Amendment C271yara

Visit the project page and stay up to date with Amendment C271

Yarra City Council is proposing to introduce permanent built form and design requirements for the Major and Neighbourhood Activity Centres of Fitzroy and Collingwood through 12 Design and Development Overlay Schedules (DDOs).

The 12 proposed DDOs aim to provide a balanced approach, guiding different levels of potential development across Fitzroy and Collingwood activity centres, commercial and mix-use zoned properties.

The draft Amendment aims to ensure that new buildings and developments are more sensitive towards heritage buildings and minimise the impact on both residential and public spaces including:

  • backyards
  • footpaths
  • parks
  • and expanded street corners

Letters have been sent to all affected owners and occupiers within the project area and nearby properties.

What area does this project cover?

The map below shows the extent of each overlay area and contains full copies of all proposed documents for you to review. The documents are also available by clicking the button below the map.

A hard copy of the draft Amendment C271yara documentation can also be viewed on weekdays from 8.30am to 5pm at:

  • Planning Counter, Richmond Town Hall, 333 Bridge Road Richmond VIC 3121
  • Fitzroy Library, Fitzroy Town Hall, 128 Moor Street Fitzroy VIC 3065
To view map on a mobile device use this link open in new window

All exhibition documents for Amendment C271

Includes background and supporting documents, information booklets, amendment documents, proposed DDOs, amendment ordinances, and mapping changes.

What has happened so far?

  • Timeline item 1 - complete

    Community feedback - stage 1

    5 September to 3 October 2022

    We ran a consultation seeking community feedback on the proposed Fitzroy and Collingwood Planning Controls and received over 560 submissions.

    In response to the feedback we received, some heights, setbacks and mandatory vs preferred requirements have been refined. You can learn more about the consultation and its outcomes here.

  • Timeline item 2 - complete

    Preparing the amendment

    October/November 2022

    We reviewed the feedback received and prepared the proposed permanent controls, in the form of Amendment C271 to the Yarra Planning Scheme.

  • Timeline item 3 - complete

    Seeking authorisation for the amendment

    December 2022

    Councillors reviewed the proposed permanent controls at a Council Meeting on 6 December 2022. At this meeting, Councillors resolved to formally seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning to proceed with the amendment process. For a full report please see the Council Meeting agenda.

  • Timeline item 4 - complete

    The Minister for Planning provides conditional consent

    July 2024

    The Minister for Planning provided conditional consent on Tuesday 2 July 2024, allowing Council to exhibit the draft Amendment in line with the standing advisory committee process. You can read the Minister's letter of conditional consent here.

  • Timeline item 5 - complete

    Public exhibition of Amendment C271

    Monday 18 November 2024 to Monday 24 February 2025

    Now is your opportunity to help us shape the future of Fitzroy and Collingwood by providing a submission on Amendment C271yara as part of the planning scheme amendment process.

  • Timeline item 6 - active

    Council to consider the amendment

    Later in 2025

    Following submissions from the community, Council will consider them and decide whether or not to submit the amendment and submissions to an independent public hearing where all views would be heard and considered. The panel or committee conducting the hearing would release a report with recommendations.

  • Timeline item 7 - incomplete

    Independent hearings

    Second half of 2025

  • Timeline item 8 - incomplete

    Council consider the final amendment

    Council will consider the recommendations from the hearing report and form a final position on the amendment. Council would then request the Minister for Planning to make a decision on the amendment.

Learn more about the process, project and planning controls

The planning scheme amendment process

A planning scheme is a statutory document which sets out how land can be used and developed. It also sets out how land is to be protected and conserved. It includes policies, zones, overlays and other provisions to achieve its objectives.

In accordance with section 6 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 the planning scheme:

  • Must seek to further the objectives of planning in Victoria within the area covered by the scheme.
  • Must contain a Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS).
  • May make any provision which relates to the use, development, protection or conservation of any land in the area.

Planning Schemes in Victoria all have the same structure and include:

  • Maps which show the zones and overlays that affect the land.
  • An ordinance which sets outs the written requirements of a scheme.
  • Incorporated documents.

Each municipality has its own planning scheme and the local policies distinguish one planning scheme from another. See a copy of the Yarra Planning Scheme.

An amendment makes changes to the planning scheme. An amendment may be required to implement a new strategy or plan, to update local policies, to correct a mistake or rezone land, among other things.

There are six steps in the process to consider an amendment. This project is currently at stage 2, 'Notice and Exhibition'.

Types of planning controls that will be introduced?

Amendment C271yara will apply planning controls to the Major and Neighbourhood Activity Centres of Fitzroy and Collingwood. These will include:

  • Overall building height

    How tall a development can be.

  • Street wall height and upper-level setbacks

    Street wall height: the vertical distance between the top of the street wall and the footpath.

    Upper level setback: the reduction in the building area or tapering of a building as the building height increases.

  • Overshadowing and solar access requirements

    Restrictions on new developments from blocking natural light reaching a neighbouring property or secluded outdoor space.

  • Commercial interface design

    A set of requirements for new developments which can include how far apart a new development needs to be from an existing property.

Project background

Before 2021, there were limited planning controls in place to guide development in Fitzroy and Collingwood. There were no area-wide controls on building heights or setbacks from the street.

That is why Yarra has prepared 12 Design and Development Overlays (DDOs) for these areas.

An all-inclusive approach was taken to guide potential development across the 12 different areas in Fitzroy and Collingwood. Creating the DDOs for each of these areas at the same time, allowed us to consider the similarities and differences between each activity centre, and make sure the DDOs are consistent.

As part of this work, we have also made the following changes:

  • deleted redundant DDO Schedules 10 and 13.
  • deleted redundant DDO2 mapping.
  • applied two new permanent Heritage Overlays to the Gasometer Hotel and Victoria Parade.
  • rezoned several properties in the project area.

We have also provided further guidance in the local policy about the types of development the Yarra Planning Scheme Amendment is aiming to achieve, which includes objectives and guidelines for each activity centre (these can be viewed in full as part of the Amendment Ordinances in the exhibition documents).

What is currently in place

At the moment, there are temporary requirements (seven interim DDOs) that apply to the area. Unless extended, these temporary requirements will expire on 30 June 2025.

Currently, the following seven interim DDOs apply:

You can find all approved amendment documentation regarding the interim DDOs on the Department of Transport and Planning's website at the following links; C270yara and C288yara.

The permanent requirements that are proposed in Amendment C271yara would replace these interim DDOs.