VPELA July WINTER Revue Newsletter

victorian / planning / environmental / law / association / volume

Cover: Catherine Heggen receiving her award from the Hon Sonya Kilkenny, Minister for Planning at our Gala Dinner on the 3rd May.

From the Editors

VPELA’s Young Professionals Group (YPG) Committee has assumed the mantle of editing the June Revue and, once again, we are thrilled with the contributions we have received. Naturally, this ‘YPG edition’ of the Revue contains a number of contributions from VPELA’s younger members, and the quality of these insights should afford all members with considerable comfort that the next generation of practitioners are humble, hungry and smart – all the hallmarks of the ideal team player.

Amongst a host of fascinating articles, several of the industry’s student planners and engineers provide their insights into the issues and initiatives upon which they have already made their mark. Moreover, we have been afforded a number of excellent articles exploring Transport Impact Assessments, the importance of our regions, email ‘E-tiquette’ and that tricky albeit important tenet of planning – neighbourhood character. These articles shine a light on the passions and initiatives of the industry’s junior practitioners and will be of interest and benefit to VPELA members of any seniority.

No edition of the Revue would be complete without contributions from our regular columnists. As such, you will find contributions from VPELA President, Mark Sheppard, VPELA Board Member Tim McBride-Burgess and even our Minister for Planning, the Honourable Sonya Kilkenny. In addition, we also celebrate this year’s award winners and our newly minted VPELA Fellows, bestowed at this year’s Under the Sea Gala held at the Crown Palladium.

The YPG has already started the year with its regular order of events. The annual Speed Networking night, generously hosted at Tract, kicked proceedings off and brought together many attendees from a host of workplaces and disciplines. YPG Trivia has truly become a staple of our calendar, and this year’s quizmasters were none other than VPELA Board members Marjorie Kennedy and Lucy Eastoe, who tested attendees with an array of questions stretching from general knowledge all the way through to planning and traffic engineering. Our annual Masterclass series has also kicked off with a bang, with this year’s sessions covering the development process from ‘day dot’ feasibility through to occupancy and post-permit milestones. In these sessions, young professionals have been treated to valuable insight from experienced practitioners and the series, as always, should lead attendees with a keen sense of what the development pipeline will entail.

Finally, the YPG Committee is always happy to lend a hand or an ear to any young professional seeking to make a mark. Whether you want to bring an important issue to light, float a possible seminar or discuss anything else, we encourage VPELA’s young members to reach out at any time. Keep an eye out for YPG Committee applications towards the end of the year!

Isobell Vescovi and Charlie Wurm are Co-Convenors of VPELA’s Young Professionals Group (YPG).

Isobell Vescovi, Associate, UPco Charlie Wurm, Associate, Maddocks

YPG Committee members at the Gala Dinner

From the President Engaging our diverse membership

VPELA draws its membership from a broad range of disciplines and sectors across the planning and environment fields. Our members also range from emerging to ‘seasoned’. This is our great strength: connecting people with diverse knowledge, skills, experiences and perspectives builds valuable relationships and unlocks innovations, both of which are essential to solving the constantly evolving challenges in our work.

Our program of activities is aimed squarely at reinforcing and capitalising on that strength. This includes our ‘traditional’ events, such as the annual dinner, conference and seminars. But we are also continually exploring new ways to engage the full spectrum of our membership.

The Gala Dinner is the pinnacle of our annual events, drawing the majority of our members every year. It’s just a week since the dinner as I write this column, and my mind remains full of undersea imagery and creatures, and the many people who it enables me to catch up with each year. Huge thanks to the hardworking team of Anna Aughterson, Grace Hamilton and Katherine Yeo who pulled off yet another outstanding event. Kudos, too, to board member Damian Iles from Hansen Partnership who shepherded us through the evening with aplomb despite filling in at very short notice. And full credit to Minister for Planning, the Hon. Sonya Kilkenny, who once again entered the spirit of the occasion and ‘frocked up’ in theme.

Of course, a highlight of the Gala Dinner is the awards. Congratulations again to our deserving award winners notably, the inestimable Catherine Heggen, who rightly joins the august parade of Richard J. Evans Award winners. I also applaud our new Fellows Christina McRae, Adam Terrill and Greg Tobin and our Young Professional of the Year, Charlie Wurm. All of our winners have contributed mightily to the profession and VPELA over many years.

Speaking of young professionals, building the confidence and capability of emerging people in our industry is critical for its ongoing vitality and success. Our Young Professionals Group is central to this task, not only facilitating bespoke professional development opportunities but also connecting emerging professionals with those holding greater experience. YPG goes from strength to strength under the leadership

of Charlie Wurm and Izzy Vescovi, including the compilation of this issue of Revue. I hope you enjoy the different perspectives offered in these pages from our younger and newer professionals.

At the other end of the membership spectrum, our Fellows represent an enormous resource of experience and expertise that we seek to draw upon in various ways. One of these is our mentoring program, now in its second year, which provides a different forum for our members to share insights across the reaches of discipline, sector and experience.

Another program that draws upon our more ‘seasoned’ members’ knowledge is our ‘Fellows Forums’. We are grateful to those Richard J. Evans award winners and Fellows who participated in the recent Fellows Forum, which enabled them to share their ideas for Plan for Victoria with the Minister for Planning and DTP Deputy Secretaries.

Other initiatives focused on engaging with the full range of our members include our growing Small Business Collective, increasing regional events, new event pricing arrangements for local government which we will soon be introducing and our highly successful Career Resilience program. We are always looking for new ways for delivering on our mission to connect people across the planning and environment industry. So please share any ideas you have for this with me or any of the board members.

And finally …

One of the strategies in our Strategic Plan is to refresh the way we communicate with our members, particularly in relation to our activities that don’t naturally find their way into our weekly update newsletter but which are too topical to wait for the next Revue. To this end, we recently initiated Board Bulletins, a roundup of our engagement with government and statutory authorities, refinement to our governance arrangements, and so on.

We aim to issue Board Bulletins on a semi-regular basis, when there’s something to tell you. Please reach out to me or any of the other board members if there are specific things you’d like to hear more about.

Mark Sheppard, Director, Urbis

From the Minister Housing Statement Programs

Community engagement on a Plan for Victoria continues at great speed, at the same time work on our Housing Statement programs including our Activity Centres Program and the Development Facilitation Program is helping us move towards more homes and more development certainty.

The Activity Centres Program presents a significant opportunity to address the housing supply and affordability challenges facing Melbourne. These centres, and their surrounds, are prime locations for more housing supply and diversity, well-connected by public transport and a range of services. The current approach to activity centre planning involves long, complex, costly, and uncertain planning and approvals processes.

To address these issues, the Victorian Government is piloting a new approach in ten centres – Broadmeadows, Camberwell Junction, Chadstone, Epping, Frankston, Moorabbin, Niddrie (Keilor Road), North Essendon, Preston (High Street) and Ringwood. The program is working to deliver:

· Built form controls tailored to local character, with guidance to protect the public realm, amenity, and heritage

· A simplified approach to infrastructure contributions to ensure community facilities are delivered alongside housing growth

· Reframing activity centre planning around walkable catchments, encouraging a diversity of new housing types

· Clearer and more transparent plans and planning provisions, setting out place objectives, local values, built form requirements and a future vision.

Recent engagement on the activity centres program reached an impressive 780,000 people, with 862 participants making 1,636 contributions to the project. We have also established Community Reference Groups for each activity centre to hear directly from the local community and key stakeholders. Work is underway to aggregate the massive amounts of information we are receiving and we look forward to sharing this with you in the future. A second engagement phase is scheduled to commence in the coming months, focusing on infrastructure needs to support growing neighbourhoods, such as community facilities, public spaces and parks.

We’re also ramping up the Development Facilitation Program (DFP) –an accelerated planning assessment pathway for priority projects. This program is one of a suite of reforms to clear the backlog of planning approvals, inject investment into the Victorian economy and build more homes. With the launch of the Housing Statement in September 2023, I approved an expansion of the DFP via Planning Scheme Amendment VC242, which automatically makes the Minister for Planning the decision maker for significant residential developments that include affordable housing and significant economic development in key sectors. I recently expanded this to target applications for renewable energy facilities, utility installation and associated subdivision. This will help to unlock the current $90 billion worth of investment value in renewable projects in the pipeline.

The scope, scale and diversity of projects coming through the DFP are impressive. For instance, in March, I approved the use and development of land for a 500-tonne abalone farm in Glenelg Shire, as well as the development of a medical research and manufacturing facility at La Trobe University’s Bundoora Campus. This $78 million facility will produce next generation vaccines and treatments for clinical trials. In April, I approved the Cabrini Hospital Masterplan, facilitating future expansion of the hospital and providing increased certainty to both the operator and nearby residents about the longterm use and development of the land for that purpose.

I look forward to seeing more and more projects progressing through this pathway – particularly residential projects that bring forward affordable housing opportunities for communities across Victoria.

You can find out more about the DFP and the Activity Centre Program at www.planning.vic.gov.au

It’s an exciting time for the planning and development industry in Victoria with many new initiatives to streamline the development process and unlock housing and employment opportunities to ensure we’re delivering on our promises in the Housing Statement. I look forward to working closely with you to make this happen.

The Hon. Sonya Kilkenny is the Minister for Planning.

Comprising 15 days of amazing professional development opportunities, the tour will take in a range of planning and development learnings from our North American cousins including; housing models and affordability, environmental sustainability, indigenous recognition, urban renewal, sustainable transport, public space activation and climate change.

Cost $11,500 per person (twin-share) plus airfares.

Price includes airport transfers, 4-star accommodation, all breakfast and some meals. For those wishing to add onto the trip before or after, this can be accommodated.

For more information please contact Study Tour Organising Committee members Lisa Riddle lisariddle@netspace.net.au Colleen Peterson colleenp@ratio.com.au or Marji Kennedy marji.kennedy@melbourne.vic.gov.au

The Hon. Sonya Kilkenny, Minister for Planning

People Award Citations

Richard J Evans Award 2024 Recipient – Catherine Heggen

Catherine Heggen has been a major contributor to the planning profession in Victoria for almost four decades. Her professional life has been dedicated to excellence in the practice of town planning and the legacy of her expert input to many hundreds of projects can be seen across our State. With a handful of other women, Catherine has been a trail-blazer as a female professional in private practice, inspiring younger generations of women to pursue successful private sector careers.

Since 1985, Catherine has been a leading practitioner within important planning consultancies including Tract Consultants, Fulcrum, Message Consultants and Ratio. She has been an advisor to government agencies, local Councils, and private sector clients. Her work is characterised by inter-disciplinary collaboration, clear-minded intelligence, considered application of planning principle, unqualified integrity and the highest standards of professionalism. She has shown leadership in the wider profession as Chair and member of Victoria’s Heritage Council, as a jury member of AILA and PIA awards, as a

Catherine Heggen’s Response

The following Richard J Evans Award 2024 response was delivered at the VPELA Gala Dinner on 3 May 2024

Thank you colleagues and thank you to the VPLEA Board for this honour.

Looking around the room tonight I see many people with whom it has been my privilege to have worked over a career of more than 40 years – and a lot has changed over those years.

When I graduated, the Berlin wall was yet to fall, the digital revolution had not emerged, the towers of Southbank had not been constructed and planning scheme maps were still prepared by technicians skilled in water colour application. Difficult to imagine now.

member of the Queen Victoria Women’s Centre building committee and as a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Planning System Reform. Catherine’s contribution to the profession has already been recognised as a Fellow of VPELA and of PIA.

For more than three decades, Catherine has been and remains a highly sought after and respected expert witness in the resolution of planning disputes. She is extremely knowledgeable about a diverse and complex array of planning issues including housing, heritage, urban design, land acquisition and strategic planning.

Catherine is also a strong supporter of community and cultural organisations including her patronage and long association with the Melbourne Recital Centre.

We have no hesitation in confirming Catherine’s demonstration of the following attributes:

· a lifelong sustainable endeavour to town planning;

· an outstanding contribution to town planning;

· outstanding leadership in the practice of their professions; and

· through their professional activities have been an inspiration to others.

