Implementation plans > Activity centres > Actions > Action 2

Action 2
Establish a clear decision-making framework for activity centres
Providing greater certainty and clarity in decision-making is important if we are to achieve our aims for activity centres.

The present decision-making framework will be modified to give greater consideration to the concentration of activity in centres, and to improve the performance of activity centres.

Concentrate activity within centres
Lead agent: DOI
Concentrating activity within centres has been a significant component of metropolitan activity centre policy for many years, largely administered through the application of general policy on a case-by-case basis. Melbourne 2030 reinforces this position, but aims to provide greater clarity about how out-of-centre proposals should be considered.

The State Planning Policy Framework will be revised to give greater emphasis to concentrating uses, particularly those that generate high numbers of trips, within or on the edge of defined activity centres. DOI has released a draft Clause 12 to the State Planning Policy Framework and is seeking comment and advice from local government, industry and the community as part of the consultation process on Melbourne 2030.

To supplement this, in the medium term DOI will review the existing business zones with a view to creating specific zones to implement activity centre policy. Existing industrial zones will also be reviewed to ensure consistency with Melbourne 2030’s policy directions for activity centres and industry.

To support the approval process, the review will also investigate streamlining the assessment of development applications for proposals that are clearly consistent with activity centre structure plans.

Develop new out-of-centre assessment criteria
Lead agent: DOI
Melbourne 2030 strongly discourages proposals for out-of-centre development or expansion. New assessment criteria will be developed to give increased and much-needed direction on assessing proposals for developments outside activity centres, thus helping concentrate activity in activity centres. DOI, in consultation with stakeholders, will begin work on this project within 12 months.

The criteria will establish the tests appropriate for such proposals, and the types of uses and developments affected. Guidelines will be written to help proponents and planning authorities to prepare and evaluate proposals and to provide details of the required documentation.

The statutory implementation of the criteria is likely to include a Ministerial Direction. This will give clear and consistent guidance for planning authorities preparing planning scheme amendments for out-of-centre developments.

Application of the criteria will seek to achieve all of the following:

• avoidance of unreasonable impacts on the economic viability or social and cultural vitality of existing or proposed centres in the network
• a location on and accessible to the PPTN
• a proportion of work and visitor trips by public transport comparable to that achieved by similar uses located in activity centres
• a location in an existing cluster of out-of-centre developments (or adjacent to such an existing cluster
  if the site is already used for non-residential purposes), and improvement to the economic, social and environmental performance of that cluster (see ‘Performance criteria’).

These outcomes, which are set out in Melbourne 2030, should be considered in decision-making by government departments, planning and responsible authorities, developers and the community while the criteria are being developed.

Apply integrated performance criteria to decision-making
Lead agent: DOI in partnership with key stakeholders
Improving the performance of activity centres is an important component of Melbourne 2030. Each centre is different and will require different levels of planning and investment to improve its performance within the network. Over time, each centre’s performance will be assessed in terms of its own ability to achieve sustainability, and of its contribution to the network of activity centres.

Melbourne 2030 specifies integrated performance criteria that articulate the social, economic and environmental aims for activity centres. These broad criteria have been derived from the core objectives of the National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development.

A more robust set of standards and guidelines based on the performance criteria will be developed to provide a practical tool for councils to use in assessing the performance of their activity centres. This will be undertaken by a working group that includes representation from State and local government, business and the community. It will be set up within 12 months of the release of Melbourne 2030.

The working group will also look at the operation of the standards within the planning system.
The performance criteria and standards will also be used by planning authorities and local councils to develop a performance baseline for evaluation of development proposals. This information will be a valuable strategic planning tool for councils. It should influence all public investment decisions that affect an activity centre (such as social and physical infrastructure), policy development and structure planning.

The integrated performance criteria will be included in appropriate statutory mechanisms to provide the basis for decision-making in activity centres.