Macaulay Amendment C417

On Thursday, August 8 I logged online to listen to an information session by the City of Melbourne’s planning team, and “have my say” in framing the proposed planning scheme amendment (Macaulay Amendment C417) to the Melbourne Planning Scheme. 

They are planning a further session – in person – in the Kensington Town Hall at 6pm on August 28. The Amendment is out for “exhibition” – and your feedback – until Friday, September 6.

This was familiar material to me since the Kensington Association had participated in the drafting of the Macaulay Structure Plan 2021 (MSP) – yes, that’s right – 2021! The MSP had been “sitting on the Minister’s desk’ for two or three years waiting to go through the Amendment process. 

Why the hold up? It must have been in the interest of some party, some stakeholder, some lobby group. Yes, of course it was. It has given the developers an extra two years (at least) to flex their muscles and get development plans approved under the status quo building regulations – Design and Development Overlay 63 (DDO63) – which were more beneficial to them. 

On top of that, supercharged by the panicky (and disingenuous) Big Build, the state government has taken a firmer hand on development approvals, sidelining any effective local participation, and giving developers inside running. 

One example of this, the giant 447-apartment Greystar development (yet to be commenced at 352-400 Macaulay Rd) received approval in the dying days of Dan Andrews’ premiership. It will complete the “Macaulay Canyons” on the north side of Macaulay Rd.

During the August 8 online session, we looked at the new set of building regulations, in particular DDO78, which covers the Stubbs precinct of the MSP. The council planners revealed that contrary to the MSP 2021 the government had dropped the idea of having any mandatory requirement to provide affordable housing in favour of a discretionary provision of six per cent affordable housing. Apparently, the council was unhappy about that, but the state government insisted. 

Again, a clear example of the state government overriding local decision making to favour developers. This is happening in the context of MSP 2021, which claims that the City of Melbourne’s Affordable Housing Strategy had identified a shortfall of 5500 affordable homes across the municipality, and that affordable housing is essential infrastructure for our city and improves social and economic resilience. Go figure!

A couple of “on the ground” observations around the Stubbs precinct …

All locals are only too aware of the gigantic Local development on the corner of Stubbs St and Macaulay Rd. In the original plans for this building there was an east-west “walk through”, so it was “permeable” to public pedestrians, but that is not the case in the finished product. It seems like a very urban version of a “gated community”, with an internal in-ground swimming pool and super-affordable three-bedroom apartments renting for $1300-plus per week!

Meanwhile at the western end of the block, spare a thought for the hapless residents in Barnett St who are living through the construction of a similar size Assemble development over their back fences (see picture). I can only imagine what that is like, if only from a noise point of view. The price for residents to pay when a government gives way to the developer lobby. This Assemble development was conceived under DDO63; the August consultations on Amendment C417 are looking at DDO78; I wonder how much difference that will make in future developments. 

One very interesting thing to watch out for. Amendment C417 is not likely to be “gazetted” (come into effect) for another 18 months! If this government is true to form, it could be even longer. 

So, watch out! While we wait, what developers will flex their muscles to try and sneak in the door and get approval for a development while the more favourable DDO63 is still in effect? •