By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
RESIDENTS say the council’s proposed housing strategy fails to bar medium and high-rise development in Dandenong’s quiet residential streets.
Over the past year, residents had petitioned against the breadth of the council’s Residential Growth Zone, which covers 11 per cent of the municipality and allows for high-rises as tall as 13.5 metres in desirable streets such as Macpherson Street and Grace Avenue.
In its proposed strategy, the council has not shrunk the four square kilometre zone, which includes an area that bounds Putney Street, Dandenong Creek, Clow Street and Foster Street.
Instead it has broken down the zone – as well as residential zones in Noble Park and Springvale – into red, yellow and green zones.
The most developer-friendly is the green zone, five minutes’ walk from the CBD, which allows for apartments and townhouses of up to four storeys.
Macpherson Street and Grace Avenue fall in the outlying red zone – 15 minutes’ walk from the CBD – which limits developments to up to two storeys.
Councillor Matthew Kirwan said he’d prefer the red zone taken out of the Residential Growth Zone completely.
He said it “won’t be possible” to build two-storey apartments in the predominantly single-storey streets, if zoned in the stricter General Residential Zone.
“Neighbourhood character is taken account of in the General Residential Zone, not a Residential Growth Zone.”
The council’s approach was contrary to residents’ “not unreasonable” desire to shrink what “may be the largest Residential Growth Zone of any municipality”, he said.
“Putting apartments in the very centre of these activity centres – not a 10-15 minute walk away – is how you can encourage apartments in the very centres of Dandenong, Noble Park and Springvale.
“It makes them come alive, at the same time protecting family streets from overdevelopment.
“The data analysis that was published last year by the council said that the size of our Residential Growth Zone is inhibiting apartment development applications in the very centre of the … zone.”
Resident and petitioner Melinda Puglisi said the strategy’s focus on housing design – with no mention of the Residential Growth Zone – suggested the council was “sweeping the issue under the carpet”.
“They promised us a zones review but this is not what we are getting.”
The council’s city planning director Jody Bosman told a council meeting this month the council’s approach was “more refined” than a simple rezoning.
“We are now talking about changes in built form height.
“How that ultimately translates into zonings or changes of zoning will be part of the next step.”
He said the Residential 1 zone – now known as the General Residential Zone – could still accommodate two-storey apartments.
“There is nothing under the Residential 1 Zone that would have precluded them.
“In fact they could have been even of a higher scale than two storeys under the Residential 1 Zone.”
Public information sessions will be held by the council in Noble Park and Springvale tomorrow and Dandenong on Thursday.
Public online and written submissions are open until 10 July. Details: greaterdandenong.com/residentialplanningzones