But in thinking on this award, its meaning and what I might observe of those things that endure, I want to reflect on two themes in particular.

The first may be obvious and is often said at such moments as these but its significance deserves remarking on. That is, the gift of working with people who apply the highest level of professional expertise in their respective field of endeavour, to solve increasingly complex problems in urban and regional planning.

I have benefitted greatly from those associations and interactions, and I hope those early career professionals that I have in turn mentored and worked with, have benefited from my own lessons learnt.

The second observation is that of the value of small encounters. These interactions may at the time, seem fleeting, but which in fact, stay with you over the years.

As a young planner and in a very small role, I had the opportunity of working with Richard Evans. He was running a case at the then Planning Appeals Board with a cast of many players and multiple interlocking issues. Yet, with his urbane courtesy and hallmark curiosity he took the time to enquire of a junior graduate what it was that drew her to study planning.

I explained a pathway that I know is not entirely unique and that was; on family road trips I was the one in the back seat of the car studying the Melway, that my mother had a great love of antique maps of different countries and townscapes and which seemed to mysteriously multiply on the walls of our family home, and lastly, that I had the benefit of excellent geography teachers. A former Science teacher before turning to the law, that last part of my response to Richard’s question in particular seemed to please him very much I want to acknowledge Richard’s family here this evening, Richard’s children Andy and Catherine and his granddaughter Natasha, as well as his brother Lawrence. Deidre, Richard’s wife, was not able to be

here tonight, but she has attended many of these events and this award presentation to honour Richard’s professional contribution, his integrity and memory.

So, returning to my own lesson learnt in my brief conversation with Richard all those years ago, and particularly for those early career professionals here tonight, I want to commend to you those two great qualities of Richard’s, namely Courtesy and Curiosity.

Make them essential companions to your career arc and hopefully one that you too can reflect on with gratitude in the years to come, made possible only with the contribution and involvement of other colleagues.

Thank you for honouring me with the R J Evans award.

Catherine Heggen is a Director at Ratio Consultants.

INTRODUCING OUR PLANNING EXPERTS.

David Barnes Land Compensation & City Infrastructure dbarnes@hansenpartnership.com.au

Sandra Rigo Rural, Green Wedge & Coastal srigo@hansenpartnership.com.au

Gary Wissenden

Mixed-use & Community Infrastructure gwissenden@hansenpartnership.com.au

Damian lies Multi-residential Housing & Education diles@hansenpartnership.com.au

Jane Keddie Strategic Planning & Climate Change jkeddie@hansenpartnership.com.au

Cameron Gentle Hospitality & Renewable Energy cgentle@hansenpartnership.com.au

L>R Andrew Evans, Laurence Evans, Catherine Evans and Natasha Holman

L>R Jodi Kennedy, Anna Borthwick, Anna Auguterson and Georgie Birch

People Young Professional Award 2024 Recipient

Charlie Wurm, Associate, Maddocks

More than ever, there is an unquestionable need to ensure urban development can keep up with growth in our economy, cities, regions and people. In this respect, VPELA’s members are particularly attune to the essential role that planning serves in ensuring that an appropriate balance is struck between managing development and our natural environment. Yet, the question arises to how we should and, indeed, can balance competing policies and laws relating to development and the natural environment.

Despite the recent reinforcement of policies to enable sufficient housing growth, similar advances are yet to be implemented in Victoria’s vegetation and habitat protection framework. In light of a renewed push to increase housing supply, the time to undertake a uncompromising and holistic assessment of that framework is now.

Charlie’s research will draw upon and compare Australian and international vegetation and habitat protection laws with a view to improving Victoria’s laws, policies and guidelines, in the context of its renewed aspirations for urban and non-urban development and land use. His research will draw upon:

- an outline of the current vegetation and species habitat protection framework in Victoria;

- an assessment of the viability of our broader environmental protection framework in light of the recent reinforcement of our housing policies and aspirations, such as the Housing Statement and other reforms which are expected to arise;

- a comparative analysis of Victoria’s framework against those operating in other States/Territories, at a Commonwealth level and in overseas jurisdictions, including New Zealand and Scandinavia; and

- avenues and recommendations to improve Victoria’s vegetation and habitat protection laws, policies and guidelines.

As part of his research, Charlie aims to draw upon the insights of experienced practitioners, legislators and decision-makers, within VPELA and beyond, as a means of ironing out fair, effective and enforceable ways to ensure that our vegetation and habitat protection framework can be sustainably managed in line with our growth aspirations.

In undertaking this research, Charlie hopes to identify a fair and equitable way forward, to ensure that important measures our housing crisis can guarantee the protection of our environment for current and future generations.

Charlie Wurm is an Associate at Maddocks.

Alisanne Boag, Beveridge Williams presents Charlie Wurm with his award.

People Fellowships

The following citations were delivered at the VPELA Gala Dinner

Christina McRae, Director, Urbis

Christina is a town planner with over 20 years’ experience in strategic and statutory planning. She started her career at Local Government working at the City of Yarra, before joining the private sector at Fulcrum in 2004.

She is a Director at Urbis, where she has worked since 2016 on a wide range of complex residential and mixed-use development and urban renewal projects. Christina also has a passion for affordable and social housing projects and strategies including the recent Darebin Affordable Housing Strategy and also champions adaptive reuse of buildings to meet net zero ambitions.

Christina was a member of the VPELA board from 2017 to 2023, where she actively contributed to the Association including valued input into consultation with State Government and creating events to inspire conversation and ideas and also interviewed Jennifer Keesmaat, Chief Planner City of Toronto and Dylan Alcott for the Peter Barber lecture in 2022.

Christina also worked tirelessly to lead the organisation of the incredibly successful VPELA Sydney Study tour in 2023, creating an opportunity to meet with architects, planners and urban designers to learn about the best examples of urban renewal, design competitions and heritage responses that attendees could bring back to their work in Melbourne.

Christina is always calm, thoughtful and quietly confident. She provides invaluable support to less experienced board members and

members of the association. In meetings, she will always observe and make sure that everyone is being listened to and encourage those with less confidence to speak up and share. This has created an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.

This nomination represents the importance of Christina’s time, passion, care and generous contribution to our industry and VPELA.

Adam Terrill, Co-founder and Director, Cogency

Adam is a town planner with over 20 years’ experience in key sectors including renewable energy and property, working with a range of stakeholders including all levels of government, developers and community groups.

Following a long career at Tract Consultants, he has developed an increasing focus on the renewable energy, climate change and circular economy sectors. In March 2022 he established Cogency with his cofounder Rebecca Wardle, which has gone from strength to strength in the planning for, engagement with community on, and development of, a number of exciting projects. He is also a sessional member at Planning Panels Victoria.

Over that time Adam has been an invaluable member of the VPELA community. He joined the VPELA Board in 2014 and led the association through his executive and vice president roles over that time. He brought passion to his board duties and was continually thinking of new and innovative initiatives that could be explored, for the benefit of all VPELA members. This has included, but is certainly not limited to, his ideas and planning on interesting topics and seminars,

his participation at events including the VPELA conference, the establishment of the association’s endowment fund, and prioritising access for new and regional members through exploring online and hybrid sessions and the establishment of the VPELA Small Business Collective.

Adam retired from the Board in 2023 however still continues to significantly contribute to the association and we thank him for his enormous efforts to VPELA.

Greg Tobin, Principal, Harwood Andrews

Greg has been a planning and environment lawyer since 2005 and a member of VPELA since 2010.

Starting life as a physiotherapist, and prior to joining Harwood Andrews, Greg worked at Philips Fox DLA (as it was then) where, as an articled clerk in 2005, a rotation in the Planning & Environment Group then headed by Mark Bartley and working with future Harwood Andrews Principal, Kim Piskuric and now Kings Counsel Peter O’Farrell, drew him to planning and environment law.

After moving to Geelong to raise his family, Greg grew the Harwood Andrews Planning, Environment and Local Government practice from two lawyers and a law clerk servicing a few regional clients to a team of eight lawyers servicing State and local government clients and private clients throughout metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Greg regularly appears in VCAT and at Planning Panels Victoria for Panels and Advisory Committees where he is highly regarded by his peers as a skilled advocate. Greg’s legal expertise in planning and environment law is consistently recognised across the field. He is sought after as an advocate on many complex and controversial matters.

Consistent with VPELA’s education focus, Greg, and Harwood Andrews under his leadership, sponsors, contributes to and attends seminars, conferences and events.

Greg displayed significant leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, working with other members of the VPELA community to host an online mock hearing in March 2020 and provide a template for what became standard industry practice for online hearings in VCAT and Planning Panels Victoria throughout the pandemic.

Not only does Greg fulfil the criteria for the award of Fellow of VPELA but also his professional work and contributions to the Association, make him worthy of the award.

The Paul Jerome Award 2024 Nominations Are Invited

In 2005 the Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association established The Paul Jerome Award, as a memorial to a much loved and respected colleague. This award was created to encourage, recognise and support outstanding contribution to public administration.

The principal focus of the award is planning within the umbrella of public service to state and local government and the list of past recipients has brought prestige to the award.

A list of previous recipients, criteria for the award and a nomination form can be downloaded from our website https://www.vpela.org.au/news/paul-jerome-award-2024

Nomination forms can be downloaded from our website and emailed to grace@vpela.org.au

Nominations close COB Friday 26 July 2024.

The recipient will be presented with an engraved trophy at the VPELA Conference Gala Dinner, to be held at Mantra Lorne on Friday 30 August 2024.

Thanks to Contour for their sponsorship of this prestigious award.

Sometimes the ‘right’ solution isn’t the easiest one. This years’ conference is a festival of provocative ideas, exploring how challenging the norm can help us find the diamonds that emerge under the pressure of developing the built environment around us.

Prepare to be challenged, prepare to be provoked – perhaps look at something differently at this year’s conference.Our conference committee has just finalised a great line-up of keynote speakers to inspire and provoke you:

Keynote speakers include:

Angus Clelland, CEO, Mental Health First Aid

Professor Nicole Kalms, Faculty of Art Design and Architecture, Monash University.

Founding Director of the Monash University XYX Lab.

The Hon Sonya Kilkenny, Minister for Planning

Anna Meares AO, Olympian

Nick McKenzie, Investigative Journalistwith The Age

Lisa Smith & Jason Clark, Minds at Work

Plus Panel Session:

Can we put housing together?

Facilitated by Alex Dyson, Podcaster, Author & radio host

Three advocates for housing as a human right, share their dangerous ideas for fixing a broken housing system.

Plus our Young Professional Session – YPG’s Not Too Hard Quiz!

Join our quiz master Prue Blake, Comedian and Community Engagement Consultant together with our specialist contestants, for a laugh and you may even learn something! Specialty topics include: Bluey, Tiny Houses, Super Mario 64, European Air Codes, and of course… Design Standard 2 of Clause 52.06.

Practical Focus Sessions will include:

- Lorne Walking Tour

- PhD Candidate Presentations RMIT

- Neighbourhood Character – The eras tour

- How do we create resilient communities in a climate of chaos?

- Playing Chicken for space in our streets

There will also be a mentoring session if you are new to the conference, no need to walk to our Thursday night dinner at the Lorne Hotel by yourself and as always a fabulous Gala Dinner on Friday night – this year themed for the Olympics.

Mantra at Lorne is the only beachfront conference centre that offers wonderful accommodation in one of Australia’s most sought after destinations, the Great Ocean Road.

Our conference brochure with full details and pricing will be available shortly on our website www.vpela.org.au

Planning at the Pub

The VPELA YPG Committee organised a fantastic night at the Clyde Hotel on Wednesday 17 April to discuss the influence of planning, development and heritage protection on Melbourne’s historic pubs. The conversation focused on the transformation (both cultural and physical) of Melbourne’s pubs throughout different eras of the city, the contemporary developmental pressures on these institutions, community social licenses and the cultural glue for many that is Melbourne’s old pubs.

