Panel knocks out bid for height controls, mayor vows to fight on

By Clay Lucas

An independent planning panel has slammed Yarra Council's attempt to impose ambitious heritage and height controls.

The panel, appointed by Planning Minister Mary Delahunty last year, said the proposed changes would make an "already confusing and unpredictable development control regime more cumbersome".

The panel rejected the proposed amendment to the Yarra Planning Scheme, which aimed to beef up heritage protection in 30 areas within the municipality. The amendment also sought the introduction of contentious height controls in certain key heritage areas, such as around Brunswick and Smith streets.

The two-person panel, John Keaney and Maggie Baron, found that the proposed changes were "inconsistent" with parts of the State Government's Melbourne 2030 planning blueprint, which aims to promote higher density development in activity centres such as Fitzroy and Collingwood.

Their report dismissed Yarra's request for height controls, saying the proposed controls were "arbitrary" and "totally inconsistent" with the council's own municipal strategy, and "prepared in isolation from Melbourne 2030".

The report stated: "There is no attempt to address why a height control is needed in the first place."

Yarra mayor Greg Barber said it was clear why height controls were necessary. "Height is a huge part of neighbourhood character. Most of Yarra is one to three storeys, and the bits that are higher are significant landmarks - and that's the way we want to keep it."

"Developers and the State Government hate height limits. Residents and those who want to protect their neighbourhood's character want them."

He said Yarra would not abandon its proposed amendments. "We're just going to keep coming back again and again and again, until (the State Government) gets what we're on about."

Cr Judy Morton, chairwoman of the council's planning committee, said the proposals had been very ambitious, and while there was disappointment they had been rejected, the work would not be wasted. "The panel is saying to Yarra: 'Go away and look closer at the policy and then come back to us'."