Amendment C74 - Rezoning of 7-9 Parker Street

Current status

The Minister for Planning has approved Amendment C74 to the Mount Alexander Planning Scheme. The Amendment came into operation on 14 January 2016 when the Amendment C74 notice was published in the Government Gazette.

What the amendment does

This amendment rezones land on the corner of Kennedy and Parker Streets (opposite Flowserve offices) in Castlemaine from the Industrial 1 Zone, to the General Residential Zone to allow residential development.

The amendment also applies a new schedule 13 to the Design and Development Overlay, a new schedule 8 to the Development Plan Overlay, and the Environmental Audit to the land.

Design and Development Overlay
A Design and Development Overlay (DDO) is to ensure development design is of a high standard. The DDO13 seeks to ensure development is well integrated with the surrounding development by addresses built form, interface with the surrounds (including vehicle and pedestrian access), infrastructure, fences and signage.

Development Plan Overlay
To ensure that the site is developed in a cohesive manner across the six existing titles, the Development Plan Overlay (DPO) will require a plan for the development of the whole site be prepared before any development commences. The DPO8 requires the development plan to address density of the development, transport access, infrastructure, and landscaping of the site.

Environmental Audit Overlay
The Environmental Audit Overlay (EAO) requires that any contamination of the land be addressed in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1970 prior to any sensitive use or development associated with a sensitive use commences on the land.

Background to the amendment

The amendment was made at the request of the land owner.

The amendment rezones the land to facilitate residential development, and has the potential to meet the need for residential land in Castlemaine by facilitating infill development. The amendment will also provide clear guidance on layout and design expectations for future development of the land, with the implementation of a site specific Development Plan Overlay (DPO8) and Design and Development Overlay (DDO13).

The Industrial 1 Zone is inappropriate given that the land is no longer used for industrial purposes and is surrounded by residential zoned land. Any proposed industrial use would be restricted because of the required threshold distances from residential land under Clause 52.10 (Uses with adverse amenity potential). The amendment rezones the affected land to
a more appropriate zone, reducing the likelihood of industrial development negatively impacting on the amenity of surrounding dwellings. Future residential infill development of the land is considered to be appropriate.