Joshua McLennan is a Senior Consultant at Hip V Hype.

YPG Trivia

Round 1 of the footy wasn’t the only match taking place in Melbourne on Thursday 14 March, with some of the biggest trivia minds in the industry coming together for the VPELA YPG Trivia Night at Urbis.

Heralded by some as the ‘event of the year’, the YPG Trivia Night was a great chance to catch up with friends and make new ones while mulling over challenging questions. Special mention to the Music segment, where Missy Higgins made the whole room break out into song (bonus points for all).

Thanks to all of those who attended the night!

James Cossins is an Associate at Traffix Group

James Cossins, Associate, Traffix Group

Joshua McLennan, Senior Consultant, Hip V Hype

L.>R Tom Birch, Sandhill Road Group, John Rantino, Maddocks Lawyers, Katherine White, Lovell Chen and Damian Illes, Hansen Partnership

People Panels Victoria says farewell to Lester Townsend

Following is a summary of oral comments made on the final Panel day including Lester Townsend.

Member Townsend,

My earliest recollection takes me back 25 years to when you were a young member of the talent squad charged with the introduction of the new format planning schemes. I think you sat on more than one of those. Kathy Mitchell chaired a few of them, both of you then under the leadership of Helen Gibson.

Some years later in VCAT I heard Michael Wright refer to the then Deputy President Gibson as the “foster mother of the VPPS”. I don’t recall if the flattery got him far but if I can borrow the metaphor, perhaps we can describe you as a “midwife”.

The new format schemes did much more than bring in a new set of standard zones and controls. They introduced a new way of thinking, and something of a new language – performance based outcomes, balancing conflicting policy, seeking net community benefit. In short, the VPPS sought sensible and strategic consideration. Some might say this turned out to be easier said than done, but not in your case. Perhaps having helped deliver the baby it was natural that you would nurture it and grasp the challenge. Your reports covered the widest range of strategic planning, environmental and technical issues and always remained faithful to the task.

I should mention your management of hearings wherein you preferred a no fuss approach, always courteous, but also direct enough to encourage those before you to get to the real point of the matter. And so it was, in this very room, we witnessed your transition from midwife to knight of the “round table”.

I am conscious that there were many regular faces over your time chairing Panels that have moved on. Names like Michael Wright, Chris Canavan, Ian Pitt, Stuart Morris, Michelle Quigley, Chris Wren and Jeremy Gobbo. Should the opportunity arise I look forward to mentioning to each of them that I mentioned them to you today. I am

very confident that all, and others I have failed to mention, share my appreciation of your efforts in managing hearings, the care you took to writing your reports, and your commitment and devotion to the public service.

I would summarise your career at Panels by reference to two constants. First, your bow tie collection. Second, your adherence to independent thought. The second of these is, I believe, the job description. You can be rightfully proud that you saw it that way too.

It is pleasing to know that you are not leaving the strategic planning task Victoria faces. Your formidable strategic nous will be well suited to the challenges that now befall Plan Victoria.

On behalf of all I can hope to speak for, including those who came before, and those still going, I congratulate you on your career at Panels Victoria and wish you every success in your next chapter serving Victoria.

Chris Townshend KC is a member of the Victoria Bar ctownshend@vicbar.com.au

Chris Townshend KC

Lester Townsend

Lester as Circus Master at our annual dinner in 2011 with Jane Power and Belinda Donnelly.

Lester with Maxine Cooper at an event in 2007

Seminar

The Minister’s Address

The Minister’s Address brought together an audience from local and state governments, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), barristers, lawyers, planning consultants, traffic engineers, ecologists, heritage advisors, and various developers. The primary focus of the event was a keynote address by the Minister for Planning, the Hon Sonya Kilkenny MP, who shared insights into the government’s strategic initiatives aimed at addressing Victoria’s pressing housing and planning challenges.

Prior to the Minister’s address, the audience was given the opportunity to hear from Natalie Reiter, Deputy Secretary, Strategy & Precincts, Department of Transport and Planning (DTP). Natalie highlighted the severe housing stress affecting Victorians. With families, older women, and many first home buyers struggling to find affordable housing, the competition for rental properties has intensified dramatically. Reiter emphasized the need for a collective vision to address these challenges, focusing on equity and ensuring that everyone has access to a home in areas close to essential services and infrastructure. She introduced Victoria’s new housing plan, built on the pillars of affordable housing and choice, equity and jobs, sustainable environments and climate action, and self-determination and caring for country.

Lexie Branda-Pawlaczyk, Team Leader, Cultural Heritage, Ecology and Heritage Partners

The central aspects of the plan were outlined, including setting housing targets for local governments to ensure every region contributes to the goal of building 2.24 million homes by 2050. The plan aims to turbocharge housing supply with a target of 800,000 homes over the next decade, ensuring these homes are high quality, sustainable, and situated in areas that promote thriving communities. Infrastructure investment is another key focus, aligning housing development with transport, schools, and essential services. Reiter emphasised the importance of industry collaboration, with ongoing consultations and industry roundtables playing a crucial role in shaping effective and innovative housing solutions.

A significant component of the plan is extensive community engagement, described as one of the largest programs ever undertaken by the government. This initiative seeks to gather input from Victorians across the state, ensuring the plan reflects their needs and aspirations. By focusing on equity, sustainability, and collaboration with industry experts, local governments, and communities, the plan aims to create a future where all Victorians have access to affordable, high-quality housing. Reiter’s presentation underscored that bold reforms are essential to build a resilient and thriving Victoria.

L>R The Hon Sonya Kilkenny MP, Oona Nicolson, Lexie Branda-Pawlaczyk and Mark Sheppard

Following Natalie’s address and valued question time, Mark Sheppard introduced Minister Kilkenny. The Minister highlighted several pivotal initiatives, emphasising the urgency of addressing the housing crisis and the need for bold reforms. She pointed out that necessitating a comprehensive and integrated approach to planning was imperative across the entire state of Victoria.

The Minister addressed the government’s housing statement released in September outlining ambitious targets to combat the housing affordability crisis, aiming to build 800,000 homes over the next decade. This plan emphasises quality and sustainability, the initiative seeks to foster thriving communities. Beyond Melbourne, a new plan for Victoria integrates statewide planning efforts, focusing on productive land use and community input.

Minister Kilkenny stressed collaboration with industry and community partners to achieve goals, welcoming innovative solutions. Recent decisions include project approvals and initiatives like the Development Facilitation Program for renewable energy projects. Streamlining approval processes aims to meet renewable energy targets efficiently. Community engagement, a central aspect of the plan, gathers diverse perspectives to shape Victoria’s future collectively. Through extensive outreach efforts, the government seeks to ensure the plan reflects the needs and aspirations of all Victorians.

Minister Kilkenny concluded her address by expressing her excitement for the future and her commitment to working closely with all stakeholders to achieve a reimagined and resilient Victoria. The event provided a valuable platform for discussing the government’s priorities and fostering collaboration among the various professionals involved in planning and development.

The Meet the Minister Event was, as always, a testament to the importance of dialogue and partnership in shaping the future of Victoria. The opportunity to hear directly from the Minister and to participate in the discussion is an important opportunity for all of us in the planning and environmental law sector. Ecology and Heritage Partners is proud to sponsor this event for VPELA once again, and we thank VPELA President, Mark Sheppard, the Minister for Planning, the Hon Sonya Kilkenny MP and Natalie Rieter, Deputy Secretary for making themselves available for the evening.

Lexie Branda-Pawlaczyk is a Team Leader at Ecology & Heritage Partners

More than 780 dove into our fabulous dinner under the sea paying homage to VPELA’s 35 year anniversary (35 is the coral anniversary if you were wondering what the tenuous link was!)

The surrounds and theming were stunning and ‘Bubble Man’ and our other roaming characters were great for photo opportunities and added to the excitement of the evening which whirled with old friends catching up, enjoyment and atmosphere. Unfortunately, we can’t award prizes to everyone who went to the trouble of dressing up, but it was really appreciated. As always, we had some truly standout guests representing their take on ‘Under the Sea’:

Table Costume Winners

Congratulations to Marshall Day Acoustics who once again nailed the brief with their “smack” of jellyfish. Their costumes never fail to impress and deliver on theme even if they are difficult to sit down for dinner in! They reclaimed their crown from last year’s winners Cogency who were also impressive this year. Both have set the table prize bar very high!

Individual Costume Winners

There were so many wonderful individual efforts from all under the deep blue sea. Congratulations the following winners.

Erica Walther, Extent Heritage

Amanda Roberts, LatStudios

Tim Retrot, ProUrban

Thanks again to our sponsors

Mia Zar, Tract Consultants (Jellyfish)

James Brownlie pictured with his WGA colleagues.

Jeremy Coyne, Ecology and Heritage Partners (centre)

Fi Cotter, NGH Consulting (centre)

Under the Sea Gala Dinner

Under the Sea Gala Dinner

Under the Sea Gala Dinner

Barber Lecture

Events Barber Lecture with Tim Ross

What a privilege it was to have celebrated comedian and passionate advocate for architecture and design, Tim Ross, present the 2024 Barber Lecture. Like many, I was first introduced to “Rosso” as half of the Merrick and Rosso show on Triple J in the early 2000’s and as a regular at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.

I indifferently observed him narrate an ABC documentary series titled Streets of Your Town in 2016 and it wasn’t until I heard him speak at an event in 2022 that his passion for architecture really struck a chord. The event was the opening of Rothe Lowman Architects new studio within the heritage listed BHP House at 140 William Street. Tim spoke passionately that evening about the importance of our buildings and the stories they tell us about our past. He had, at that time, recently released the first episode of his now award winning Designing a Legacy documentary series.

Tim’s credentials include being the recipient of the National Trust Heritage Award for Advocacy. Passionate and outspoken about Australia’s legacy of modernist architecture, he is also the Australian Institute of Architects National President’s Prize winner for activism and outstanding contribution to the architecture profession.

For these reasons, I suggested that VPELA approach Tim to present the 2024 Barber Lecture.

The VPELA Barber Lecture is one the signature events on the VPELA calendar. Originating back in 2014, the inaugural Peter Barber Lecture, which is named in honour of VPELA’s founding president, was established with the aim of providing access to outstanding speakers that members might not otherwise have the opportunity to hear. Past speakers have included John Faine and Jeff Kennett AM, former Justice of the High Court of Australia, Michael Kirby AC CMG, Canada’s preeminent town planner, Jennifer Keesmaat and most recently Dylan Alcott, AO, Gold Medallist, 2008 Paralympics.

Skilled in the art of public speaking, and very accustomed to humour, Tim’s stories on the night took us on a journey about Australia’s past; the iconic things that differentiate us and make us laugh at ourselves; but also what the architecture of the 1960’s and 70’s tells us about Australia’s search for an identity. Growing up in Mount Eliza, Tim told us that his fascination for modernist architecture originates from his time riding his BMX around the Ranelagh Estate which, designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin in 1924, is on the Victorian Heritage Register as an intact example of garden suburban planning. It is a subdivision influenced by progressive environmental and philosophical ideals.

His fascination led to him collecting mid-century modern (retro) furniture in his early 20’s until he eventually needed somewhere to put it all. In 2005 he materialised his passion and bought a 1950’s mid-century classic home in Sydney’s Hunter Hill. The house, known as Artherton House, has accommodated Tim as a bachelor in his 30’s, through marriage, and is now his family home with his wife and two children. Houses should, in Tim’s view, be capable of this evolution without significant intervention if we design them correctly.

Reflecting on Australia’s fascination to change and update things, which he says is symbolic of a “Bunnings” culture, Tim opined that our insecurities as a country mean that we have lost part of our history in a way that simply dose not occur in other parts of the world.

He referenced examples of this cultural insecurity noting that many buildings from our formative architectural years remain unprotected, unrecognised or have been demolished or altered beyond recognition. He recalled the bitter fight to retain the iconically brutalist Sirius Building in Sydney’s The Rocks District, and the unsatisfying outcome that eventuated in its retention, but transformation from public housing to multimillion-dollar private apartments.

