Alphington Paper Mill is being transformed into a new residential precinct with shops, offices, open spaces and community facilities.
Find out how the old factory site will transform into a new neighbourhood with shops, offices, open spaces and community facilities.
The past
The Alphington Paper Mill site is a 16.5-hectare parcel of land on the corner of Heidelberg Road and the Chandler Highway and extending down to the Yarra River.
Amcor ceased its paper production and recycling operations at the site in late 2012 and sold the land in 2013. The Victorian Government subsequently changed the planning controls over the site. It set new rules on how the land can be used, while retaining the mixed-use zoning of the site.
The new Development Plan Overlay (DPO) sets the framework for future works. It allows for a major residential and commercial redevelopment of the old paper mill site.
The future
The new owners of the site, joint developers Alphington Developments and Alpha Partners, drafted a vision for the future: a new mini-suburb of up to 2,500 homes catering for some 5,000 residents, as well as commercial and retail spaces that will provide local employment.
Yarra Council approved the plan in December 2015 after more than 18 months of community consultation and engagement.
What will the new site look like?
- 4.5% open space
- 1,700 square metres of community facilities and multi-purpose sports court
- a 30 metre wide buffer to the Yarra River
- 5% affordable housing
- 13,500 square meters of retail and commercial floor space
- around 2,500 town houses and apartments
Read the Development Plan
Design and Development Principles [ PDF, 511.44 KB] Yarra Council's principles were developed with the community and provide a guide for developers.
Development Plan Overlay [ PDF, 368.56 KB] The Victorian Government sets out specific conditions, including building heights and setbacks, for future developments.
AMCOR - Alphington Paper Mills Development Plan Vol. 1 endorsed May 2016 [ PDF, 30.3 MB]
AMCOR - Alphington Paper Mills Development Plan Vol. 2 supporting document endorsed May 2016 [ PDF, 73.46 MB]
View permits, plans and reports
Current applications
You need a planning permit if you want to build, develop or renovate anything on the Alphington Paper Mill site. Under the DPO schedule planning applications are not publicly advertised.
We are not currently assessing any planning applications for Alphington Paper Mill.
Development Plan Overlay (DPO)
The Development Plan Overlay (DPO) is the Victorian Government's framework for future development of the Alphington Paper Mill site.
It sets out specific rules for what developers can and cannot build on this land.
Building heights
- no more than four storeys in the area alongside Parkview Road, with a maximum of three storeys facing the street
- no more than three storeys for homes near the Yarra River, with a maximum of two storeys on the river interface
- no more than four storeys in the centre of the site, with a maximum of two to three storeys facing the street
Setbacks
- must be 40 metres from the Yarra River
Other conditions
- 5% of affordable housing, developed in association with an accredited housing association
- a pedestrian and bicycle path along the Yarra River site frontage
- a multi-purpose community hub with meeting rooms, community spaces and facilities
- shops and retail facilities to service new and existing residents
- small offices and businesses to generate jobs
We've endorsed the following documents for the redevelopment of the Alphington Paper Mill site:
Precinct 1A - Gateway Precinct
PLN17/0743 - Planning Permit [ PDF, 624.01 KB]
Precinct 1B - Gateway Precinct
PLN17/0272 - Planning Permit [ PDF, 416.79 KB]
PLN17/0272 - Endorsed Plans [ PDF, 25.19 MB]
Precinct 2A - Village Precinct
PLN17/0978 - Planning Permit [ PDF, 691.7 KB]
PLN17/0978 - Endorsed Plans [ PDF, 126.85 MB]
Precinct 2B - Village Precinct
PLN17/0703.03 - Amended Planning Permit [ PDF, 172.93 KB]
Precinct 3A - Artisan West
PLN19/0841.02 - Amended Planning Permit [ PDF, 137.02 KB]
PLN19/084101 - Artisan West Endorsed Plans and Docs [ PDF, 72.94 MB]
Precinct 3B - Artisan East
PLN18/0173 - Planning Permit [ PDF, 134.51 KB]
PLN18/0173 - Endorsed Plans [ PDF, 50.09 MB]
Precinct 4A - Park Precinct
PLN16/0524 - Planning Permit [ PDF, 336.73 KB]
PLN16/0524 - Endorsed Plans [ PDF, 22.98 MB]
Precinct 4B (North) - Park Precinct
PLN17/0041 - Endorsed Plans [ PDF, 18.9 MB]
626 Heidelberg Rd Alphington - endorsed overarching CMP July 2020 [ PDF, 17.34 MB]
Schedule 11 of Development plan overlay - endorsed CMP Amcor [ PDF, 701.1 KB]
