METROPOLITAN STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

CENTRAL MELBOURNE

The importance of Melbourne's central business district has been fundamental to metropolitan planning and wi l l continue to be a major concern.

An expanded area. Central Melbourne, is the strategic focus of activity. This covers the central business district (bounded by Spring, Flinders, Spencer and La Trobe Streets), the wider environs of this area, the adjoining parks and gardens and the main approaches, such as St Kilda Road and Victoria Parade.

7.1 Enhancing Central Melbourne's Premier Role

The Board has identified three major groups of actions needed to enhance Central Melbourne in its premier role. One group is actions implemented directly by planning authorities, a second by transport authorities, and a third by various other authorities.

7.1.1 Planning Actions The Board's intentfor Central Melbourne is

expressed in the strategic objectives and further detailed in the zone objectives and new zones in Amendment 150 to the Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme, as discussed in Chapter 4. These zones and objectives are to provide certainty as to the nature of development which may occur in specific areas and to enable detailed local needs to be specified in local development schemes.

New zones are included in Amendment 1 50 in areas where the existing zones do not adequately reflect the Board's intent for development of Central Melbourne. Activities in areas such as St Kilda Road have administrative and commercial links wi th Central Melbourne and are included in the strategic objective for Central Melbourne. The present zoning of most of St Kilda Road wil l support the strategy. Some change is

49

made to a small area in the vicinity of Albert Road and the Domain.

The new zones have objectives which must be pursued in these areas in order to achieve the s t ra teg i c ob jec t i ves for C e n t r a l Melbourne. While the main intention is to facilitate the commercial development of Central Melbourne, the Board wi l l also encourage intensive housing development.

The zone objectives also seek to encourage development which takes advantage of and enhances parkland settings, the River Yarra and major cul tural and enter ta inment facilities such as the Arts Centre.

Central Melbourne

Controls included in Amendment 150 encourage new development in selected a reas c o m p a t i b l e w i t h t h e e x i s t i n g streetscape.

Further planning actions to be undertaken by the Board include: • r e v i e w i n g and c o - o r d i n a t i n g loca l

development schemes to ensure that the requirements under which development can take place wi thout a planning permit are specified

• monitoring the effects of planning control on d e v e l o p m e n t a n d p r e p a r i n g a m e n d m e n t s or m o d i f i c a t i o n s , as necessary

North Melbourne

Legend *̂ • Retail Core *^\ • Entertainment Core 1 Office Core • Railyards Area • Arts Centre Environs • Commercial/Residential • Commercial/Industrial • Residential/Service

Special Use Zone

50