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Amendment C328 - 2-10 Clarke Street, Abbotsford

Amendment to introduce planning controls to 2-10 Clarke Street Abbotsford.

Council has requested the Minister for Planning authorise the Amendment to be exhibited.

Council has resolved to request the Minister for Planning authorisation to prepare and exhibit the amendment.

 

Overview

The existing two and three storey building at 2-10 Clarke Street, Abbotsford was constructed in approximately 1977-1978 and operated as a nursing home and residential aged care facility up until its closure in early 2023. The building is presently unoccupied.

The land is zoned Special Use Zone – Schedule 2 (SUZ2). An anomaly within Schedule 2 results in all residential uses, including a residential aged care facility and retirement villages, being prohibited. While the former aged care facility lawfully operated prior to the planning scheme amendment request, the use has ceased for a period exceeding two years and therefore no longer benefits from existing use rights. As a result, a planning permit cannot be granted for building and works associated with a residential aged care or retirement village under the current zoning.

Draft Amendment C328yara is a combined planning scheme amendment and planning permit application made under Section 96A of the Planning and Environment Act. The amendment seeks to introduce Schedule 7 to the Special Use Zone in the Yarra Planning Scheme and rezones part of 2-10 Clarke Street, Abbotsford to the Special Use Zone 7 (SUZ7). The Special Use Zone 7 (SUZ7) allows land to be used as of right for a retirement village and a residential aged care facility. The planning permit application relates to the development of a retirement village on the site. 

Land affected by the Amendment

The amendment applies to a portion of the land at 2-10 Clarke Street, Abbotsford, as illustrated in Figure 1. 

This site is occupied by a building which was used for a residential aged care facility (The Good Shepherd Nursing Home – Mercy Place), which ceased operations in 2023. 

The Good Shepherd Chapel is located on the remainder of 2-10 Clarke Street, Abbotsford and the Abbotsford Convent is located immediately to the south and east of the site. 

Map showing land affected by this Amendment

Amendment Document

Authorisation

What stage is this amendment at?

There are six steps in the process to consider the draft amendments.

This project is currently at ‘Stage 1 – Authorisation’ of the Planning Scheme Amendment process.

What has happened so far?

Current

Council has resolved to request the Minister for Planning to authorise the Amendment for public exhibition. If the Minister for Planning provides authorisation, Council will exhibit the amendment in accordance with the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

The Minister for Planning is currently reviewing the request.  

What are the next steps?

Exhibition will be held as an opportunity to provide a submission on the proposed changes made to the Yarra Planning Scheme as part of the planning scheme amendment process.

Following submissions from the community, Council will consider them and resolve to submit the amendment and submissions to an independent public hearing, where all views will be heard and considered. 

The panel or committee will review the amendment and all submissions and will release a report with recommendations.

Council will consider the recommendations from the hearing report and adopt a final position on the amendment. Council would then request the Minister for Planning to make a decision on the amendment.

The Minister will consider the exhibited amendment, recommendations from the committee hearing and Councils adopted position to make a decision on the amendment.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Special Use Zone is applied to land where specific, site-based uses cannot be adequately managed under standard zones. It is typically used for unique areas such as major infrastructure, tourism precincts, or comprehensive redevelopment sites, and includes tailored planning controls through a zone schedule.

The purpose of the zone is to provide for these identified uses and guide the development of the land in accordance with the schedule.

2–10 Clarke Street, Abbotsford is currently within the Special Use Zone 2 (SUZ2) and part of the site is proposed to be rezoned to the Special Use Zone 7 (SUZ7). The proposed Special Use Zone 7 (SUZ7) differs from the SUZ2 in the following ways:

  • Residential aged care facility and retirement village uses are permitted as-of-right, rather than prohibited.

  • A new purpose relating to land use is introduced.

  • Additional application requirements and decision guidelines for buildings and works are included to ensure development complements and respects the Abbotsford Convent Precinct and the surrounding residential area.

The amendment addresses an anomaly in the Yarra Planning Scheme where current zoning prohibits a long-established land use. The site at 2–10 Clarke Street, Abbotsford, has historically been used for residential aged care (1978–2023), despite being zoned Special Use Zone 2 (SUZ2), which prohibits residential uses. 

To enable redevelopment of the outdated facility, the amendment proposes to rezone part of the site to a new Special Use Zone 7 (SUZ7). This zone is similar to the SUZ2 but allows residential aged care facilities and retirement villages as permitted uses.

As 2–10 Clarke Street, Abbotsford is included on the Victorian Heritage Register as part of the Abbotsford Convent Precinct (HO951), a heritage permit was required.

On 6 November 2025, Heritage Victoria issued a heritage permit for the “demolition of the 1970s aged care building and its link to the Chapel (retaining the substation and selected landscaping/trees), construction of a four-storey building with a basement and associated landscaping, and external conservation works to the Chapel, subject to conditions including amendments to the plans”.

Further information

To find out more, please contact the Strategic Planning Unit.