Tim also referenced Australian architect John Andrews, who designed internationally famous buildings such as the CN Tower in Toronto and the Harvard School of Architecture building. Andrews is acknowledged as one of Australia’s first internationally recognised architects. He is credited in North America with every one of his buildings either being named after him or heritage listed. However, here in his home country, every one of his buildings has either been demolished or significantly altered. To that Tim asks, “What’s missing in our story, that means we as a country don’t respect what someone like that has done?”

These are thought provoking questions that Tim raises, and whilst his message was delivered with some humour, the passion was undeniable. He was highly engaging and listening to him in the surrounds of the magnificent State Library only elevated the sincerity of this key message – “our architecture is a reflection of who we are and that it plays a critical role in shaping our legacy.”

Tim McBride-Burgess is a Director at Contour Consultants.

Tim McBridge-Burgess, Director, Contour Consultants

Mark Sheppard, Tim McBride-Burgess, Tim Ross and Emily Porter

People Student Planner experience

Aliza Pfitzner

Planning

Assistant,

Cogency

Master of Urban Planning (University of Melbourne, Final Semester)

During my first year as a master’s student, I attended the Urban Collective’s Industry Night (University of Melbourne) and met Adam Terrill from Cogency. I was eager to gain some hands-on experience in the planning industry, and intrigued by Cogency’s approach of addressing the impacts of climate change. After a rigorous interview process, I was fortunate enough to obtain a position.

Now, I have been at Cogency for approximately 18 months. I have been involved in a diverse range of renewable energy and sustainable property projects across Australia, specifically in Victoria and Tasmania – learning the fundamentals of statutory and strategic planning while strengthening my research, report writing and QGIS skills. Working on Cogency’s renewable energy projects has provided the opportunity to be involved in community engagement processes and strategy development. Importantly, I have also learnt the significance of effective communication, while developing good working relationships with colleagues, clients and consultants.

I have developed a passion for environmental planning and creating more resilient, liveable and sustainable cities and communities. The experiences I have gained will help make the transition from university into the initial stages of my planning career less daunting, and I encourage students to take part in any form of work experience available to them. As I finish my studies, I hope to continue to learn from the knowledgeable and dynamic team at Cogency.

Dehao Kong

Student Planner, Urbis Master of Urban Planning / Master of Urban Design (University of Melbourne, Second Year)

Having known Urbis as a leading name in the planning industry, I did not hesitate to apply online for the Urbis Student Program in 2023. I began at the start of this year and have already been involved in a variety of tasks across a wide range of projects.

The experience has really shed light on the multidisciplinary nature of the planning practice. With Urbis, I have been shown how the theories of urban design can be central to the controls or outcomes sought through planning, while also being in an environment where urban designers and planners work together under one roof. My experience thus far has cemented my aspiration to work at the intersection of urban planning and urban design.

Exposure to real projects is invaluable as a student. Statutory planning can present itself as a complex and impenetrable subject. Having now had exposure to how real projects work, statutory planning is a far less daunting task. For me, the experience has augmented the

theoretical knowledge learnt at university, forming a more holistic and well-rounded understanding of the planning process in Victoria. Aside from the hands-on project work, I have also begun to build connections with experienced industry professionals. I have no doubt that the combination of these factors will be valuable to me when seeking full time employment in the future.

Felix Wilson

Undergraduate Engineer, onemilegrid Bachelor of Engineering / Commerce (Monash University, Fourth Year)

After contacting onemilegrid through its website, I applied for a role as an undergraduate engineer and, luckily, was successful. I have been working there for about 9 months and have really enjoyed my first taste of professional engineering work. It has been very rewarding to take the skills I have learnt at university and apply them to real world projects.

Like so many other civil engineering students, I had not even heard of traffic engineering before going to university. After taking my first traffic engineering subject, I realised my interest in transport infrastructure and the ways we can improve our road and public transport networks.My time at onemilegrid has allowed me to further explore this passion and a stream of engineering that I had not previously considered.

In the future, I see myself working in the transport and traffic engineering sector. My time at onemilegrid will be invaluable once I start working as a graduate engineer. I will have real world experience of what a traffic engineer does on a day-to-day basis, and I will be starting as a graduate engineer armed with a good foundation of knowledge.

Georgia

Collins

Student Planner, Human Habitats Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (RMIT University, Second Year)

I began my work experience with Human Habitats in 2022, in the middle of my architecture degree. I was introduced to Will Pearce (one of the Directors) by a family member, and I expressed my interest in urban planning – which was one of my electives at the time. The Human Habitats Director team offered me office placement to help me understand what an urban planner does for a living. A week turned into a month, which turned into almost two years. I decided to switch degrees after about a month at Human Habitats, with a newfound curiosity for understanding how our city and suburbs are developing (and a realisation that designing to comply with ResCode looks quite frustrating!).

…continues over page

Since then, I have been given the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects in a variety of locations. This experience spans across regional, growth and inner-city areas, including commercial, industrial and residential projects. Practical engagement in Victoria’s Planning System has cemented theoretical discussions at university and provided insight into contemporary planning processes. Undoubtedly, my experience at Human Habitats has reaffirmed my commitment to pursuing a career in urban planning, whilst also equipping me with skills and knowledge to do so.

Nashita Hossain

Student Planner, Urban Planning Collective (UPco) Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (RMIT University, Final Year)

Having grown up in Singapore, I have always had a passion for evolving cities. I had always loved Melbourne, which made me want to move here to study and embark on a journey in gaining practical experience beyond the confines of academia. Despite facing challenges as an international student in Melbourne, I was determined to seek a placement here and commence my professional career.

After receiving a credit exemption from RMIT for a placement program in Singapore, I was eager to gain further hands-on experience in Melbourne, which led me to a valuable opportunity with UPco. Over the past three months at UPco, I have transitioned my theoretical learning to real-world application, gaining invaluable insights into the intricacies of urban planning. This hands-on experience has not only prepared me for the future, but also strengthened the foundation for a

Advice which delivers economic, social and environmental outcomes

successful career in the industry. I am excited to keep thriving at UPco and continue learning every day.

Tom Lawless

Town Planner, Contour Consultants Australia Bachelor of Design (Urban Planning) (University of Melbourne, completed 2023)

I have been with Contour for almost 18 months now, first as a student and now full time. During my studies, I reached out to the Contour Directors. Whilst work placement is not built into the Melbourne University curriculum, I considered it an important step in my career. Many of the Contour Directors started as students and never left, so they embrace the value of placement.

With Contour, I have gained a deeper understanding of the statutory planning process – which was comparatively surface level at university. I have also had the opportunity to work on a variety of exciting projects across Melbourne. The Contour team has so much experience – we recently calculated that the Directors have over 200 years of consulting experience between them! We also have regular “lunch and learn” sessions and guest speakers that further build my understanding.

My placement has provided a significant base for my career, giving me clarity on my goals and direction. Considering the broad scope of planning, entering the workforce is the best way to understand potential career opportunities. I believe my transition from study to work has been smoother, and I am entering the workforce with a

As a leading environmental and planning consultancy, EMM assists clients to navigate and manage planning and environmental risks within the broader political and regulatory environments in which they operate.

greater sense of the role and wider industry. My experience at Contour gives me a sense of excitement to see where my future career will lead in the years ahead.

Tristan Layton

Law Graduate/Paralegal, Planning & Property Partners Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (ACAP)

I’m currently working at Planning & Property Partners (PPP) while I complete my studies. After I finished the Juris Doctor, I wanted to gain as much practical experience as possible during my PLT, and so started with PPP.

PPP is a multidisciplinary planning law and town planning firm, and the best thing I’ve gotten out of this role so far is the constant exposure to all the wonderful practitioners in the world of planning! I feel like I’ve developed a solid understanding of the day-to-day life of a planning lawyer, and my experience has proven that the best way for me to gain a better insight into the most prescient issues in our field is right at the coalface.

I hope to be able to practice as a planning lawyer after admission and, eventually, use this valuable experience to participate in the planning policymaking process.

Tyson Parsons

Planning Assistant, Urbis Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (Hons.) (RMIT University, Final Year)

I work as part of Urbis’ Planning Assistant team. The role is exceptionally broad, with a typical day incorporating ordering titles, preparing desktop planning advice, drafting reports, joining client meetings and everything in between. I ambitiously applied through Seek in early 2023 and have enjoyed continuing to evolve within my role during my final year of study.

The most valuable part of my time so far at Urbis has been the exposure to such an extensive breadth of projects. As a student planner, it’s beneficial to explore so many planning contexts and sectors as part of such a large team. It also helps shape where I’d like to head in my career. I was always interested in the unique challenges of growth area planning, an interest fostered by my experience at Urbis.

I would recommend a student placement in a consultancy for any emerging planner. In addition to developing the technical skills a planner needs, you’ll also build strong communication skills with all project stakeholders and gain a better appreciation of the property sector more broadly. Any experience puts you in a better place to gain employment after graduating – though I believe these additional benefits of being in a consultancy can place graduates in an even better position.

William Geary

Student Planner, City of Melbourne

Bachelor of Urban & Regional Planning (Hons.)

(RMIT University, Final Year)

I obtained my placement through RMIT, as my course requires at least 30 days of work experience in the final year of study. While there were a variety of opportunities in public and private organisations, I opted for a placement with local government to gain exposure to a variety of different people, situations and experience.

At MCC, I have been fortunate to complete assessments of many application types ranging from signage through to endorsing plans for multi-storey apartment buildings. I have also attended VCAT with MCC advocates, and now have a good understanding of the review process in Victoria. Working in the city also has many perks, including lunchtime walks in the summer sun and trying food and drink places I never knew existed.

My placement has provided hands-on experience with statutory planning and explained the role councils play in facilitating a variety of developments. It has provided useful insight at an early stage of my career in a sector known from my studies, but not in practice. Now having practical experience in the field, I am confident the placement will be beneficial when seeking full-time employment.

Bill Moran

Statutory Planner, Merri-bek City Council

Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning (Hons.) (RMIT University, Final Semester)

I recently completed work placement with Merri-bek and have been fortunate enough to have my contract extended. I applied for the position through RMIT’s placement program. With only two RMIT students engaged each year at Merri-bek, it was a competitive process. My application was initially knocked back, and I contacted the team to arrange some feedback. Fortunately, persistence paid off, and I was invited to an interview.

I approached the experience hoping to understand the nuances of the planning system’s implementation and enforcement – including accessibility for diverse demographics, tension and flexibility when administrating planning schemes, and even common issues with the expressions and ideologies that underpin planning policy and guidelines. Sharpening this understanding is clearly an ongoing goal, but my experience has provided me with a good framework for appreciating the nitty gritty of statutory planning. Beyond this, being in a supportive and innovative council has also helped me establish good work habits and ethics.

I now appreciate the importance of developing confidence in statutory planning early on. I feel secure in my ability to gain fulltime employment after graduating, and I’m determined to stay with local government for the next few years. I think that holding onto this enthusiasm will allow me to broaden my professional scope, while starting from a strong statutory foundation.

The Business Fragility of our road network

The Francis Scott Key Bridge

The tragedy of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, USA earlier this year was an internationally significant reminder of how quickly the fabric of our infrastructure can be thrown into turmoil. A seemingly innocuous power outage and lack of safe bridge pier infrastructure took innocent lives and has caused what has been labelled by the Governor of Maryland as a “global crisis” for the 30th largest city in the US.

Reflecting upon the tragic circumstances and fallout of destruction, my mind wandered toward how this would affect motorists, commuters and workers. The bridge was indeed the primary link along the Baltimore Beltway (Interstate 695) that connected southern Maryland through to eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

Broadly, the closure of the Port of Baltimore was estimated to cost $1.7B in supply chain disruptions. For the bridge itself, a loss of $53.7m or 8% of the state government’s yearly toll revenue is expected, estimating to blow out to $500m over the next 10 years.

