Council will seek permission from the State Minister for Planning to rezone a large industrial site in Clayton for a major residential and business precinct.
The 10 hectare area, known as the PMP Printing site, is located on the corner of Carinish Road and Browns Road and also includes all land in surrounding Bendix Drive.
The land is currently zoned for industrial land uses and was identified in the Monash Industrial Land Use Strategy 2014 as a potential urban redevelopment site. The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA) were first approached by the owners of the site in 2015 to assist in rezoning the land for future development. Council has been working closely with the VPA to prepare appropriate planning scheme zonings and controls to enable the future development of the site.
The provision of public open space and some affordable housing will be features of this proposed transformative development.
At the 28 April meeting, Council approved to request authorisation from the State Planning Minister to prepare the proposed Amendment C156 to rezone the land, with some conditions including:
- third party and appeal rights are retained for this amendment process (this means development proposals can be evaluated in more detail and the community can appeal decisions)
- any land handed to Council as the Public Open Space contribution is free from contamination or ongoing contamination management obligations
- the land owners agree to meet all costs associated with the amendment, including any subsequent costs associated with review of environmental contamination issues at the permit stage.
Monash Mayor Stuart James said this planned development demonstrated that Clayton was undergoing a significant revitalisation.
"Clayton is an important and growing business centre and this development recognises its connection to some of the country's most important facilities and services," Cr James said.
"The PMP site is located within the Monash National Employment and Innovation Cluster - home to some of Australia's leading medical, research and education facilities and with plans for a Suburban Rail Loop super hub in Clayton, we are excited to see what's in store for this precinct.
"We are looking forward to working with the government and all stakeholders, in particular our community, on this project."
One of the principles guiding the plans is the concept of the '20 -minute neighbourhood' where industrial land is unlocked to deliver new jobs, housing, local parks and community facilities, all within 20 minutes of where people live.
A comprehensive development plan has been prepared for the proposed rezoning in consultation with the VPA and the land owners, neighbours and Council. In 2018 and 2019 the VPA conducted initial consultation with the community, inviting them to have their say on the future of the site. Further consultation will occur as part of the amendment process, once authorisation is received.
