Council has now requested that the Minister for Planning refer the Amendment and all submissions to the Standing Advisory Committee.

Requesting Referral of draft C273yara to the Standing Advisory Committee

After considering submissions to draft Amendment C273yara, Council resolved at its meeting on the 12 December 2023, to request the Minister for Planning refer draft Amendment C273yara to the Committee. This means that all exhibited and changed amendment documents and submissions were requested to be referred to the Committee for consideration in a public hearing.

Referred Documents

Next to the Exhibited Draft Amendment Documents below and all submissions, the below documents have also been requested to be referred to the Committee:

Council Meeting Report 12 December 2023 (PDF 4.7MB)

Council Meeting Resolution 12 December 2023 (PDF 0.4MB)

Attachment 1 - Response to Centre Wide Themes (PDF 1.3MB)

Attachment 2 - Response to Individual Submissions (PDF 0.9MB)

Attachment 3 - Officer Recommended Schedule 18 to Clause 43.02 Design and Development Overlay (PDF 1.2MB)

Council Adopted Schedule 18 to Clause 43.02 Design and Development Overlay (PDF 1.1MB)

Exhibition of draft C273yara closed

The exhibition on draft Amendment C273yara closed on 28 August 2023. All submissions were considered at a Council Meeting on 12 December 2023. For details see Requesting Referral of draft C273yara to the Standing Advisory Committee above.

Yarra City Council is proposing to introduce permanent built form and design requirements for commercial areas along Heidelberg Road which passes through Alphington and Fairfield.

This refers to land within the Commercial 1 and 2 Zone along the south side of Heidelberg Road within Yarra.

These changes will help guide potential future development, ensure development responds to heritage fabric, and minimises impacts on sensitive interfaces such as backyards, and public spaces like footpaths, kerb outstands and parklands.

The permanent built form and design requirements will be introduced through an amendment to the Yarra Planning Scheme known as draft Amendment C273yara.

The draft amendment also proposes to apply the Heritage Overlay (HO) to several properties and delete the Heritage Overlay from one property. 

Land Affected by proposed draft DDO18

The maps below show the land to be included in the Design and Development Overlay. 

Map 1: Building and Street Wall Heights for Precinct 1

Map 2: Building and Street Wall Heights for Precinct 2

Map 3A: Building and Street Wall Heights for Precinct 3A

Map 3B: Building and Street Wall Heights for Precinct 3B

The map below shows land to be included in the Heritage Overlay:

The map below shows land to be deleted from the Heritage Overlay:

What are the proposed changes to the planning scheme? 

The draft amendment proposes to:

• Include new policy at Clause 21.08 Neighbourhoods to provide general directions for the Heidelberg Road Neighbourhood Activity Centre (Note: Should Amendment C269yara be approved, this new policy will sit within Clause 11.03-1L Activity Centres).
• Replace the interim Design and Development Overlay Schedule 18 (interim DDO18) with a permanent Design and Development Overlay Schedule 18 (DDO18) which applies to commercially zoned land along Heidelberg Road. 
• Apply new Heritage Overlays (HOs) to the properties at 730-734 Heidelberg Road, Alphington (HO451) and 760-764 Heidelberg Road, Alphington (HO455).
• Delete the Heritage Overlay (HO362) from the property at 2 Killop Street, Alphington.
• Amend the Schedule to Clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay to include the new HOs.  
• Amend the Schedule to Clause 72.04 Incorporated Documents to include new Statements of Significance and update the “City of Yarra Database of Heritage Significant Areas”.
• Amend the Schedule to Clause 72.08 Background Documents to introduce the background documents that informed the permanent DDO18.   

The draft amendment does not include changes to policy or planning controls for residential zoned land nor the approved Alphington Paper Mill Development Plan. 

View the draft amendment documents below.

What stage is this amendment at and what are the next steps?

There are six stages in the draft amendment process.  

Exhibition of the amendment has now closed.

We are currently at Stage 3 of the process. Officers have analysed and considered all submissions received during the exhibition period and presented their recommendation to the Council. Council resolved at its meeting on the 12 December 2023, to request the Minister for Planning refer draft Amendment C273yara to the Standing Advisory Committee with a change made to the Design and Development Overlay - Schedule 18 (DDO18). You can view the Council Meeting documentation and changes to C273yara above in Referred Documents. The documents below under Exhibited Draft Documents have also been referred to the Committee. 

