Reformed Rural Zones for Victoria MAV Rural and Regional Planning Forum 8 November 2013

1. Reformed Rural Zones for VictoriaMAV Rural and Regional Planning Forum8 November 2013 Paul Buxton Project Director, Statutory Systems Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure

2. Residential, commercial, rural and industrial zone amendments • On 1 July 2013, Amendment V8 inserted the three new residential zones of the Residential Growth Zone, General Residential Zone and Neighbourhood Residential Zone into the Victoria Planning Provisions (VPP). • Councils now have until July 2014 to initiate amendments to their planning schemes to convert residential land in their municipality to these zones. Many councils have already begun this work, such as Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Bayside, Greater Geelong, Moreland, Stonnington and Whitehorse. • On 15 July 2013, Amendment VC100 amended the Mixed Use, Township and Low Density Residential Zones and deleted the existing five Business Zones and schedules from the VPP and individual planning schemes. Two new commercial zones were inserted into their place, with Business 1 and 2 zone schedules amalgamated into the Commercial 1 Zone and inserted into individual rural planning schemes only. • On 15 July 2013, Amendment VC100 amended the Industrial 1, Industrial 2 and Industrial 3 Zones in the VPP and individual planning schemes and amended or inserted schedules for these zones into individual planning schemes. • In July and August 2013, the Ministerial Direction on the Form and Content of Planning Schemes was amended with new schedule templates. • On 22 August 2013, Amendment VC104 inserted transitional provisions into the residential zones. • On 5 September 2013, Amendment VC103 amended the Farming, Rural Activity, Rural Conservation, Green Wedge, Green Wedge A and Rural Living Zones in the VPP and individual planning schemes and amended the schedule to the RCZ.

3. Aims and Snapshot of Rural Zones • The six existing rural zones and related provisions were amended through Amendment VC103 • Reformed rural zones aim to: • better respond to present-day requirements to better support agricultural and farming activity, allow more tourism related uses, remove permit requirements and support population retention to sustain rural communities • The six existing rural zones were amended through Amendment VC103 • Related provisions such as clauses 57, 62 and 74 were also amended

4. Farming Zone Key features: • a new purpose statement promoting the retention of employment and population to support existing rural communities • reducing the restrictions for alterations and extensions to dwellings and farm buildings • removing the requirement for a mandatory section 173 agreement which restricts future subdivision after an initial subdivision is approved • making less uses prohibited and more uses discretionary including some accommodation, retail and commercial uses • removing the prohibition on group accommodation, landscape gardening supplies, market, trade supplies, warehouse and primary and secondary schools • increasing the threshold for persons that can be accommodated in a bed and breakfast from six to 10 without a permit • removing the in conjunction conditions which restrict uses such as group accommodation, residential hotel and restaurant • removing other conditions which restrict uses such as group accommodation, place of assembly, store and transfer station • removing permit requirements for uses such as primary produce sales, rural industry and rural store • the schedule template to the Farming Zone and those included in individual planning schemes have not been amended

5. Rural Activity Zone Key features: • reducing the restrictions for alterations and extensions to dwellings and farm buildings • removing the requirement for a mandatory section 173 agreement which restricts future subdivision after an initial subdivision is approved • removing the prohibition on backpacker’s lodge, camping and caravan park, group accommodation, hotel, host farm, landscape gardening supplies, manufacturing sales, restaurant, residential hotel, trade supplies and tavern uses • increasing the threshold for persons that can be accommodated in a bed and breakfast from six to 10 without a permit • removing permit requirements for uses such as rural industry and rural store • the schedule template to the Rural Activity Zone and those included in individual planning schemes have not been amended

6. Rural Conservation Zone Key features: • reducing the restrictions for alterations and extensions to dwellings and farm buildings • removing the requirement for a mandatory section 173 agreement which restricts future subdivision after an initial subdivision is approved • making less uses prohibited and more uses discretionary including some accommodation, retail and commercial uses • removing the prohibition on primary and secondary schools • increasing the threshold for persons that can be accommodated in a bed and breakfast from six to 10 without a permit • removing in conjunction with conditions for uses such as group accommodation, residential hotel and restaurant • removing other conditions which restrict uses such as freezing and cool storage, group accommodation, residential hotel and restaurant • retaining the prohibition on leisure and recreation uses (other than informal outdoor recreation) • the schedule template to the Rural Conservation Zone and those included in individual planning schemes have been amended

7. Green Wedge Zone Key features: • a new purpose statement to provide for the use of land for agriculture • making many agricultural uses exempt from a permit requirement • removing permit requirements for other uses such as primary produce sales and rural store • removing the prohibition on primary and secondary schools • removing the prohibition on place of assembly and including an associated condition • removing the requirement for a mandatory  section 173 agreement which restricts future subdivision after an initial subdivision is approved • increasing the threshold for persons that can be accommodated in a bed and breakfast from six to 10 without a permit • retaining in conjunction and other related conditions for function centre, group accommodation, research and development centre, research centre, residential building, residential hotel and restaurant • including additional decision guidelines for primary and secondary schools. • the schedule template to the Green Wedge Zone and those included in individual planning schemes have not been amended

8. Green Wedge A Zone Key features: • a new purpose statement to provide for the use of land for agriculture • making many agricultural uses exempt from a permit requirement • removing the prohibition on primary and secondary schools and market • removing the requirement for a mandatory section 173 agreement which restricts future subdivision after an initial subdivision is approved • increasing the threshold for persons that can be accommodated in a bed and breakfast from six to 10 without a permit • retaining in conjunction and other related conditions for function centre, group accommodation, research centre, residential building and restaurant • removing permit requirements for other uses such as primary produce sales and rural store • including additional decision guidelines for primary and secondary schools • the schedule template to the Green Wedge A Zone and those included in individual planning schemes have not been amended

9. Rural Living Zone Key features: • removing the requirement for a mandatory section 173 agreement which restricts future subdivision • reducing the restrictions for alterations and extensions to dwellings and farm buildings • reducing the minimum lot size for subdivision and construction of a single dwelling from eight hectares to two hectares • increasing the threshold for persons that can be accommodated in a bed and breakfast from six to 10 without a permit • the schedule template to the Rural Living Zone and those included in individual planning schemes have not been amended

10. Consultation and Advisory Committee • The proposed Reformed Zones were made available for public comment in mid July 2012 for 10 weeks until 28 September 2012 • Over 2000 submissions were received and summarised by the Department, with 1233 submissions specifically to the rural zones • All submissions were provided to, and considered by, the Advisory Committee • The Committee provided their Report to the Minister for Planning in late February 2013 • The Committee broadly endorsed the Government’s approach to the reformed zones with 23 recommendations • Government supported 10 recommendations in full, 8 recommendations in part and didn’t accept 5 recommendations as detailed in a Government response in August 2013

11. Advisory Committee Reports & Further Information • For the reformed residential, commercial, industrial and rural zones, details of the: • Advisory Committee’s Reports and recommendations • Government responses to the Committee Reports • fact sheet: reformed residential zones – updated July 2013 • fact sheet: reformed commercial zones - updated July 2013 • fact sheet: reformed industrial zones - updated July 2013 • fact sheet: reformed rural zones - updated August 2013can be viewed at: http://www.dpcd.vic.gov.au/reformedzones • The zones gazetted through Amendments V8, VC100, VC103 and VC104 can be viewed at: http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/vpps/ • For any further Departmental queries please contact Paul Buxton on 96584698 or Eric Lo Bianco on 99471231 or email: planning.systems@dpcd.vic.gov.au