Media Release: GOVERNMENT RELEASES ACTIVITY CENTRE GUIDELINES

FROM THE MINISTER FOR PLANNING

DATE: Tuesday, May 31, 2005

GOVERNMENT RELEASES ACTIVITY CENTRE GUIDELINES

Local Councils and developers today received a boost towards creating well-designed activity centres, with the Minister for Planning, Mr Rob Hulls, releasing the new Activity Centre Design Guidelines.

Mr Hulls said the Design Guidelines would be invaluable in assisting planners, designers and place managers to develop vibrant, high quality activity centres.

“Each activity centre has distinguishing features and attributes which are revealed and highlighted through excellent design,” Mr Hulls said.

“The guidelines set out objectives and suggestions for designing activity centres to ensure they are exciting places where people want to live, work, shop and play.

“They will help ensure that we protect the liveability of Melbourne’s suburbs. The Bracks Government is making the decisions needed to protect Victoria’s future.”

Mr Hulls said the guidelines provided advice on how public transport nodes could be improved, planning public spaces and incorporating different forms of housing into the centre.

“This is an important aspect of the Government’s Melbourne 2030 plan,” he said.

“The guidelines will provide advice and guidance to councils in structure planning for activity centres and in developing individual planning scheme policies and controls.”

They are the second in a set of three new design guidelines as part of the implementation of Melbourne 2030: Planning for Sustainable Growth. Draft guidelines were originally released for public comment in 2002 along with Melbourne 2030.

Substantial stakeholder input was incorporated into the new guidelines as well as comments from the Melbourne 2030’s submission process.

The Design Guidelines follow the release of the Guidelines for Higher Density Residential Development in November 2004. The Safer Design Guidelines, which will complete the set of three, are currently in development.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment is also organising training and an education program will be developed by the Urban Design Unit to assist councils in using and interpreting the Guidelines.

A copy of the guidelines will be sent to all councils and will be available for purchase from the Planning Information Centre.