The City of Port Phillip has prepared a new South Melbourne Structure Plan ('the Plan'). The Plan will establish a long-term vision for the future of South Melbourne and identify actions to manage change and help respond to challenges such as climate change, population growth and COVID-19. Extensive community engagement has been undertaken to inform the Plan.

At its Wednesday, 7 February 2024 meeting, Council unanimously endorsed the draft South Melbourne Structure Plan for consultation. We invited feedback on the draft Plan from 19 February 2024 to 28 March 2024. During this period, we encouraged our community to review the draft Plan and associated documents and provide us with any feedback on the draft findings and recommendations, prior to its adoption. Updates to the Plan have not altered its overarching direction. The background documents informing the Plan provide a sound and robust strategic basis for a new planning framework to be implemented in South Melbourne by an amendment to the Port Phillip Planning Scheme.

The draft South Melbourne Structure Plan sets out the long-term strategic vision for South Melbourne and an action plan on how it will be achieved. It is an integrated, long-term framework to guide change over the next 20 years including:

• future land use
• types and heights of buildings
• improved transport and how people can access and move around the area
• open spaces and parks
• infrastructure improvements
• character of the area including heritage
• sustainability
• economic opportunities.

The amendment applies to all land within the South Melbourne Structure Plan Area shown in Figure 1.

A mapping reference table is attached at Attachment 1 to this Explanatory Report to provide further information about land affected by the amendment.

Figure 1:

The amendment implements the recommendations set out in the South Melbourne Structure Plan which provides a long-term strategic vision for South Melbourne.

New planning provisions seek to guide the management of activities and uses, built form, movement and transport, and the public realm in South Melbourne.

Specifically, the amendment makes the following changes to the Port Phillip Planning Scheme:

• Updates Clause 02 (Municipal Planning Strategy) to reflect the strategic vision set out by the South Melbourne Structure Plan.
• Deletes Clause 11.03-1L-05 (South Melbourne Central) and introduces new place-based polices to the Planning Policy Framework at:
  • Clause 11.03-6L-08 (South Melbourne)
  • Clause 17.01-1L (Diversified economy - South Melbourne Enterprise Precinct)
  • Clause 17.01-2L (Innovation and research – South Melbourne Enterprise Precinct).
• Amends the following clauses in the Planning Policy Framework to update policy references and make consequential changes:
  • Clause 11.03-1L-01 Activity centres
  • Clause 15.01-1L-02 Urban design
  • Clause 15.01-5L Neighbourhood character
  • Clause 15.03-1L Heritage policy
  • Clause 17.02-1L Mixed use and office areas
  • Clause 17.03-2L Sustainable industry
  • Clause 18.01-3L-01 Sustainable and safe transport in Port Phillip
  • Clause 18.02-3L-01 Public transport
  • Clause 19.02-4L Community facilities.
• Deletes Design and Development Overlay Schedule 8 (South Melbourne Central) and Design and Development Overlay Schedule 16 (Cnr York, Cecil & Market Streets, South Melbourne).
• Introduces four new Design and Development Overlay schedules:
  • Design and Development Overlay Schedule 37 (Clarendon Street Precinct)
  • Design and Development Overlay Schedule 38 (South Melbourne Market Precinct)
  • Design and Development Overlay Schedule 39 (South Melbourne Enterprise Precinct East and Kings Way Mixed Use Corridor)
  • Design and Development Overlay Schedule 40 (South Melbourne Enterprise Precinct West).
• Rezones the ‘City Road Industrial Triangle’ bound by City Road, Ferrars Street and York Street from the IN1Z to the C2Z and applies the EAO to this land.
• Corrects the zoning of seven sites including:
  • The block of land bound by York, Cecil, Market and Northumberland streets, South Melbourne
  • 176-188 Bank Street, South Melbourne
  • 383-385 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne
  • 68-72 York Street, 191-199 Clarendon Street and 31 Ross Street, South Melbourne
  • 120-142 Clarendon Street, Southbank
  • 102-106 Park Street, South Melbourne
  • 77 Park Street and 286-294 Kings Way, South Melbourne
• Applies a Heritage Overlay to and inserts new Statements of Significance for nine individual heritage places, including:
  • HO561: 89 and 99 Eastern Road, and 36A and 58A Napier Street, South Melbourne
  • HO563: 110 Bank Street, South Melbourne
  • HO564: 151, 153 &155 Dorcas Street, South Melbourne
  • HO565: 108 Bank Street, South Melbourne
  • HO566: 167-173 Coventry, South Melbourne
  • HO567: 82-86 Clarke Street, South Melbourne
  • HO568: 49-55 York Street, South Melbourne
  • HO569: 152 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne
  • HO570: 68 and 70 Market Street, Southbank
• Extends the boundary of HO440 to apply to an additional four heritage places:
  • 2 Alfred Place, South Melbourne,
  • 214-216 and 220 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne
  • 31 Ross Street, South Melbourne
  • 22 Moray Street, South Melbourne.
• Makes consequential changes to the following:
  • Port Phillip Heritage Review - Volumes 1-6 (Adoption Version Amendment C161port Part 2, December 2021)
  • City of Port Phillip Heritage Policy Map (Adoption Version Amendment C161port Part 2, December 2021) (Part of Port Phillip Heritage Review)
  • City of Port Phillip Neighbourhood Character Map (Adoption Version Amendment C161port Part 2, December 2021) (Part of Port Phillip Heritage Review)
• Amends the Operational Provisions at the schedules to:
  • Clause 72.04 Incorporated Documents
  • Clause 72.08 Background Documents
  • Clause 74.01 Application Of Zones, Overlays And Provisions
  • Clause 72.04 (Further Strategic Work).

