Structure planning

What is a structure plan?

A structure plan is a set of guidelines — a recipe — for developing an area carefully as a great place to live, work and visit. It considers things like sustainability, land use, the scale, height and shape of buildings, the character and heritage of a neighbourhood, transport and parking, and open space.

A structure plan is a long-term plan that guides decisions about future development on private and public property. Structure plans can address a broad range of issues including land use, development, housing, employment, heritage, transport, parking, community infrastructure such as open space, and infrastructure provision.

Structure plans help us protect what we care about as our population grows. People have different expectations today of how they want to live than in previous decades. For example, we need housing that lets the elderly live at home longer, homes that allow workers to live closer to where they work, space for families to raise children and options close to universities for students.

Because the Victorian Government sets the agenda when it comes to planning for population growth, our structure plans balance our shared vision for the community with the government’s requirements to manage growth across Melbourne.

We use public surveys and feedback, independent expert advice and rigorous assessments in the decision-making for a structure plan so we achieve this balance. Our declaration of a climate emergency and commitment to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions also influences the ways we plan for growth.

Structure plans require planning scheme amendments

When a new structure plan is approved by Council, we need to reflect it in the planning scheme through a ‘planning scheme amendment’.

There are some key things to know about planning scheme amendments. First, they are required by law — specifically, they must be submitted to the Minister for Planning, but before the Minister can approve them a very strict set of steps has to be followed.

For example, planning scheme amendments must go through a further formal exhibition phase which provides the opportunity for the community to comment on the planning controls stemming from the structure plan. You will see these advertised in newspapers and on our website. They are also listed by the Victorian Government for ‘exhibition’.

How is your voice heard in this planning?

Our structure planning gives a voice to the community. Structure plans take time to develop, and we actively engage with you and all members of the local community in a variety of ways. It’s a conversation and everyone can have a say — both formally and informally.

Council must balance the community’s input with the laws and regulations we have to follow, including those requiring us to align with state and metropolitan planning policy. We also have to comply with rules about what can and cannot be included in planning schemes.

We have a Community Engagement Policy to guide our approach and to ensure you can have confidence in the process. We listen to all the feedback we receive and report back on how it has influenced decisions about planning.

Our structure plans

Here are the structure plans we have prepared: