Independent process for potential expansion of urban growth boundary

A new process has been announced by Planning Minister Matthew Guy to help address the shortage of metropolitan land supply. 

The process will determine possible urban growth boundary inclusions stemming from a review of the 2009 boundary changes.

The independent process will determine possible inclusions of properties within the urban growth boundary affecting Wyndham, Melton, Hume, Whittlesea, Mitchell, Casey and Cardinia growth areas.

The Growth Areas Authority (GAA) will review the merits of land submissions already submitted to the 2009 urban growth boundary review. The GAA will then refer submissions to a new Logical Inclusions Advisory Committee for final determination and advice to the Minister.

For land to be considered as a logical inclusion, strict criteria apply and projects must meet particular standards.

The Government has appointed a probity auditor to oversee the new process.

Standards and Decision Criteria to be applied to the assessment of proposals

Standards

To be considered as a ‘logical inclusion’, the land proposed for inclusion must at minimum meet these standards:

1. Be located within a growth area municipality.
2. Be adjacent to or on the existing Urban Growth Boundary – land located away from the Urban Growth Boundary cannot be incorporated unless intervening land is also included.
3. Be proposed for residential or employment development – a critical government objective is to encourage new housing developments as well as land supply for local employment opportunities.
   

Decision Criteria

1. For proposals that meet these standards, assessment will require consistency with the State Planning Policy Framework and any relevant Ministerial Directions.
2. The assessment of land within the investigation areas is to be informed by an analysis of the following categories of constraints and opportunities: 

• Agricultural activities
• Biodiversity
• Drainage corridors
• Extractive industry
• Heritage (including Aboriginal cultural heritage and post contact heritage)
• Landscape features
• Land use
• Salinity
• Soil capability
• Transport
• Trunk services (including water services, sewerage, electricity, gas and telecommunications, and
• Wildfire