Victoria

OWNERS of the Hotel Windsor have lodged plans for a massive redevelopment of the historic Spring Street site, fuelling concerns from the National Trust about the future of the landmark Melbourne building... [Read more at The Age].

AN exciting well-planned city that's attractive to business, workers and - most importantly - its own community is the vision of Brimbank Council's new general manager of city development... [Read more at Brimbank Leader].

ONE of Melbourne's landmark art-deco buildings, Lonsdale House, will be bulldozed to make way for a new CBD shopping centre as part of the Myer redevelopment.

The State Government said today it had given planning approval for ... [Read more at The Age].

ORIGINALLY promised by Labor in 1999, the Victorian Government has announced that the 2009 budget (to be released Tuesday 5 May) will allocate $562.3 million to the extension of the Epping train line to South Morang.

The extension, named the South Morang Rail Extension Project, involves the duplication of a single track between Keon Park and Epping and the construction of 3.5 kilometres of new double track from Epping to South Morang. The new South Morang station will have parking for 500 cars, taxi rank, safe drop off area and feature integration with local bus routes.

Whilst the South Morang Rail Alliance believes the train line should "immediately" be extended further to Mernda, the Public Transport Users Association welcomed the announcement, but called for further line extension once the South Morang train station is open.

Tenders for the project are to be called later this year and construction would start in 2010, with an expected completion date of 2013.

"MODERNISING Victoria's Planning Act - A discussion paper on opportunities to improve the Planning and Environment Act 1987" has been released and public submissions can be made until 1 May 2009.

The document can be found at the Department of Planning and Community Development website.

The DPCD states that the review is an "opportunity to modernise the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and enhance the operation of Victoria's planning system".

THREE new residential zones are proposed to replace the existing Residential 1 Zone, Residential 2 Zone and Residential 3 Zone in Victoria. They are:

• The Substantial Change Zone provides for housing growth by a mix of housing types that includes medium to higher density housing in appropriate locations.
• The Incremental Change Zone allows for a variety of housing types including medium density housing provided that it respects the character of the neighbourhood.
• The Limited Change Zone enables specific characteristics of the neighbourhood to be protected through greater control over new housing development.

Submissions can be made to the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) online, via email or mail and must be received by Thursday, 9 April 2009.

More information at Department of Planning and Community Development website.