterprise Area .......................................................................................................................... 82 5.5 Local Centres ............................................................................................................................. 83 5.6 Micro-Centres ............................................................................................................................ 85 5.7 Existing Retail and Commercial Floorspace Provision .................................................................. 88 5.8 Approved and Planned Retail, Office and Other Developments .................................................. 89 5.9 Implications for a Strategy ......................................................................................................... 90 6 Economic Outlook for Activity Centres ......................................................................... 92 6.1 Forecast Retail Spending to 2036 ............................................................................................... 92 6.2 Retail Turnover and Market Share of Activity Centres................................................................. 94 6.3 Forecast Retail Sales and Market Share for Activity Centres........................................................ 97 6.4 Retail Development Potential to 2036 ........................................................................................ 99 6.5 Commercial Office Floorspace Provision................................................................................... 100 6.6 Commercial Office Development Potential to 2036 .................................................................. 101 6.7 Residential Development Potential to 2036.............................................................................. 102 6.8 Other Potential Development Opportunities ............................................................................ 108 6.9 Implications for a Strategy ....................................................................................................... 108 7 Issues and Opportunities