South Melbourne has emerged in the last 20 years as a centre for Melbourne’s creative industries. This, coupled with the strong presence of professional and financial services, along with retail, hospitality and personal services, highlight the significance of South Melbourne’s contribution to the local and regional economy.

The South Melbourne Employment, Economic and Land Use Study (Urban Enterprise with Echelon Planning, 2023 with Addendum 2024) highlights that South Melbourne’s economic success has been partly driven by:

• Favourable land use zoning and development opportunities, especially land in the Commercial 2 Zone
• Its strategic location proximate to the Central City, south-eastern suburbs, western suburbs and beyond.
• Transport connectivity including:

- Key roads such as Kings Way and the West Gate Freeway
- Public transport
- Cycling infrastructure

• Recognition for creative and technology businesses
• An established activity centre with a vibrant retail and hospitality scene
• Sought-after residential opportunities within South Melbourne itself and the neighbouring precincts of Southbank, Domain and Montague.

The following objectives and actions under this theme will help deliver the vision for South Melbourne, represented spatially below:

• Facilitate the future growth of South Melbourne as an integrated Major Activity Centre, Enterprise Precinct and Mixed Use Precinct (Activities and Uses Objective 1).
  
• Support ongoing business growth and economic specialisation in South Melbourne (Activities and Uses Objective 2).
  
• Support diversification of retail, services and amenities in South Melbourne (Activities and Uses Objective 3).
  
• Provide opportunities for ongoing reinvestment, mixed use development and new employment floorspace within walking distance to Anzac Station and Park Street tram upgrade (Activities and Uses Objective 4).
  
• Capitalise on the popularity of the South Melbourne Market to create a thriving street-based retail precinct (Activities and Uses Objective 5).
  
• Accommodate the housing needs of a welcoming, resilient and future-focused community (Activities and Uses Objective 6).
  
• Community infrastructure to enhance social connection (Activities and Uses Objective 7).

Read more on Theme 1: Activities and Uses

The character of South Melbourne will continue to evolve as development pressure increases. With increasing demand for varied workplaces and residences, South Melbourne will continue to be a highly attractive location for public and private sector investment.

The Structure Plan’s approach to developing a built form and heritage framework has been informed by extensive technical analysis including, the South Melbourne Built Form Review (Hodyl & Co 2024) and the South Melbourne Major Activity Centre & Employment Precincts Heritage Built Form Analysis & Recommendations (GJM Heritage 2023).

The recommended planning policy and controls will seek to effectively manage this increasing development pressure while also striking a balance between accommodating population and employment growth, preserving heritage, minimising amenity impacts, and improving livability. This framework will provide a higher level of clarity and certainty for the City and the wider community on the preferred outcomes sought for the area.

The design objectives and actions under this theme will guide how buildings are designed by:

• Ensuring development is responsive to the local context and character (Built Form and Building Design Objective 1).
• Contributing to engaging and walkable precincts (Built Form and Building Design Objective 2).
• Providing high-amenity housing and workplaces (Built Form and Building Design Objective 3).
• Integrating climate responsive design (Built Form and Building Design Objective 4).

Each objective includes the preferred built form and heritage outcomes for key design elements, such as (but not limited to) Floor Area Ratio (FAR), building height, heritage, internal amenity, street wall height, upper-level setback, solar access to the public realm, and building separation.

Please refer to interactive map below, for further information and overview of the four (4) built form precincts.

Read more on Theme 2: Built Form and Building Design

As activity intensifies in South Melbourne, competition for road space among people who use motor vehicles, ride a bike, walk or use public transport will also increase. A proactive and balanced approach is essential to effectively manage access to and within South Melbourne, mitigating congestion.

The objectives and actions under this theme will help deliver the vision for South Melbourne by:

• Enhancing South Melbourne’s movement network to prioritise sustainable and active travel, while improving capacity and circulation (Access and Movement Objective 1).
• Providing an attractive and safe local pedestrian and cycling network that connects key destinations and strategic corridors (Access and Movement Objective 2).
• Improving public transport services and access to meet the needs of South Melbourne’s residents, workers and visitors (Access and Movement Objective 3).
• Car parking and loading approaches support more sustainable modes of transport and reduce the impacts of development generated parking demand (Access and Movement Objective 4).

The key technical reports and strategies underpinning the objectives and actions under this theme are:

Read more on Theme 3: Access and Movement

South Melbourne’s public realm plays a vital role in connecting people to destinations and activities, providing spaces for individuals to pause, meet, and rest during their journey. The area’s roads, footpaths, shared laneways and parks contribute to the distinctive streetscape character, enhancing the overall environment through incorporation of greenery, shade, and weather protection

The following objectives and actions under this theme, and summarised below will help deliver the vision for South Melbourne:

• Create cool, green streets for people to improve amenity, comfort and public health (Public Spaces and Places Objective 1)
• Be water-wise to effectively respond to climate change, and protection of assets and property (Public Space and Places Objective 2)
• Shape public spaces to support a variety of uses and enterprises (Public Spaces and Places Objective 3)
• Reinforce civic pride and sense of place (Public Spaces and Places Objective 4).

The key technical reports and strategies underpinning the objectives and actions under this theme are:

Read more on Theme 4: Public Spaces and Places

The recommended zones generally reflect existing zones. Rezoning recommendations are limited to rezoning the 'City Road Industrial Triangle' from Industrial 1 Zone to Commercial 2 Zone and correcting zoning anomalies.

View more on the recommended rezoning of sites within the South Melbourne Structure Plan Area.

The South Melbourne Heritage Gaps Analysis 2023 (prepared by Trethowan) recommends a number of places be included in the Heritage Overly to the Port Phillip Planning Scheme.

View more information on the specific sites recommended for inclusion in the Heritage Overlay.

View more on the existing and proposed Activity Centre boundaries of the South Melbourne Structure Plan Area.