According to Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s public traffic count data, the bridge carries an average of 42,000 vehicles per weekday. That is just as much traffic as Punt Road gets in a day. Think about any time you’ve commuted along Punt Road in peak hour. All that traffic now has to cross over with the rest of the traffic that already goes over what would be the equivalent of the Bolte Bridge and the West Gate Bridge.

For the foreseeable future, and at least the next two or three years, all bridge traffic is being detoured through the Fort McHenry Tunnel (Interstate 95) (80k+ vehicles per day) and the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Throughway (Interstate 895) (125k+ vehicles per day). Not only is this a minimum 8km detour from the shortest route, but traffic would also be joining what is undoubtedly an already heavily congested network.

For vehicles carrying hazardous materials, they aren’t allowed to travel through the tunnel. They are being diverted around the entire city of Baltimore along the Beltway (200k+ vehicles per day). A 25km detour.

James Aloi, Senior Traffic Engineer, WGA

Current Baltimore Road Network Detours

This would be like starting in Yarraville trying to get to Chadstone unable to go through the Burnley Tunnel, being redirected north across the Bolte Bridge along CityLink, turning off at Bell Street, Coburg, continuing east through Preston, then Heidelberg, then Doncaster, continuing onto Tram Road, then Station Street, through Box Hill, doglegging through Ashwood then finally, arriving at Chadstone.

With warnings of traffic delays extending through to the state of Virginia, the border of which is 60km south-west of Baltimore and AFTER Washington DC, it’s abundantly clear that the effects of the bridge collapse will be felt for many gruelling hours, every single day, for multiple years.

It raises the question. What would happen if a similar, potentially unavoidable disaster were to occur in Melbourne? Is our infrastructure well equipped enough to deal with such a sudden disturbance? Well, our primary backup for our most significant road infrastructure is actually currently being built, the West Gate Tunnel

Whilst significantly behind and certainly not below budget, it’s actually a secretly important secondary connection between the West Gate and Bolte bridges if the bridges were to be out of action. The tunnel could (but not ideally) carry detoured traffic.

Just think about the carnage that the annual Christmas and New Years West Gate Bridge works cause. Even with one or two lanes

open, that would be Melbourne’s new normal. Not to mention, that chaos is during significantly quieter periods on the road network. Try adding non-school holiday peak hour traffic to that mess!

Could we also put North East Link in this same category? That is also a significant highway connection that, when built, will finish the muchneeded Ring Road loop (something which Baltimore had actually achieved). And what about the Suburban Rail Loop or Metro Tunnel? What kind of road pressures will that alleviate on the road network, if any?

How far do we go? And at what point to we just concede and say, no matter what happens, our road infrastructure has failed to actually operate well under normal circumstances. At what point do we say travel behaviour needs to drastically change in order to improve conditions, rather than chase our tail and shift traffic congestion away from where the iron is striking hottest?

The fact of the matter is, reducing private vehicle dependency would improve the operating conditions of our road network under BOTH normal and disaster scenarios. Given Melbourne’s propensity to keep upgrading existing road infrastructure to seemingly no effect, causing permanent disruptions through constant construction traffic management conditions, why is the focus not on reducing existing demand? This would ALSO improve our ability to shift on a dime should anything substantial occur.

West Gate Tunnel Project Scope Map (Source: Victoria’s Big Build)

Investment should be diverted into better, cheaper, more reliable and quicker public transport. Instead of additional lanes, invest in safer onroad active transport facilities, additional footpaths, trails and active transport links. Support higher-density development around these areas. Give Melbournians an excuse to not use their cars. Support and encourage Melbournians to walk or ride to work.

Killing two birds with one stone makes the most logical sense. Reduce simultaneous construction and traffic management, reduce the number of vehicles on the road and support a more sustainable future.

So, what is our city’s Disaster Plan? Well...we are existing within a disaster. We should be facing our current disaster that is our road network. Why create more unnecessary road space? Why give people an excuse to keep using their cars?

Plan Melbourne talks about a state population of 10 million by 2051. Ten million more trips per day (80% more than at 2017). Unfortunately, I don’t think it matters how much we build. We’ll be forever chasing our tails unless we start acting on the source and create a new normal so that we can help our future.

James Aloi is a Senior Traffic Engineer at WGA.

Time to Renew

Membership Subscriptions 2024/2025 Renewal

Your membership subscription invoice for 2024/2025 will be emailed to you on 1st July. Please look out for it or if you do not receive it check you Spam/Clutter Folder! If you still can’t locate it, please email info@vpela.org.au for a copy.

Empowering Progress, Respecting Nature: Engineering Designs for Sustainable Growth

• TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

• EXPERT EVIDENCE

• WASTE ENGINEERING & PLANNING

• STRUCTURES

• INFRASTRUCTURE

• ROAD DESIGN

• MASTERPLANNING

• GEOTECHNICAL

• TEMPORARY WORKS

• TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Flinders Street Overcrowding (Source: Herald Sun)

The Business Proposed updates to Transport Impact Assessments

The Transport for New South Wales has issued a draft update to the Guide to Transport Impact Assessments for industry consultation, proposed to supersede the 22 year old guide document.

For some context, the current guide was prepared in 2002 and is utilised across Australia, to estimate vehicle trip generation and car parking rates for proposed developments. It is referenced in the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management Part 12 as the most comprehensive Australian reference for traffic generation rates. As such, the guide is commonly used in most states including Victoria to estimate traffic generation and impacts as part of traffic impact assessments and town planning applications.

Since 2002, significant changes have occurred in transportation ‘best practice’, including shifts in general travel behaviour, population demographics and typical working trends. In the traffic, transport and planning industry, this is a major opportunity to overhaul how developments are assessed from a transport perspective to help create liveable, walkable, and sustainable developments.

Some of the key changes proposed include a shift from parking minimums to reference parking rates, a shift to multimodal assessments from private vehicle centric assessments, and in-depth guidance on managing travel demand and estimating person/trip generation.

Similarly, in Victoria we have recently seen a proposal (not made available to the public) by the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) to remove minimum car parking rates in areas with a medium to high PTAL (Public Transport Accessibility Level), and the introduction of maximum car parking rates as shown in the figure below.

Minimum spaces:

• 0.5 spaces per 1 bedroom dwelling

• 1 space per 2+ bedroom dwelling

• 1 visitor space per 10 dwellings

Maximum spaces:

• 1.5 spaces per 1 bed dwelling

• 3 spaces per 2+ bedroom dwelling

• 1 visitor space per five dwellings

No minimum spaces requited.

Maximum spaces:

• 1 space per 1 bed dwelling

• 2 spaces per 2+ bed dwelling

• 1 visitor space per 10 dwellings.

No minimum spaces required.

Maximum spaces:

• 1 space per 1 bed dwelling

• 2 spaces per 2 bedroom dwelling

• 1 visitor space per 10 dwellings

Julian Rickard, Traffic Engineer, WGA

The changes in both states will hopefully remove ‘red tape’ and costs for developers and purchasers alike, and enable sustainable and appropriate development in our Australian cities. A car parking space is estimated to cost up to $50,000 for a residential apartment – not to mention the astronomical costs of unnecessary intersection upgrades that can be associated with developments. Furthermore, at-grade spaces contribute to urban sprawl and increase reliance on private vehicles. The proposed changes are, generally, in line with a growing movement away from car centric design internationally, allowing for greater choice in housing and increased walkability.

As a traffic engineer, I see the proposed changes across New South Wales and Victoria as a step in the right direction. Including assessments of all modes of transport for development marks a significant shift away from private vehicle reliance.

Historically, car parking and transport provisions have sparked controversy in communities and Councils alike. I for one am excited to see how the proposals evolve and hope the planning authorities hold strong to the inevitable push back.

Julian Rickard is a Traffic Engineer at WGA.

Department

Low PTAL

Places A view of Geelong

In 2023, Biosis celebrated a major milestone; reaching 40 years since the establishment of the business. Initially called ‘Biosis Research’, the company had just three employees on inception in 1983 and was among the first ecological consultancies in Australia. In 1995, cultural heritage was added to the expertise of the business through the acquisition of du Cros and Associates, and in 2013 Biosis employed its first environmental planner.

Today, Biosis has around 150 employees based in nine offices in Victoria and New South Wales, and continues to add to its diverse experience across disciplines in botany, zoology, historic and cultural heritage, environmental approvals and geographical information systems (GIS). With the recent announcement that Biosis has joined APEM Group, there are plans for more growth into the future.

Beyond our offices in Port Melbourne and Sydney, Biosis continues a strong commitment to working in regional areas. In Victoria this includes offices in Ballarat, Wangaratta, and Albury/Wodonga. Our project work has taken our consultants to all parts of the state; from Mallacoota to Portland, from the Murray River to the banks of the Barwon and Maribyrnong Rivers right here in Geelong, from where I write this.

Just as Biosis has seen changes over the years, so has the development within Geelong. From the final demise of the old Cement Works towers at Fyansford and silos at the end of Autumn Street; the consecutive developments of the mighty Geelong Cats’ fortress at Kardinia Park; the rather monolithic redevelopment of the former Bay City Plaza (now Westfield); to the worthy mention of the muchcelebrated night-scene of Little Malop Street. These landmarks, along with the images of the suburban streets of my town as I once knew them, are reflections that things are continuing to change and adapt to the popularity and opportunity of the region.

In November last year, I was delighted to welcome attendees at the VPELA Geelong Networking Drinks held at Sailor’s Rest; an event Biosis was privileged to sponsor as part of our ongoing relationship

with VPELA. The event was a picturesque evening and relaxed time to catch-up with our Pivotonian constituents, many whom could boast they live near where they work; the lucky ones who need not have to catch a V/line train or drive back ‘up the highway’ to Melbourne afterwards. For myself, a recently returned Geelong local, it has been exciting to hear more from young professionals enjoying both working and living in Geelong, including along the Surf Coast and wider Bellarine regions.

Having spent several years living in Melbourne enduring the various steel rings of the city’s COVID lockdowns and diminishing space in a modestly sized apartment, it was certainly time for a change of scenery. Through the height of Geelong’s property demand in late 2021, my partner and I joined the ‘Melbourne hordes’ (as more than one Realtor described it), and looked for a place to call our home. The move coincided with my involvement in cultural heritage approvals and compliance requirements for the Geelong Railway Line Duplication project from South Geelong to Waurn Ponds. Assisting on this project has provided a unique opportunity to watch this major bit of infrastructure develop over the past two years. The duplication of the railway and various station upgrades are unlikely to have been missed by many Geelong locals, given the limited number of road connections permitting access across the rail line between South Geelong, the CBD and North Geelong. Unfortunately, modern development doesn’t come without a little inconvenience for locals before the job is done!

As an Archaeologist and Heritage Advisor with specific experience in cultural heritage work, and my own personal interest in local histories, since returning to Geelong I have keenly noticed the growing awareness and incorporation of First Nations’ acknowledgement and collaboration as part of Geelong’s community. This has been most pointed in the construction of Geelong Council’s Wurriki Nyal Civic Precinct, including the relocation of a standing scarred tree within the front gardens and promenade. ‘Wurriki Nyal’, means ‘Speak and Talk Together’.

Kim White, Heritage Team Leader, Biosis

L.> R Marcus Koora, Traffix Group, Jake Heth, Niche Planning and Chris Cawkwell, Spiire

L.> R Claire Bickerstaff, Stantec, Mark Marsden, Transect Planning, Sallly Conway, Conway Planning and Rodger Eade, Planning Panels Victoria

As part of the duplication project mentioned earlier, you can now see prominent artwork adorning the new rail bridge over the Surf Coast Highway, and I had the pleasure of working collaboratively with some of the Wadawurrung artists who contributed to the work during recent cultural heritage assessments in the region. Within the community also, I appreciated the acknowledgment of Country provided ahead of my local Park Run at Eastern Gardens; these are each indications of an increasingly culturally aware and educated community. There is an emphasis on implementing shared community and appreciating the region’s land, while recognising the need for Geelong to be future focused and anticipating the growth of the region in the following years and decades.

