Parkville Gardens planning in council hands

The City of Melbourne will now be responsible for administering the Melbourne Planning Scheme and issuing planning permits in the former Commonwealth Games Village at Parkville Gardens.

It comes after Minister for Planning Richard Wynne amended 11 municipal planning schemes to hand back responsible authority status to local councils on March 31, which included Parkville Gardens in the City of Melbourne.

Following a review by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) of sites where the Minister for Planning was the responsible authority, a spokesperson for Richard Wynne said he decided that his involvement was no longer required to fulfill “state planning policy objectives for the former Commonwealth Games Village site.”

The spokesperson said the City of Melbourne was consulted and supported the change subject to the recently issued final permit for the Freeway Apartments.

“The Minister decided that his involvement in the former Commonwealth Games Village site is no longer required as completion of the broader Parkville Gardens development is well advanced,” the spokesperson said.

“Melbourne City Council supported this change and will now administer the Melbourne Planning Scheme as it applies to the site.”

In his regular column in North West City News this month, Parkville Gardens Residents’ Association (PGRA) president Tom Knowles said it had “long been PGRA’s wish” to transfer planning control to the council.

“Development in the area has been under the direct control of the Minister for Planning ever since the state government took it over to provide accommodation for athletes competing in the 2006 Commonwealth Games,” he said.

“This arrangement made it almost impossible for local residents to object to amendments to the planning scheme for the area. This return to customary processes is very welcome news indeed.” •