Community members in Warburton and Monbulk are encouraged to share their thoughts on the future vision for their loved town centres, with two draft Urban Design Frameworks released for engagement.
An Urban Design Framework (UDF) helps to guide the way public spaces and buildings can be planned to enrich the lives of communities, celebrating the rich local character, addressing niggles and concerns while planning for what is possible and needed.
On Tuesday, 13 December, Councillors endorsed the Warburton and Monbulk draft Urban Design Frameworks to be released for community comment, until 26 February and 12 March 2023 respectively.
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Jim Child, said the UDFs, when completed, would help Council make decisions on projects, developments and programs for Monbulk and Warburton.
"These documents, in essence, will guide our decision-making across Council – each Urban Design Framework will balance community expectations with best practice for designing place, and we will use it whenever decisions come up for these towns," he said.
"The documents, now out for community engagement, are extremely detailed and list actions we would like to see done in both towns.
"I would encourage anyone interested to have a read through these frameworks, especially the drafted actions, and to share their thoughts with us.
"While the primary consultation period is February and March, Council have brought forward the start date to extend this period in case community would like to give it some thought over the holiday period.
"So please take the opportunity to contribute and help us continue to shape these wonderful towns."
The Warburton Urban Design Framework is a continuation of the work done to date on the Warburton Place Plan, particularly the concept of protecting the character of towns through planning and design controls.
Monbulk's Urban Design Framework is a result of the Monbulk Structure Plan and Monbulk Community Plan – working with the preferred land uses and infrastructure identified in both documents, addressing problems and opportunities raised.
