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Changes to VIC Planning Provisions

Earlier this week the Victorian Government announced significant changes to the Victorian Planning Provisions (VPPs) which aims to make the state’s planning system more efficient and accessible.

Amendment VC148 reduces the car parking requirements for sites located within close proximity to public transport as well as reducing the complexity, cost and time delays for minimal change of use applications.

We sat down with WGE’s Transportation Engineering team to discuss the changes, and what this means for our clients.

“In a nutshell, it’s cutting a lot of the planning red tape by aligning urban and transport planning policies,” Section Manager James Brownlie said.

“It’s the most significant overhaul we’ve seen since the VPPs were first introduced over 20 years ago.”

The proposed changes include:

  • Reducing car parking Column B rates to sites where any part of the property is located within 400m of the Principal Public Transport Network (PPTN)
  • Introducing permit exemptions for new use(s) of an existing building, provided that:
    • The building is in a Commercial 1 or 2 Zone, or an Activity Centre Zone
    • The gross floor area is not increased
    • Any reductions to car parking is no more than 10 spaces
    • There’s isn’t a parking overlay with a schedule, which requires a financial contribution to be paid in-lieu of parking
  • Removal of particular provisions of Clause 52.12 (Service Station), 52.13 (Car Wash) and Clause 52.14 (Motor Vehicle, Boat or Caravan Sales)
  • An application required under 52.29 (Land Adjacent to a Road Zone Category 1) is now exempt from the relevant notice and third-party review requirements of the Act

“The VPP has also been restructured to make it more user friendly and ready for digitalisation. This includes removing redundant information and provisions, integrating VicSmart, and restructuring particular provisions into logical groups,” James said.

“A new online resource library has also been launched, offering free and convenient access to important planning documents for easier access to all users. A new practitioner guide will also be released shortly, which will be a great asset for our clients.”

If anyone has any questions regarding Amendment VC148 and its impact upon their project, WGE’s Transportation Engineering team is more than happy to discuss. Feel free to get in touch: (03) 8554 7000.

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