By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Developers may still apply for towers up to 15 storeys despite a preferred six-storey height limit in Noble Park’s CBD, according to City of Greater Dandenong.
City planning director Jody Bosman told a council meeting on 8 August that the preferred height limit set in a proposed planning Amendment C224gdan could be “more on application”.
He said developers could still apply for buildings of up to 10, 12 or 15 storeys, but their chances of success were “diminished”.
“I’d be very surprised to see any of the sort happen at VCAT.
“The gazettal of this planning scheme amendment will give Council a much better chance of being successful in having these applications refused at (the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal).”
Mr Bosman said without C224, developers had a “far greater chance” of having 15-storeys approved at VCAT.
This was due to Noble Park being a designated ‘major activity centre’ without any height controls at all.
Under C224, the preferred heights are up to six storeys on ‘key redevelopment sites’ more than 2000 square metres.
The seven sites include a potential “landmark” gateway development at the Coles site, the Noble Manor site in Frank Street, MiCare Aged Care in Noble Street, and Noble Park RSL.
Other sites are VicTrack land opposite the railway station at 51A-57A Douglas Street, 35-49 Buckley Street and 4-14 Leonard Avenue.
Recently, alarm bells rang over a controversial six-storey apartment tower with a shortfall of 76 car spaces proposed on the VicTrack land in Douglas Street.
Up to five storeys will be preferred on smaller ‘key redevelopment sites’ and either up to four or five storeys on other sites.
The limits had been set in the council’s Noble Park structure plan. After community feedback, proposed eight-storey height limits were reduced to six, Mr Bosman noted.
Mr Bosman said the state’s planning department and the Planning Minister would not approve mandatory height limits, only preferred heights.
He noted that two-storey preferred height limits had been “highly successful” in keeping development heights down in general residential zones 1 and 2.
Mr Bosman said the amendment enshrined the preferred height limit in Greater Dandenong’s planning scheme.
“We believe it’s a crucial element in keeping the height limits down in the activity centre.”
Public submissions will open on C224. The council will request the Planning Minister to appoint an independent Planning Panel to hear the submissions.
Approval will then be up to the Planning Minister.
