Presented by Robert Clark MP		www.robertclark.net

Changes on 7 km rule, single dwelling permits

The Minister for Planning, Mr John Thwaites, has announced two interim planning measures - one relating to the "7km rule"  and the other to allow councils to require planning permits to be obtained for single dwellings on lots of up to 500 square metres.

In relation to the "7 km rule", councils have been invited to propose to the Minister local variations to Elements 1 and 6 of the Good Design Guide to introduce revised provisions relating to areas within 7 km of the Melbourne GPO.

The revised provisions are intended to be "reflecting local conditions, provided they are consistent with the local strategic directions as expressed in the Local Planning Policy Framework" for the Council's planning scheme.

Good Design Guide Element 1 relates to dwelling density.  Densities greater than the general minimum of 1:200 are permissible within 7 km of the Melbourne GPO.

Good Design Guide Element 6 relates to building envelopes - setbacks, the height and length of walls, site coverage and visual bulk.    Lesser setbacks than in general are permissible within 7 km of the Melbourne GPO.

In relation to the minimum lot size for single dwelling planning permits, the Minister is prepared to support proposals from Councils to incorporate a document into thier planning schemes requiring a permit to construct or extend a dwelling on a lot having an area between 300 sq metres (for which planning permit is already always required) and 500 sq metres.

The Minister has told councils he is prepared to consider introducing both changes without notice, and bypassing the usual requirements of Ministerial Direction No.8 (which relates to the procedures and grounds for introducing variations to planning requirements).

"These new measures will allow Local Government to identify 'no-go' areas for medium density housing and help safeguard the neighbourhood character of local streets and suburbs," Mr Thwaites said.

The Shadow Minister for Planning, Mr Robert Clark, has pointed out that the changes to the 7 km rule have put the inner city area in a favoured position, and contradicted the Labor Party's own planning policy, which described the 7 km rule as "arbitrary" and promised to abolish it.

"On the other hand, the electorate of Burwood, for example, will gain nothing from this measure, because it is more than 7 kilometres from the CBD," Mr Clark said.

Mr Clark welcomed the 500 square metre provision, which he pointed out followed a similar proposal in the Coalition's election policy, but was not included in the Labor Party's election policy.

However, Mr Clark argued that neither measure did anything to address the urgent need for across-the-board changes to provide interim controls on setbacks, overlooking and overshadowing in order to stop developers trying to rush through building and planning permits ahead of foreshadowed changes to the law.

See News Release, Minister for Planning, December 7, 1999; News Release, Shadow Minister for Planning, December 7, 1999