Having talked with many of my peers through VPELA and other industry events in Geelong, there are undoubtedly persistent themes and questions that have, and will continue to, dominate Geelong and the Bellarine’s future development. Public transit, housing, tourism, identity, community, investment and sustainability; to name but a few. And working collaboratively has often been touted as the responsibility of us (the practitioners working and living in Geelong) to help guide the town’s future growth.

In this current era of growth Biosis is excited to announce the opening of a new Geelong office, combining expertise from across our disciplines we anticipate our staff’s presence in central Geelong will encourage further collaboration with our clients and key stakeholders within the region. We see great opportunities to attract talent from the region to

further support our team’s high-quality assessments in historic and cultural heritage, biodiversity and environmental approvals.

I look forward to what this new future has in store for Biosis Geelong! I also want to express a thank-you to VPELA members across the board, particularly Anna Aughterson, Mia Zar, Grace Hamilton and Grant Logan for their introductions and welcoming myself and colleagues into the Geelong network over the course of local events.

Kim White is a Heritage Team Leader at Biosis.

Enabling our communities to thrive

Our planning and environment team has market-leading expertise across a broad range of industry areas, including property development, transport, construction, energy, waste and recycling and social infrastructure. We act for State government, local Councils, statutory authorities and the private sector. Our full service firm enables you, your projects and your communities to thrive.

Meg Lee – Partner

M +61 404 070 549

meg.lee@hallandwilcox.com.au

Natalie Bannister – Partner M +61 409 418 259

natalie.bannister@hallandwilcox.com.au

Stan Kondilios – Partner

M +61 416 121 961

stan.kondilios@hallandwilcox.com.au

Rory O’Connor – Partner M +61 400 436 175 rory.oconnor@hallandwilcox.com.au

Brendan Tobin – Partner M +61 404 095 563 brendan.tobin@hallandwilcox.com.au

L>R: Genevieve Schiesser, Ashley O’Sullivan, Kim White, Clare McCutcheon, Jane Kenny

Places Planners are “On The Move” …but not to regional Victoria

As someone who works and lives in regional Victoria, I am a big advocate for establishing and sustaining a career outside of Melbourne.

I sometimes feel that Melbourne’s location as the general physical centre of Victoria resembles the sun – everything rotates around it with the gravity most strong at the core... the closer you are to Melbourne the harder it is to leave!

In the job market, our regional cities feel Melbourne’s pull, with those closest able to leverage the pool of available workers with much more ease than those further afield. The job vacancies within the peri-urban areas and closer regional cities who share convenient travel time to Melbourne are often filled with relative effortlessness. Whilst the jobs in the further out regional towns and cities remain vacant for extended periods of time. It got me thinking, is the pull of Melbourne so great that it outweighs fantastic job opportunities outside of the ring of steel?

However, even with a hybrid work model, businesses requiring in person attendance that are located further than a two hour commute from Melbourne struggle to capture the appeal of candidates.

The distance is a very real barrier for those who are not interested in a lengthy commute – leaving the only realistic option being to move regionally or inter-regionally. In this instance, you can’t simply step away from Melbourne’s pull but rather you have to take a running leap and hope that you have somewhere to land. In the middle of a housing crisis, this is of course much easier said than done, raising the question of which do you try to secure first – a job or somewhere to live? This chicken and egg scenario subsequently fosters indecision, leaving potential applicants hesitant to even respond to the advert at all.

The next hurdle at attracting qualified and experienced candidates outside of Melbourne is the renumeration packages – particularly for positions in Local Government. We all know that Council’s are beholden to their EBAs and rates caps, however if you cannot offer a financial incentive to draw people toward the position you end up going head to head with employers who offer a comparable rate with significantly more convenience.

When we look at Town Planning as an industry, the work naturally covers the whole state providing a wide offering for planners to choose from. Stepping outside of the metro area, our regional cities are some of the fastest growing in the country providing opportunities to work on both greenfield and brownfield developments, urban renewal projects and everything in between. Our regions themselves offer opportunities to work on projects with competing environmental constraints, complex land use planning questions, tourism projects, renewable energy projects and again, everything else that keeps our state “on the move” as our license plates would suggest.

The pandemic lockdowns showed us that we no longer need to spend hours every day stuck in traffic on the M1 or squeezed like sardines on a tram into the city. As an industry, we gained the flexibility and trust to work remotely. In turn, this has opened up the ability for more people to consider living and working in regional areas which previously may not have been feasible due to the accumulation of travel time.

So it leads me to consider – how do we get people out of the city and into the country?

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have the answers to the conundrums raised above, but what if we thought outside of the box to try and build stronger connections between metro and regional Victoria?

What if we spent more time exploring our own state rather than racing off to worldly cities at the first opportunity?

What if there was a Local Government exchange program that let planners spend 6 months living and working regionally?

What if we reframed our perspective to embrace the lifestyle and opportunities a career in regional Victoria has to offer, rather than viewing it through the lens of a burdensome commute?

At the end of the day, we must acknowledge that regional Victoria supports Melbourne, whether it be through the food that is grown, the water catchments that are managed, the freight networks which are maintained, the energy it produces or the tourism offerings it sustains.

I pose this question – why as an industry we are so hesitant to take the leap out of Melbourne’s gravitational pull and to pay it back to regional Victoria by supporting the communities and projects which need town planners to keep the whole of our state on the move?

Chloe Moorcroft is an Associate Planner at Context Planning.

Chloe Moorcroft, Associate Planner, Context Planning

Castlemaine

Places What do Vespasian, Queen Anne and Robin Boyd have in common?

In the fast-paced world of TikTok, where trends come and go in the blink of an eye, one period is making waves: the Roman Empire.

Used in a sentence: “____ is my Roman Empire.” It might sound like a relic from the past, conjuring up images of gladiators, emperors, or aqueducts. However, in the world of TikTok, the ‘Roman Empire’ takes on a different meaning – a concept, figurehead, or event that many of us find ourselves thinking about more often than we would expect.

I was introduced to Melbourne’s built environment and heritage when I was still in kindergarten. My grandad, a Brit, would take me around South Melbourne, Carlton, and Fitzroy during his holidays here, pointing out the intricate iron-laced details of the terraces and cottages scattered throughout the suburbs. Grandad’s key message to me was clear: all buildings have stories, and we are the custodians responsible for passing down these tales for years to come.

As I have grown older, the idea that “all buildings have stories” has struck a chord with me. As Melbourne has evolved, so have its streetscapes. Moldered ornaments have been swapped for timber

cladding, and astro-turfed yards sit next to concrete gardens (both, ironically with garden hoses in the front setback), each change adds a new chapter to Melbourne’s ever-growing narrative.

As I wander through the streets of Melbourne today, the legacy of those childhood tours with Grandad linger. From the splintered weatherboards and ornate facades to the architecturally fascinating modern additions and developments, the unique character of each building tells a story. Some stories are more poignant than others, but all are worth sharing.

In many ways, my fascination with Melbourne’s streetscapes is my Roman Empire. Just as TikTok users are drawn to their own obsessions, I find myself captivated by the buildings that define my city’s landscape.

So, I open the conversation to you, dear reader. What is your Roman Empire?

Romy Fanarof is a Strategic Planner at the City of Port Phillip.

Romy Fanarof, Strategic Planner, City of Port Phillip

Boyd House Walsh Street

The Business Mind your Manners

E-tiquette in the email world

Last year, a colleague brought the case of Amirbeaggi (Trustee), in the matter Billiau (Bankrupt) v Billiau [2023] FedCFamC2G 949 to our team’s attention. The case addressed an apparent deterioration in the standard of conduct before the Court, particularly concerning the formality required in communications with the Court. Specifically, the decision highlighted issues with a law clerk’s email to the Judge’s Chambers, which was deemed inappropriate and lacking the necessary formality. For example, the use of ‘Kind regards’ was called out as informal and inappropriate.

Whilst directed at the solemnity expected in correspondence between practitioners and the Court, the principles in the case regarding professional etiquette and conduct arguably have a broader applicability for all authors of correspondence in professional environments. These days, emails are the cornerstone of professional communication. Whether you’re reaching out to colleagues, clients, or other consultants on a project, it’s clear that exhibiting proper email etiquette can make a significant difference in how your message is perceived. But it’s not always a straightforward exercise. How do we know when formal is too formal? What if you’re trying to cultivate professional rapport, or simply don’t want to sound like a robot? Common sense would say context is key, and one should always take a second to read the virtual room before putting fingers to keys. That being said, see below for a few pointers which will (hopefully) strike the right balance:

Professional Salutations

From the beginning – Start off with a polite salutation. If you have an established relationship with the person on the other side of the email, but the overall vibe is leaning towards more formal, “Dear [First Name],” can be appropriate.

In more formal situations or simply when in doubt use “Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name],” or “Dear [Professional Title].”

If the relationship is more casual or if you are addressing a group, “Hello,” or “Hi,” followed by the recipient’s name or “all” can work too.

Finally, “Hey [First Name]” would be an internal and informal email 99% of the time in my opinion (and even then, very much a judgment call).

Professional Tone

Tone is a notoriously tricky genie to bottle. All I can really offer as a general rule is to be courteous and considerate. It’s also important to read over your email to ensure the tone is appropriate and that it conveys respect and professionalism. Unfortunately, emails lack the nuance of face-to-face communication, so choose your words carefully to avoid misunderstandings.

Legal practitioners would also be aware that the professional conduct rules require solicitors to be courteous in all dealings in the course of legal practice.

Grammar and Spelling

ALWAYS double-check your email for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. In a professional context, these mistakes can detract from the message you’re trying to convey.

Signature

Conclude with a polite sign-off, such as “Kind regards,” or “Best regards,” followed by your name.

If you’re corresponding with a Court of Tribunal, an elevation to the more formal “Yours faithfully” or “Yours sincerely” is recommended.

In the most informal of communications (again, I would say in 99% of cases internally with close colleagues) a simple “Cheers” could suffice. But as always, cue the caution control and if in doubt, you’ll never go wrong with opting for a more formal approach.

Review Before Sending

Finally, before you launch that email into the digital abyss, give it a good once-over. Ask yourself: ‘Is this going to the right Dave?’ A quick pause for a proofread could save you hours of forehead-slapping and groaning over an email that had more mixed signals than a confused kangaroo at a crosswalk.

Dani Davidovits is a Lawyer at MinterEllison.

Dani Davidovits, Lawyer, MinterEllison

The Business A sincere note on email valedictions, with my best and warmest regards

The way we sign off email correspondence should be personal and carry meaning. This is usually done with a ‘valediction’.

Below is a guide to some common (and less common) valedictions:

Kind regards

Regards

Many thanks

Thanks in advance

Tom Morrison, Lawyer, Planning & Property Partners

A rigorous analysis (brief perusal) of Victorian planning correspondence (my inbox) indicates that this is the most common valediction. It is pedestrian, it is vanilla, and it is safe. Plus, it never hurts to be kind.

The same rigorous analysis has kind regards’ edgier sibling coming in second for frequency of use. It excitingly leaves the reader to infer what regards your correspondence ought to be received with.

The boring, English version of grazie mille. I think we should adopt the literal translation and convert this valediction to a thousand thanks. We work in planning, and we wouldn’t accept plans with a setback showing ‘many’ metres, so why should we accept a nebulous quantity of thanks?

You will do the thing I am asking you to do.

Yours faithfully Best saved for formal correspondence.

Yours sincerely Best saved for formal correspondence from the last century.

Cheers

Respectfully

An email from a drinking buddy, whose mind has already turned to thoughts of Friday afternoon.

You have likely said something in the body of the email which could be construed as (or you intended to be) insulting. This is an excellent way to remind the recipient that any insult should be tempered by a healthy dose of respect. It’s the email equivalent of “No offence, but [insert insulting statement here]”.

Yours truly Begs the question of whether emails you send with alternative valedictions are not true.

Looking forward to hearing from you

You are either: a) not looking forward to hearing from this person; or b) passive aggressively reminding this person that you ought to have heard from them some time ago and expect to hear from them promptly.

