KINGSTON Council’s housing strategy and neighbourhood character study has gone through another round of changes, and will be presented to the planning minister soon.
At their 25 October meeting, councillors agreed to the proposed changes to the planning strategy. The proposed final overlay will see 77.24 per cent of land available for residential development in Kingston classified as in the “neighbourhood residential zone”, limiting development to two storeys. Just 51.3 per cent of land was in the NRZ when the plan was drafted in 2019. The plan council agreed to in August 2020 had 92.91 per cent of land classified as in the NRZ, but this was later abandoned.
It is understood that opposition from the state government was the reason for the approved 2020 proposal being reworked.
On its website, Kingston Council says that the proposed changes from the 2020 plan include “identifying priority areas for public-space enhancements” and “reducing the extent of areas where three-storey development was proposed in a small pocket of Mentone by increasing the areas zoned for two-storey dwellings (Neighbourhood Residential Zone).”
“The Victorian Government and the independent planning consultant engaged by council both gave strong advice that the proposal adopted by council in August last year simply won’t be accepted or progressed. Ultimately to change the planning scheme, council needs the planning minister’s support,” the website read.
“The current zones in place in the Kingston Planning Scheme are interim controls, and after three years were set to expire in March 2020. Council was given an extension by the minister for planning to progress the housing strategy in line with the directions and strategies provided in Plan Melbourne and the planning policy framework. We’ve made some changes in an effort to meet the Victorian Government requirements while still speaking up for what our community wants. You will have a chance to provide further feedback on the proposed changes to our planning scheme in early 2022.”
When council approved its 2020 version of the housing strategy, Cr Georgina Oxley acknowledged that “we may not get approval from the department for this, but we’ve got to try” (“Housing strategy approved with changes, The News, 12/8/20).
The next round of consultation is expected to start in early 2022, and run for six weeks.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 3 November 2021