The Advisory Committee will review and hear public submissions and provide Council and the Minister for Planning with their recommendations on draft Amendment C273yara.

You can find more information on Yarra’s Advisory Committee Process and Amendments webpage or Planning Panel’s Victoria website and on the Yarra Standing Advisory Committee - Information Sheet.

What is the amendment trying to achieve?

The proposed draft Design and Development Overlay – Schedule 18 (DDO18) aims to provide a balanced approach by guiding different levels of potential development across the Heidelberg Road Precincts.

A Design and Development Overlay (DDO) is the planning tool that is applied to areas to set built form and design requirements for new development.  If you want to know more about how a DDO works in general, see the General Design and Development Overlay (DDO) Information Sheet.

DDO18 specifically aims to ensure that new buildings will respond to heritage fabric and minimises impacts on sensitive interfaces such as backyards, and public spaces like footpaths, kerb outstands and parklands.

It also aims to ensure that development delivers improved landscaping, openness and pedestrian amenity along Heidelberg Road.

Proposed draft DDO18 applies to 3 Precincts (Precinct 3 is split into two sub-precincts) along the south side of Heidelberg Road:

Precinct 1 – Commercial 1 zoned land that is immediately adjacent to large parklands which front the Yarra River.  It includes the Porta site and its large heritage industrial warehouse and distinctive brick chimney.

Precinct 2 – Commercial 2 zoned land in relatively close proximity to the Fairfield Neighbourhood Activity Centre.  The areas to the immediate south are in the Neighbourhood Residential Zone.

Precinct 3A – A single large site to the west of the former Alphington Paper Mill site on the corner of Chandler Highway and Heidelberg Road.  The site is zoned Commercial 1 and has a direct interface with Neighbourhood Residential zoned areas to the west and south. 

The site is included in the Heidelberg Road Neighbourhood Activity Centre.

Precinct 3B – Commercial 1 Zone land that includes heritage significant, narrow-fronted buildings.  It is also affected by an existing Public Acquisition Overlay (PAO).  Draft Amendment C273 proposes to apply the Heritage Overlay (HO) to several properties within this precinct. 

This precinct is included within the Heidelberg Road Neighbourhood Activity Centre.

The built form and design requirements in proposed draft DDO18 are split into ‘General Requirements’ that apply across the Precincts and ‘Precinct Design Requirements’ that are specific to each Precinct.

The requirements cover elements such as street wall height, upper level front and side street setbacks, building height, interface and rear setbacks, overshadowing and daylight access, front setbacks to street(s), building separation, building layout and access, parking and loading bay requirements.

How tall can buildings be?

The proposed overall building heights vary across the Heidelberg Road Precincts to respond to local policy directions, urban context, relevant VCAT decisions, learnings from other recent amendments, recommended outcomes from the Heidelberg Road Built Form Framework and the Council Resolution on the interim DDO18.

Buildings of between 4 to 5 storeys are potentially allowable across proposed draft DDO18.  In some areas, lower heights of 3 storeys are proposed.  Taller buildings of 7 to 8 storeys are envisaged on two larger sites in Precinct 1 and 3A. 

To view the proposed building heights for each precinct and whether they are mandatory maximum heights or preferred maximum heights, see proposed draft DDO18 (Clause 2.3  - Precinct Design Requirements).

Mandatory and preferred requirements

Proposed draft DDO18 includes a mix of mandatory maximum requirements and preferred maximum requirements.  Mandatory requirements must be met and cannot be varied.  A discretionary (or preferred) requirement provides for flexibility to achieve the required outcome.

Proposed changes to the Heritage Overlay

Draft Amendment C273 proposes to apply the Heritage Overlay (HO) to several properties and delete the Heritage Overlay from one property:

• Apply HO451 to 730-734 Heidelberg Road, Alphington
• Apply HO455 to 760-764 Heidelberg Road, Alphington
• Delete HO362 from 2 Killop Street, Alphington

Statements of Significance have been prepared as part of the strategic justification for the proposed new Heritage Overlays.