PLN130861 - 626 Heidelberg Road - endorsed CMP - demolition [ PDF, 8.79 MB]
PLN130989 - 626 Heidelberg Road - endorsed Demo CMP [ PDF, 1.57 MB]
PLN140273 - 626 Heidelberg Road - endorsed Demo CMP [ PDF, 1.25 MB]
PLN140325 - 626 Heidelberg Road - endorsed Demo CMP [ PDF, 1.17 MB]
PLN140937 - 626 Heidelberg Road - endorsed Demo CMP [ PDF, 2.84 MB]
PLN160178 - 626 Heidelberg Road - Demolition Management Plan [ PDF, 1.84 MB]
PLN160524 - Endorsed Early Wor_ngton CMP190028 condition 16 [ PDF, 13.3 MB]
PLN160628 – 626 Heidelberg Rd, Alphington H&L Endorsed Construction Management Plan [ PDF, 344.68 MB]
PLN170041 – 626 Heidelberg Rd, Alphington – Construction Management Plan [ PDF, 14.21 MB]
PLN170908 – Endorsed Construct Workshop North – condition 13 [ PDF, 10.42 MB]
PLN180173 – 81 Latrobe Avenue Alphington Endorsed Construction Management Plan – condition 27 [ PDF, 45.17 MB]
Yarrabend Development – 626 He_Civil Works Only – Townhouses – Stage 3.2 [ PDF, 9.95 MB]
Yarrabend Development – 626 Heidelberg Rd, Alphington – Mills Blvd Civil Works – endorsed CMP [ PDF, 27.01 MB]
Services & Eng Services Report, incorporating Stormwater Masterplan [ PDF, 10.98 MB]
Amcor GHD Geotech report final 2017 [ PDF, 50.09 MB]
Site Remediation Strategy - GHD Report [ PDF, 10.24 MB]
22185G SEMP1E-4B - issued 03/03/2020 [ PDF, 9.33 MB]
200407 v6 Groundwater Management Plan [ PDF, 276.06 KB]
Alluvium report interim findings - tree collapse bank slump investigation [ PDF, 7.25 MB]
Douglas Partner report - groundwater investigations - March 2020 [ PDF, 19.42 MB]
DP Report review by Jon Fawcett 24 March 2020 [ DOCX, 2.02 MB]
P0519043.20 Yarra River tree collapse review DP report March 2020 v2a [ DOCX, 42.85 KB]
P119162 10 Tree T1 options analysis v3a [ PDF, 1.19 MB]
P119162.10 Tree collapse site visit memo V3a 20190726 [ PDF, 429.95 KB]
On 2 December 2015, our councillors unanimously approved the Development Plan for the Alphington Paper Mill site with conditions including extra protections for the Yarra River frontage and the establishment of a community reference group.
The decision came at the end of two rounds of formal community consultation over 12 months, with a total of 365 written submissions and many verbal presentations.
Yarra Council meeting minutes December 2015 [ PDF, 379.61 KB]
Yarra Council Resolution December 2015 [ PDF, 104.18 KB]
Years of industrial use have contaminated the land around the Alphington Paper Mill. Before building works can start, the contaminated soil will be treated and removed to a standard suitable for people to live and work on.
The Environment Protection Act governs how these works must be carried out. Auditors will need to assess the area and prepare environmental audit statements or certificates for the site. A number of audits have been prepared and are available on the EPA website.
Environmental specialists monitor the clean-up to make sure health and environmental standards are met and risks are low.
In late 2016, we created a Community Reference Group for the Alphington Paper Mill site development.
It serves as an ongoing forum for residents and community groups to have a say on developments on the Alphington Paper Mill site, including:
- community infrastructure
- sports venues
- open spaces
- transport
Who are the members?
The Community Reference Group is made up of:
- three Councillors from the Langridge Ward
- six community representatives from across Alphington
How does the group work?
Read the group's terms of reference.
Meeting minutes
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Yes. The following roads have been closed to allow trucks and machines to move in and out of the site:
- La Trobe Avenue (from Heidelberg Road) Alphington
- Lugdon Street Alphington
- Parkview Road Alphington (south of the Sports Pavillion)
The roads will remain closed until further notice. There is strictly no pedestrian or vehicle access within the road closure areas.
The Victorian Government and VicRoads are currently upgrading the Chandler Highway at the same time as plans began for the Alphington Paper Mill site redevelopment.
To make things easier, the Victorian Government had to buy some land and redesign roads on the site to fit the new design of the Chandler Highway.
Visit the Chandler Highway webpage for more information.
The Heritage Council had recommended that the old boiler house on the Alphington Paper Mill site should be included as a heritage-listed building in the Victorian Heritage Register. However, the Victorian Government determined not to include it.