Rezoning ‘anomaly’

The City of Melbourne proposes to rezone a small residential part of Southbank, which it says remained outside of the wider Capital City Zone by mistake.

The area, bounded by Coventry, Dodds, Miles and Sturt streets, is currently zoned Residential Zone 1. 

However, the council says this was an error which occurred during the processing of Planning Scheme Amendment C171.

“The existing Residential 1 Zone, which currently applies to these properties, does not allow for the changes envisioned for this area in the MSS and in the Southbank Structure Plan 2010,” a council report says.

“The Capital City Zone is the most appropriate zone to deliver on the aims of the Structure Plan and is consistent with the existing zoning context in the vicinity of the subject land.”

The report containing the recommendation to the Future Melbourne Committee meeting of June 3 is in response to the State Government’s proposed implementation of new residential zones. The committee supported the recommendation.

The affected properties are at 110-120 Dodds St and 211-241 Sturt St.  The rezoning will allow a broader mix of uses and remove third party appeal rights.

In its report, the council recommends multiple changes to residential areas surrounding the city but ignores areas already zoned Capital City Zone.

Online feedback received by the council on its Southbank recommendation included:

“The change to the zone has no point and is thus not supported. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” from the Southbank Gardens Owners Corporation;

“Lorraine” said the low-rise nature of the affected apartments was the reason she bought there, adding her concern that the new zoning would remove constraints on development;

Kristoff Lajoie did not oppose the rezoning but said future development should respond to the character of the area, should be low-rise and should be used as public space or uses that enhanced the arts precinct; and

Ann Clark said the proposed re-zoning was: “Inappropriate given that there already is too much traffic and too many high-rise buildings in the area and this will increase congestion, especially in City Rd.”

The council reports show that the Southbank Residents Group was not notified of the change and that advertisements were placed in the Weekly Review Moonee Valley, the Weekly Review Melbourne Times, the Weekly Review City and the Stonnington Leader newspapers.  The Southbank Local News was not contacted.