Tom Morrison is a lawyer at Planning & Property Partners (PPP)

The Business Victoria’s housing targets

An interview with John Cicero Special Counsel, Best Hooper

As we have all heard consistently in the press, on LinkedIn, in VCAT hearings and in all planning reports lodged in support of new housing projects of late, the Victorian government has promised to deliver 800,000 new homes over the next decade. The key question, from a planning law perspective, is whether such a target is realistic and whether our planning system (and legislation) is poised to support such an outcome.

In a candid interview led by Chris Boocock and Eli Morrison of Best Hooper Lawyers, John Cicero (who has practiced for nearly 50 years, during three recessions, a change in the format of planning schemes and introduction of the Planning and Environment Act 1987) has answered questions on the role of the Victorian planning system in reaching these housing targets and what reforms might be considered to support this next generation of housing, applications and developers.

Background

The 2024-25 Federal Budget papers acknowledge that Australia’s housing system has, historically, been unable to adequately respond to the increasing housing demand, that Australia’s level of housing supply is low by international standards and a lack of supply is increasingly making it harder for people to buy and rent.

Planning and zoning restrictions were identified as one of the key constraints on housing supply, with delays in planning assessment timelines noted as one of the main factors increasing cost and uncertainty for developers, who are meant to be delivering these 800,000 homes. Victoria and New South Wales have the longest average approval wait times.

What this report and the media headlines seem to suggest is that our planning system is failing to support realisation of the housing targets. For anyone who worked in planning during and immediately following COVID, it is difficult to see how a system which was so supercharged prior to and during that period, is now failing to deliver. The focus of media and online frustration appears to be with “planning” specifically, which is being used as a scapegoat for a myriad of issues impacting supply.

The genesis of the dilemma

We sat down with John to gain insight as to whether there was a particular point in time where the planning system, in his view, began to fail to achieve its overarching objective, being to support the fair, orderly and economic use and development of land.

In considering this question, John commented as follows:

“In 1999, to a performance-based system which created a lot of uncertainty, a lot of room for debate, a conjecture and speculation, which caused the pendulum to swing too far away from a defined set of rules upon which decisions could be made to a more subjective system with shades of grey. We are now looking to swing that pendulum back, which is why we are talking about codification of the Rescode Standards because we have created this system which is so dependent upon the subjective opinions of decision makers.”

Reconsidering the housing standards

When pressed for specific examples of reforms which, in John’s view, has led to the current housing affordability (and therefore supply) issues, he commented that the introduction of the Better Apartments Design Standards (BADS) and mandatory requirements in respect to environmentally sustainable design (ESD) have resulted in delivery of a housing product which is unaffordable for a significant portion of the population.

Specifically, John’s view is that minimum apartment sizes, mandatory balconies, requirements that buildings achieve a minimum 7-star energy efficiency rating (together with other planning requirements) cumulatively result in a product which is expensive to get approved (i.e. through consultant costs and with the scope of consideration being so broad), to build and ultimately to purchase.

John considers that a fundamental shift in thinking is necessary to tackle the housing crisis, commenting that:

“We need to accept that some people might be prepared to compromise on amenity to have a place of their own… Applying the same standard of amenity irrespective of personal choice and circumstance is a luxury we can no longer afford.”

When pressed on what comprising on amenity looked like, John stated that:

“The fundamental failing of our current system is that we have a one-size-fits-all approach to apartment development and “regrettably, from a financial perspective, one size does not fit all. We have to fix the issue by revisiting standards like BADS, Clause 55 and questioning whether we can truly afford to mandate standards – like cross-ventilation for every living room, a balcony for every apartment, etc.”

John noted that over the course of the last ten years in particular, there has been a large number of “major” projects he has worked on (i.e. 30 – 300 apartment plus proposals) where matters of detail, mandated by objective “one size fits all” outcomes in the planning scheme, have resulted in refusal of proposals which might otherwise now be delivering accommodation options to a large number of Victorians. Moreover, he commented that the changes to the planning schemes have stifled innovative, creative architectural outcomes, creating a system whereby architectural excellence is merely based on the external presentation of a building or firm name, rather than

Eli Morrison, Lawyer, Best Hooper

Eliza Minney, Principal, Best Hooper

Chris Boocock, Senior Associate, Best Hooper

internal design innovation or progressive living outcomes.

The Housing Statement and affordable housing

In John’s view, “planning is now a luxury that only an affluent society can afford with our current approach putting housing beyond the reach of a significant portion of the population.”

Despite the introduction last year of the Development Facilitation pathway and direct to Minister application process for projects of a particular economic value or which deliver a particular housing outcome, John’s view is that there was a fundamental oversight in failing to appropriately define what constitutes “affordable housing”. Until such time as the term is defined, measurable and flexible in its integration into a development proposal, the provisions, whilst commendable in their intent, in his view have limited true impact.

A need for reform and the way forward John was pressed on solutions – what are the options moving forward and what can the planning system do to achieve the housing targets. His recommendations are as follows:

1. Introduce dual occupancy housing ‘as of right’ into the planning scheme, provided a proposal meets a set of codified standards. Such a change would stimulate development by providing a relatively certain means of entry for a range of investors into property development.

2. Full codification of the Rescode standards and removal of neighbourhood character considerations from those

standards. In circumstances where a municipal council considers a particular area to be of character significance, it should apply a Neighbourhood Character Overlay to that area which will guide development separate from the ResCode pathway.

3. Removal of third-party appeal rights in circumstances where a proposal meets all codified standards. In circumstances where a proposal seeks a variation to the standards, any third party appeal rights are to be confined to the extent of the variation sought. Such a change would provide greater certainty in outcomes and reduce the burden on developers to justify all aspects of a proposal.

4. Streamline post planning permit approvals, namely the endorsement of plans pursuant to permit condition. One option of achieving this is to provide for the private certification of plans, easing the burden on municipal councils which are already vastly under-resourced.

5. Introduce review rights for rezoning proposals to an independent body. At present, the Planning and Environment Act only allows a planning scheme amendment to progress if it receives the support of the relevant municipal council. Such decisions often can become political and if a landowner can appropriately and strategically justify a particular rezoning outcome, it ought be afforded an opportunity to have it considered independently, without receiving a “no” with no further right of recourse, as the current system operates.

BEST HOOPER’S NEXT GENERATION PLANNING TEAM

Best Hooper continues to be recognised as a leading town planning and development firm in Victoria with five practice areas servicing the entire development lifecycle.

Each member of the Best Hooper Planning Team have extensive experience advising and appearing at VCAT, Planning Panels Victoria, the Supreme Court, the Magistrates Court, the Building Appeals Board and Heritage Council.

Romy Davidov PARTNER

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6. Introduce a general right of review in respect of any decision by a public authority such as Melbourne Water. It is imperative that public authorities are made more accountable for both delay in decision making, refusal of approvals and change in position.

7. Considering of Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) becoming referral authorities under the Planning Scheme, rather than having a separate process and act that can add significant time and delay (in some circumstances) to a project. By giving RAPs referral authority status, it allows permit applicants to seek a review of any decision and provides certainty in terms of timeframes and pathways for an outcome on those decisions, if necessary.

In concluding, John commented that:

“Fundamental structural change to our planning system is required. The time to act is now. For too long, we have lived too comfortably, where cost of living has not been an issue at the forefront of our minds, and the planning system has catered to an affluent society. We’re no longer affluent. The gap between the haves and have-nots is widening, and the planning system needs to help bridge that gap, not perpetuate it.”

Action is required and we remain hopeful that, in the face of mounting societal pressure, our industry can adapt and do its part to support the housing needs of Victorians.

VPELA SBC (Small Business Collective)

VPELA’s SBC meets quarterly and aims to bring small business members together to broaden their networks within the VPELA community and stay connected throughout the year and at VPELA events.

Agendas for these sessions will include industry updates, small business issues and initiatives, and informal discussion and support for these matters. Click on the link for more details and how to join https://www.vpela.org.au/eventsinformation/small-business-collective

Capable.

The Business Can Neighbourhood Character be a force for good in today’s housing crisis?

Housing supply is not keeping pace with demand and housing affordability is dramatically worsening as a result. The median house price in Melbourne of $941,698 (2024) far exceeds what the median household (with an income of $100,000 per year) can realistically afford. In the past year, an undersupply of rental properties has seen rents increase in excess of 30% in some markets. To address the housing shortage, the State Government has a bold target to deliver 800,000 new dwellings in Victoria over the next decade (or 80,000 per year), as outlined in Victoria’s Housing Statement (2023).

Against a backdrop of significant underlying demand for new housing, Victoria’s residential sector has slowed as increased construction and borrowing costs have made it difficult for developers to feasibly deliver dwellings that meet the middle of the market. These feasibility issues are most acute in the apartment sector.

This financial year, approximately 45,600 new dwelling approvals are anticipated to be recorded in Victoria, down 12% on the previous year. This is a far cry from the expected delivery of 80,000 new dwellings forecast by the State Government. New apartment approvals are anticipated to be 35% below the previous year (ABS, 2024).

This reinforces that there is not only a shortage of completed dwellings available, but also a shortage of dwellings planned to meet ongoing demand for housing. The market is currently unable to effectively respond to increased demand which will further worsen housing affordability. This emphasises the need for contemporary problem solving to inform proactive planning solutions.

The direct link between planning regulations and housing supply is well established. Outside of external factors including significant international migration, rising interest rates, land prices and construction costs, today’s housing shortage reflects the challenge to align planning policy with emerging housing objectives. The status quo planning policy needs to be overhauled to address housing undersupply.

Historically the focus of housing supply in Victoria has been on increasing the density of the Melbourne CBD, select activity centres and the new communities in greenfield areas. The effect of this is an underdevelopment of Melbourne’s middle urban areas that are generally well serviced by transport and community infrastructure. This has been accentuated by a legacy of restrictive density controls enabled by State Government and Councils through policy application.

Reinvention of the form of our city, especially in the ‘Missing Middle’, is essential to accommodate the 8 million people forecast in 2050 by Plan Melbourne (Department of Transport and Planning, 2017).

The current application of Neighbourhood Character

Neighbourhood Character Assessments are used to identify existing and preferred Neighbourhood Character in residential areas. They contribute to policy and controls that outline how new development should respond and contribute to identified characteristics.

Evie Davidson, Senior Urbanist – Planning, Ethos Urban

The application of Neighbourhood Character at the municipal level is too often used to limit rather than support housing growth. Opportunities to better understand how established residential areas can accommodate housing growth to meet projected population growth are overlooked. The translation of character objectives and design guidelines into development provisions in planning schemes enables the status quo to continue, thereby constraining the delivery of increased density housing.

Importantly, Neighbourhood Character is not a static concept. This is made clear by Planning Practice Note 90 which stipulates that Neighbourhood Character should be ‘dynamic’ and ‘evolve’ over time to meet contemporary housing needs (Department of Transport and Planning, 2023).

The State Government’s recent announcement on the introduction of numerical housing targets for Local Government Areas provides Councils with an ideal opportunity to refresh the current approach to Neighborhood Character. The current political environment points to Councils needing to unlock significant supply and deliver more dwellings in their local government areas. The threat of the ‘state seizing planning control’ from local decision makers as reported in (The Age, April 2024) can be seen as an opportunity for change.

Neighbourhood Character as a source for good

Despite the historical emphasis on protecting existing urban form, Neighbourhood Character has significant potential to be used as a mechanism to unlock under-utilised residential land. Neighbourhood Character can make a material and positive contribution to housing delivery.

Increased density in the ‘Missing Middle’ can be achieved in balance with neighborhood character. This requires an integrated assessment of housing capacity, which effectively balances State Government capacity targets, local demand, and the maximum potential capacity of residential areas to absorb this demand. Neighbourhood Character

Studies need to be undertaken and delivered in tandem with effective Housing Strategies and Capacity Studies to sustainably direct housing growth and development. This is what Planning Practice Note 90 intends but is too often not the case in practice.