Proposed changes to the Planning Policy Framework

Draft Amendment C273 includes new policy at 11.03-1L Activity Centres to guide built form within the Heidelberg Road Neighbourhood Activity Centre (NAC).  This update is based on the adopted planning policy framework from Amendment C269.  It includes general strategies that apply across the NAC as well as site specific/section specific strategies.  

What controls are currently in place for the area?

At the moment, there are temporary requirements that apply to the area (introduced via Amendment C272yara and extended via Amendment C312yara). These are in the form of an interim Design and Development Overlay - Schedule 18 (DDO18) - Heidelberg Road Precincts. Interim DDO18 will expire at midnight on 22 April 2024. The permanent requirements that are proposed in Draft Amendment C273yara would replace interim DDO18.

Exhibited Draft Amendment Documents

Below are the formal draft amendment documents that were exhibited during Stage 2 of the process.

Amendment documents

Draft C273yara – Explanatory Report (PDF 0.7MB)

Draft C273yara – Instruction Sheet (PDF 0.1MB)

Draft C273yara – Proposed DDO18 – Heidelberg Road Precincts (PDF 3.3MB)

Draft C273yara – Proposed Clause 11.03-1L Activity Centres (Heidelberg Road, Alphington) Policy (PDF 0.3MB) - NOTE: This update is to the adopted Amendment C269yara planning policy framework which is not yet approved.

Draft C273yara – Proposed Clause 21.08 Neighbourhoods (PDF 22.8MB) - NOTE: Should Amendment C269yara be approved, this new policy will sit within Clause 11.03-1L Activity Centres.

Draft C273yara – Proposed Schedule to Clause 43.01 Heritage Overlay (PDF 0.2MB)

Draft C273yara - Proposed Schedule to Clause 72.04 Incorporated Documents (PDF 0.2MB)

Draft C273yara – Proposed Schedule to Clause 72.08 Background Documents (PDF 0.2MB)

Incorporated documents

Draft C273yara – "The Post Office and the group of shops on Heidelberg Road Statement of Significance" (PDF 0.3MB)

Draft C273yara – “Cooper Knitting Factory (former) Statement of Significance” (PDF 0.5MB)

Draft C273yara – Proposed updates to the “City of Yarra Database of Heritage Significant Areas” (PDF 7.5MB)

Mapping Changes

Yarra C273yara 002ddoMap03 Exhibition (PDF 0.5MB)

Yarra C273yara 003ddoMap03&04 Exhibition (PDF 0.5MB)

Yarra C273yara 005hoMap04 Exhibition (PDF 0.4MB)

Yarra C273yara 006hoMap04 Exhibition (PDF 0.4MB)

The supporting documents below have helped to inform draft Amendment C273yara.  They provide the strategic justification for the amendment.

Part 1: Heidelberg Road Built Form Framework – Urban Context Analysis, Hodyl & Co, July 2019 (PDF 11.8MB)

Part 2: Heidelberg Road Built Form Framework – Design Strategy and Recommendations, Hodyl & Co, November 2019 (PDF 11.3MB)

Heritage Review

Heidelberg Road Heritage Review (Stage 1), RBA Architects Conservation Consultants 2019 (PDF 5.6MB)

Heidelberg Road Heritage Review (Stage 2), RBA Architects Conservation Consultants 2019 (PDF 5.7MB)

Traffic and Vehicle Access Assessment

Traffic and Vehicle Access Assessment, Heidelberg Road, Fairfield/Alphington, Traffix Group, November 2019 (PDF 5.8MB)

Draft Heidelberg Road Corridor Local Area Plan

In a collaborative project with Darebin City Council, Yarra City Council has prepared a high-level Heidelberg Road Local Area Plan (LAP) between the Merri and Darebin Creeks.  The LAP will provide a framework to manage future growth and change along the Heidelberg Road Corridor. 

The LAP would be finalised once Darebin City Council has completed its own background work to inform it.

View information on the Draft Local Area Plan on our Heidelberg Road Local Area Plan page.

