Yarra Council welcomes the decision by the Minister for Planning to introduce interim controls in Johnston Street in Abbotsford and Collingwood.

The controls, which determine the height of new buildings, will protect the character and heritage of Johnston Street, and provide certainty to developers and the community about the scale of future development. 

The temporary controls will be in place until 31 December 2019, as Council pursues permanent changes through an amendment to the Yarra Planning Scheme.

Additionally, further heritage protection was approved by the Minister through an interim Heritage Overlay applied to the section of Johnston Street between Hoddle Street and the railway bridge. This will provide immediate protection to buildings that contribute the heritage value of the area.

The interim controls are the result of significant strategic work undertaken by Council to develop an overall plan for managing and guiding change in and around Johnston Street.

The controls are recommended in the Johnston Street Local Area Plan. The plan was adopted by Council in December 2015 and sees Johnston Street continuing to evolve as a vibrant and accessible place for residents and business. It identifies areas of Johnston Street that need to be protected; as well opportunities for development near Victoria Park Station to create more activity on the street and to ensure people can live and work close to public transport.