Neighbourhood Character controls need to be appropriately balanced against housing priorities. In a housing crisis, the need for additional housing must have primacy over the preference for certain character traits to be retained. In other words, Neighbourhood Character must evolve to ensure housing needs are met. In refining their Residential Development Frameworks, Councils first need to understand anticipated dwelling demand – which at its simplest level, is outlined by Victoria in Future 2023. Future housing targets set by the State at municipal level would also need to be understood.

Next, housing capacity modelling based on realistic development outcomes needs to be undertaken. This must be informed by analysis of product types that can actually be delivered in various locations based on market characteristics and recent development trends.

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This is opposed to an assessment of theoretical dwelling yield based only on planning controls like maximum building heights and setbacks.

Neighbourhood Character Assessments can then be completed, and design guidelines implemented with the outcomes of the Capacity Studies reflected. This will deliver controls that are stress-tested against realistic housing capacity outcomes and enable the delivery of identified dwelling demand.

This change in emphasis and direction is not radical. It simply represents a retooling of the existing application of Neighborhood Character, reframed to better respond to housing priorities. Expert practitioners in the Neighborhood Character field are perfectly qualified and prepared to deliver these studies. The task for the industry is to proactively engage and support local decision makers to balance the challenges of housing supply and Neighbourhood Character.

Evie Davidson is a Senior Urbanist – Planning at Ethos Urban

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HH wants to expand with you

Human Habitats is delighted to announce we have expanded to regional Victoria with a new office opened in the heart of Wangaratta. Human

Human Habitats has grown. We now have offices in Wangaratta and Brisbane. Get in touch with our experienced team to discuss your project.

For eleven years now Human Habitats has designed and planned places people want to live; a philosophy driven by a passion for urbanism, and one that follows the best of precedents set by our most loved villages, towns, and cities.

For over a decade Human Habitats has designed and planned places people want to live; a philosophy driven by a passion for urbanism, and one that follows the best of precedents set by our most loved villages, towns, and cities.

At Human Habitats we believe that influencing how people interact with the natural and built environment is of critical importance to the success and sustainability of our cities.

At Human Habitats we believe that influencing how people interact with the natural and built environment is of critical importance to the success and sustainability of our cities. Our team of Town planners,

Our team of Town Planners, Urban Designers, and Landscape Architects strategise and advocate for our clients. We give the best advice to shape a project’s vision, and we put commercial objectives of the client at the forefront of every project.

We constantly seek out opportunities to collaborate with the best and the brightest with the goal to ensure that project decisions are viable and approvable. Please get in touch!

The Business

Can the real Suburban Loop please stand up?

In any band – the superstar always stands out from the supporting cast. The same can be said for past, current and emerging iterations of Melbourne’s principal planning strategies, typically anchored by a sparkling fixed-rail project as the frontperson to our ballad of housing densification. Metro Tunnel Project is to Plan Melbourne what Mick Jagger is to the Stones, while Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) is Victoria’s Big Build’s answer to Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac. But what about the undercelebrated role players? Ever heard of John Deacon (bassist to Freddie Mercury’s Queen)?

Our tram network has and continues to play a role in housing density. It forms a key criterion in the Future Homes scheme, while also anchoring several of the 10 Activity Centres announced for an additional 60,000 homes in the recent Housing Statement for Victoria. While our tram corridors have experienced densification (perhaps not to the levels envisioned by DoT’s Transforming Australian Cities, 2009), and present ongoing opportunities – capacity is also constrained by factors including fine-grained subdivision patterns and the presence of heritage fabric. While not as glamorous as the big-ticket underground rail projects – trams have enjoyed a front-of-stage presence as the band’s rhythm guitarist.

However, to back of stage of this Density Aid Concert is a humble bassist whose amplifier isn’t plugged in. I am of course referring to our bus network – often forgotten in the quest for housing.

Buses in Melbourne have been long maligned due to issues in frequency, reliability, circuitous routing and congestion issues. In a recent story on ABC’s 7.30 Report ‘Why do so few people catch buses in Melbourne?’ Norman Hermant reported that flights between Melbourne and Sydney are at times more frequent than Melbourne’s

James Kelly, Associate Urban Design, Hansen Partnership

bus service. They are however the only public transport option in many parts of sprawling Melbourne of which risk growing increasingly car dependant in lieu of investment in mid-tier transport options.

However, as we prepare for our next iteration of principal planning strategy – A Plan for Victoria, there is opportunity to crank the volume on this network via an integrated planning, transport and public realm approach. One example comes to mind. Traversing Metropolitan & Major Activity Centres such as Sunshine, Heidelberg, Box Hill and Mentone – you would be forgiven for thinking I’m talking about SRL. But I’m talking about our existing Suburban Loop – the 903 Smart Bus.

Recently celebrating its 15th birthday, this looping service that runs along arterial roads between Altona and Mentone, forms a middle-ring loop and presents key opportunity to play an important supporting role to our fixed-rail focused density ambitions. Figure 1 illustrates its interchanges with existing and planned rail services, as well as Neighbourhood, Major and Metropolitan Activity Centres that it passes through or those within walking distance (800m).

What is also highlighted is a relatively continuous application of the General Residential Zone (GRZ). While this presents upzoning opportunities integrated with an enhanced transit corridor, it also highlights the risk in missing the boat. Under the current zoning regime, the subdivision pattern continues to fragment with smallscaled unit and townhouse subdivision. While these modest contributions to housing supply are positive – they will emerge as challenges in the future when it’s time for these corridors to carry the housing baton via consolidation for more meaningful typologies through upzoning for greater intensity.

Key to the success of integrating density with a mid-tier transit option is improving frequency, reliability and direct trip making along these corridors. Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) is not a new concept and has seen success internationally in Ottawa, Curitiba and Bogota. Looking locally, the City of Sterling in Perth are currently trialling ‘trackless trams’ – tram vehicles running on rubber tyres guided by a digital rail with sensors built into the road surface. These provide dedicated lanes, frequent service, direct trip making, interchangeability and integrated development opportunities.

Low cost and shorter-term initiatives such as this, relative to the $200b+ SRL project (to build and operate to 2084, Parliamentary Budget Office), would require some reshaping of the streetscape cross section of roads they traverse to minimise conflict with vehicle congestion (see transit-oriented street typologies in NSW Movement & Place Strategy). However, they present a key opportunity to reactivate Melbourne’s middle via mid-tier transport densification, and reawaken the sleepy NACs and lower order MACs it traverses from their slumber of car dependence.

The 903 Smart Bus is one example of many corridors with potential for greater transport and housing density uplift. But we should act soon in plugging in our humble bassist as a key role player in this Transit Oriented Development (TOD) ensemble.

James Kelly is Associate Urban Design at Hansen Partnership

Legal identities

Planning applications are often made to Councils with the permit applicant listed as either an individual or a company. In practice, little thought is normally given to the applicant name as typically this is just a means of addressing correspondence, permits after all ordinarily running with the land to which they relate.

In Calderon v Nillumbik SC [2024] VCAT 164, the Tribunal had reason to consider the correct identity of the objector applicant for review. While principally concerned with the identity of the objector, the Tribunal commented:

However, for completeness I note that councils regularly accept applications for permits from non-legal entities such as business names of firms rather than company names. These too are nonlegal entities and thus could not file permit applications. Greater scrutiny of the legal identity of all those participating in the planning process by council obviates downstream complications.

Hew Gerrard, Senior Associate, Glossop Town Planning

This serves as a reminder to all that only legal entities can lodge planning applications and participate in the planning process and non-legal entities cannot apply for planning permits or object to applications.

Challenge to Booth

Khadem v Hume CC (Corrected) [2024] VCAT 61 concerned the use and development of a place of worship in the Green Wedge Zone. The permit applicant relied on the decision of the Tribunal in Booth v Strathbogie [2023] VCAT 782 that matters of bushfire and particularly Clause 13.02 were not a relevant consideration. The Tribunal declined to follow the approach of Booth stating in part:

While it is a planning scheme provision that establishes whether or not a planning permit is required for a use and or developmentthe power to grant planning permission rests in the Planning and Environment Act 1987(Vic) (‘PE Ac’) as set out under the scheme

for permit applications and decision making process of Part 4 of the PE Act. The PE Act directs that before deciding on a permit application a responsibility authority must consider not only the relevant planning scheme but a range of other matters under section 60(1) of the PE Act. These matters include the objectives of planning and any significant effect that the responsible authority considers the environment may have on the use or development the subject of the application or the effect that use or development may have on the environment.

In my view, given the land falls within a designated (or declared) BPA and considering the operation of clause 71.02, this is sufficient to conclude that this policy applies to this land.

Eaves and Standard B20

Standard B17 allows for the encroachment of certain items including eaves into the setback profile by up to 0.5 metres. Standard B20, however, provides for no such allowances. In Little v Darebin CC [2024] VCAT 394 an objector applicant argued that this meant that a building’s eaves also needed to be within the Standard B20 profile for the standard to be considered met. The Tribunal disagreed stating:

I do not accept Mr Little’s submission that a proper reading of the text and diagrams in the ResCode Standard B20 (north-facing windows) requires the factoring-in of the requirement that any relevant eaves forming part of the proposed dwellings must stay within the ‘dotted lines’, in a way that makes this aspect of the proposal non-compliant with Standard B20. If the draftpersons of Standard B20 wished to take the approach that the far edge of any eaves must be the measuring point for whether or not a proposed new development complies with the ‘dotted line’ shown in the Standard B20 diagram, such draftpersons could have very easily said so in the relevant text in Standard B20, but this did not occur. Furthermore, I find that where Standard B17 does expressly require any eaves to be disregarded, it makes sense to do likewise with Standard B20. Whilst I say this more as a passing comment, I also note that Mr Little’s interpretation of Standard B20 is the opposite to my understanding of ‘standard industry practice’ with how Standard B20 is applied.

The logic is clear, but the question arises does this also apply to the requirement of Standards B19 and B27 to provide a minimum dimension of 1 metre “clear to the sky”?

Hew Gerrard is a Senior Associate at Glossop Town Planning

The State Library needs your help!

It’s collection of Melbourne survey maps is a missing piece in the story of Melbourne’s development. They give an account of streetscapes, civic spaces and social development from a pivotal time in our city’s history.

The maps are in archive, waiting to be conserved, catalogued and digitised. The thousands of tissue-thin handmade drawings are deteriorating and we risk losing this history forever if they are not preserved and digitised soon. They are a treasure trove of history with value for researchers, families and students alike. The Library needs to raise $160,000 before June 30 so that they can start work on conserving the oldest and most fragile volumes. Get involved and help preserve the history for all by donating here

Welcome to our new members…

Jesse Cowie Holding Redlich

Kim Dovan Cogency

Antony Duffill Echelon Planning

Casey Guilmartin White & Case

Camilla Hamilton Cogency

Ben Hawkins Dartmouth Consulting

Olivia Johnson Holding Redlich

Marlena Kennedy proUrban

Kubra Koch URPS

Dehao Kong Urbis

Michelle Lam White & Case

Wing Chung Li Student

Philip Lin Student

Nabeela Maricar White & Case

Natasha Maugueret Maddocks

Alice McColl proUrban

Sophie McGuinness City of Kingston

Gabby McMillan Terralogic

Riley McRae proUrban

Leah Misiurka

The Tim Biles Project Luckthika Noyel Nerio Urbis

Paraskevi (Vivian) Papageorgiou Norton Rose Fulbright

Jayden Reynolds Cogency

Emily Russell KLM Spatial

M G Rajindra Samarasekara Whiteman Property & Associates

Anna Vodola

Dennis Family Corporation

Michelle Wang Echelon Planning

Xuewen Yang Student

Oscar Yencken

Hansen Partnership

Wenxuan Zhao Student

Anshu Agarwal ACRD

VPELA – A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION

Established in 1989, the Association holds regular seminars, social events and a conference annually. It also reviews legislation, provides high level advice to Government and makes submissions to all aspects of land use planning. If you have any questions or are interested in joining the Association, contact Anna Aughterson, Executive Officer – admin@vpela.org.au