Information Sheets

Information sheets have been prepared to provide explanations about how the amendment was developed and what it is trying to achieve.  They are not part of the formal amendment documentation.  

• Draft Amendment C273yara – Project Information Sheet (PDF 1.6MB)
• General Design and Development Overlay (DDO) Information Sheet (PDF 1.3MB)
• Yarra Standing Advisory Committee - Information Sheet (PDF 0.3MB)

Council Report

The Council Meeting Report and Meeting Minutes can also assist you.  They provide an overview of the draft amendment.

• 25 October 2022 Council Meeting – Council Report (PDF 23.5MB) – Request consent to prepare and exhibit draft amendment 
• 25 October 2022 - Council Meeting Minutes (PDF 0.4MB)
• 12 December 2023 Council Meeting - Council Report - Considering submissions and request to refer to the Standing Advisory Committee (PDF 4.7MB)
• 12 December 2023 Council Meeting Resolution (PDF 0.4MB)

Background 

Why have we prepared this draft amendment?

The State Government requires local councils to address population and employment changes to meet their city’s needs. Activity centres have been identified as appropriate areas to accommodate growth as they have good access to employment, public transport and other amenities.

The Yarra Spatial Economic and Employment Strategy (2018) seeks to support growth in retail and other employment uses in the Neighbourhood Activity Centre (NAC) and commercial areas along Heidelberg Road.

The former Alphington Paper Mill site (APM) is identified in Plan Melbourne as an ‘urban renewal precinct’ and is categorised as a ‘high change area’ in Yarra’s Housing Strategy (2018) and in adopted Clause 16.01-1L ‘Location of residential development’.  Redevelopment of this site is guided by a site-specific Development Plan Overlay (DPO) and an approved Development Plan. The Yarra Housing Strategy notes that a large amount of development is already occurring within the APM site.

The above policy directions assist to reinforce the importance of the NAC and surrounding commercial areas and to limit changes in established residential areas.

Land along Heidelberg Road in Fairfield and Alphington is experiencing development pressure due to its good access to Melbourne CBD, proximity to public transport and other employment and activity centres.

Recent planning permit applications and VCAT decisions show that development pressure is continuing to occur, within commercial areas outside the former APM site.

The communities in Fairfield and Alphington have expressed concerns about the scale and amount of development and have sought stronger planning provisions to achieve greater certainty and a balance between allowing some development, retaining a sense of place and protecting adjacent residential areas.

Interim Design and Development Overlay – Schedule 18 (Heidelberg Road Precincts) applied in October 2021 in response to development pressure, will lapse in April 2024 and needs to be replaced with a permanent control.  More information about the interim planning control can be found on the Amendment C272 webpage.

Draft Amendment C273yara is required to ensure new development responds sensitively towards residential areas, heritage buildings and public spaces and to provide greater certainty of potential built form outcomes.

How was the Amendment prepared?

Council prepared the following strategic background work to inform Amendment C272yara which introduced interim DDO18:

• Heidelberg Road Heritage Review (Stage 1), RBA Architects Conservation Consultants 2019;
• Heidelberg Road Heritage Review (Stage 2), RBA Architects Conservation Consultants 2019;
• Part 1: Heidelberg Road Built Form Framework – Urban Context Analysis, Hodyl & Co, July 2019;
• Part 2: Heidelberg Road Built Form Framework – Design Strategy and Recommendations, Hodyl & Co, November 2019; and
• Traffic and Vehicle Access Assessment, Heidelberg Road, Fairfield/Alphington, Traffix Group, November 2019

Since the strategic background work has been completed and interim controls have been applied, we have undertaken a review of the interim DDO18 to test its suitability for translation into a permanent provision and made necessary refinements.  The review included:

• Consideration of community consultation feedback from 2021;
• Consideration of Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) cases within the area to enhance the clarity and workability of the provision;
• Learnings from other recently adopted amendments; and
• Ensuring it will achieve the development outcomes sought for the Precincts.

How to find out more

A full hard copy of the draft amendment C273yara documentation currently on exhibition can also be viewed at:

• Planning Counter, Richmond Town Hall, 333 Bridge Road, Richmond
• Collingwood Town Hall, 140 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford

Frequently Asked Questions