The owners of 32-68 Mollison Street, Abbotsford (AH Meydan Pty Ltd) have approached Yarra Council to amend the planning controls on their land. This would enable them to build on a section of this property within an allowable building height from 5 storeys (23m) to 7 storeys (32m). This section of the property will be in keeping with other allowable heights in this employment area.

An amendment to the Yarra Planning Scheme, known as Amendment C280yara, is needed in order to change the planning controls on this land. 

Find out more about planning scheme amendments.

Why is Amendment C280yara being prepared?

The planning scheme zones all land to reflect different land uses. These zones categorize how land is used and there are specific rules related to each zone. 

The current zoning for the land at 32-68 Mollison Street is the Incorporated Plan Overlay (IPO) – Schedule 1 (IPO1) which allows a building height of up to 5 storeys for the site as a whole. The site currently carries a live planning permit to develop a 5-storey building covering the site as a whole. This IPO has very minimal urban design requirements to guide good built form outcomes. 

Amendment C280yara allows for an increase to the height limit from 5 storeys (23m) to 7 storeys (32m) on a section of the land. This proposed height is consistent with surrounding similar types of development.

The current IPO doesn’t provide: 

• appropriate upper level separation along 150m of Mollison Street; 
• sufficient active frontage for a safe interface between the street and the building; 
• two-way traffic on Little Nicholson Street 
• a control that restricts vehicle access points to and from Victoria Crescent and Mollison Street.

Amendment C280yara will address these issues and ensure the appropriate planning required to facilitate and guide the scale, mass and bulk of the new development for better built form outcomes. 

The land is currently zoned Commercial 2 Zone and the property is currently used as office space. The zoning will remain unchanged.

What does Amendment C280yara Yarra do? 

The amendment proposes: 

• Replacement of the existing Incorporated Plan Overlay - Schedule 1 (IPO1); to provide an updated Schedule 1 (IPO1) with the new form and content; 
• Deletion of the IPO1 from the property at 61-69 William Street, Abbotsford (already developed); and 
• Amendment of Clause 72.04 to replace the incorporated document “32-68 Mollison Street and 61-69 William Street, Abbotsford July 2013” with “32 – 68 Mollison Street Incorporated Plan (March 2021)”

The proposed IPO1 will provide certainty for the outcome of the built form by: 

• Providing active frontages towards Mollison Street and Victoria Crescent and removing vehicle access from Victoria Crescent; 
• Avoiding overshadowing of the southern footpath of Mollison Street between 10 am and 2 pm on 22 September; 
• Introducing a defined range of street wall heights from three to four storeys: three storeys to Little Mollison Street and four storeys to the corner of Mollison Street and Victoria Crescent; 
• Introducing a setback above the street wall of 3 metres from northern boundary, Mollison Street, Victoria Crescent and Little Nicholson Street to create a more distinctive break between the podium (lower level) and upper levels and assist in managing the appearance of visual bulk at upper levels;
• Continuing the chamfered (or splayed) corner of Mollison St and Victoria Crescent to mark this corner and provide a generous pedestrian standing area;
• Providing upper-level building separation (minimum 6m building separation from the 4th Storey and above) and design treatments so that the upper level forms appear as separate buildings rather than a solid mass;
• Varying the height across the site that responds to the emerging heights of adjacent approvals. This coupled with upper level building separation has the following benefits; reduces the appearance of visual bulk from adjacent buildings, Mollison St and streets to the south of the subject site which is low scale residential development; and creates a perception of multiple buildings of varying heights rather than one large monolithic building.

The amendment also provides the following community benefit outcomes: 

• A ground level setback along Little Nicholson Street to enable two-way traffic movements;
• A contribution to install a formal, raised pedestrian crossing at the Mollison Street and Victoria Crescent intersection for safer pedestrian movement. 

These community benefits are negotiated with the proponent to facilitate the orderly development of the area. 

Two Section 173 agreements will be signed between Council and the proponent to ensure their delivery.

Proposed indicative framework plan

What stage is the Amendment at? 

There are six stages in a Planning Scheme Amendment. Amendment C280yara is currently in the sixth stage. At its meeting on 15 February 2022, Council considered the Panel Report received on the Amendment and resolved to adopt the Amendment.  The next step in the process is for Council to forward the adopted Amendment to the Minister for Planning to consider approving the Amendment.

 The report to Council and meeting minutes on Amendment C280yara (15 February 2022) can be found on 2022 Council Meetings webpage. 

Council Submission to Planning Panel

• Council's Part A Submission
• Part B submissions for Yarra CC C280yara 3268 Mollison Street Abbotsford
• Part B submissions Appendix A Council_s preferred IPO1
• Part B submissions Appendix B Council_s preferred incorprated plan

Council's Expert Evidence

• Leanne Hodyl - Urban Design

Other Parties

• Proponent Submission 
• Proponent's Expert Evidence - Kinetica - Bell J

Planning Panel Report

• Yarra C280 Panel Report

Submissions

Officers have prepared a summary and response to submissions made to Amendment C280yara.

Council considered submissions at its meeting on 3 August 2021 and resolved to ask the Minister for Planning to appoint an independent planning panel to consider all submissions made concerning the amendment.

You can read the officer report and attachments on the 3 August 2021 Council Agenda which can be downloaded on 2021 Council Meeting webpage.

C280yara amendment documents:

You can also read the Council Report and minutes from the council meeting on 1 September 2020.

Find out more about the Amendment

View a copy of the full Amendment including the explanatory report, amendment documents and supporting reports, in person at the Planning Counter, Richmond Town Hall, 333 Bridge Road Richmond VIC 3121.

If you would like to find out more about the Amendment, contact Yarra City Council planning officer by phoning 9205 5112 or by emailing [email protected].

You can also find out more information on the Victorian Government website.