Boronia is identified as a Major Activity Centre in the State Government's Plan Melbourne (2017-2050) strategy that guides the growth of Metropolitan Melbourne for the next 35 years.

Plan Melbourne

Plan Melbourne identifies that Metropolitan Melbourne is predicted to grow from the current population of 4.5million to 8 million people by 2050; meaning jobs and housing will need to be created. This growth will lead to:

• Additional demand on the transport network.
• The need to manage growth in the context of environmental/climate changes.
• A need to protect liveability and sense of community in a growing and changing context.

The Plan's vision includes:

• A city of centres
  • Deliver more housing closer to jobs and public transport.
  • Maintain a permanent urban growth boundary around Melbourne to reduce sprawl and consolidate development within established areas.
  • Supply housing in the right locations to meet population growth and create a sustainable city.
  • Where you will be able to work or study closer to where you live — because job clusters in the suburbs have grown and are linked by better transport infrastructure and services.
• Walkable neighbourhood
  • Mixed-use neighbourhood at varying densities.
  • Improve local transport options that enable cycling and walking as a part of daily life due to proximity of local services.
  • Where you can walk, cycle or take a short public transport trip to access most of your everyday needs.

As a result, the State Government requires local Council to provide adequate planning of Activity Centres.

Ringwood and Box Hill are identified as Metropolitan Activity Centre's within Plan Melbourne and are in a different category of higher growth and expectations.

The network of Activity Centre places Boronia as a Major Activity Centre which is a level under the expected density for a Metropolitan Activity Centre.

The development height potential for Boronia has been assessed based on the following key points:

• The point where development of each site might impact on key public viewlines to the Dandenong Ranges from Tormore Reserve, Boronia Park, and the western’s approach of Boronia Road.
• What are the height opportunities currently allowed in the Knox Planning Scheme for each site.
• Being able to demonstrate there is enough capacity to meet the expected population growth.

The designated height for each site has been decided as a mandatory maximum height, being the maximum height possible before a development would impact on the key public viewlines.

By having a mandatory height, it means the height cannot be exceeded. The purpose of this is be clear to both the community and the developers that this mandatory height cannot be varied by a permit or by VCAT.

The proposed mandatory maximum height in Boronia is not necessarily the height that would be developed but rather the potential maximum height that could be developed subject to an applicant addressing all other design matters adequately.

Despite the mandatory maximum height nominated for a site, an applicant will still be required to address other matters such as overshadowing, transition to immediate surrounding, amenity, and design. As such, these other considerations may effectively further limit the opportunity for a developer to achieve the maximum height.

The current Design and Development Overlay Schedule 7 (DDO7) applies to all of the Boronia Major Activity Centre.

It is important to note that the DDO7 is an interim control and has an expiry date. Once the DDO7 has expired, there would be no controls to guide development and control height.

Amendment C192knox proposes to create permanent controls via a new Design and Development Overlay Schedule 10 (DDO10) applied on the commercial areas of the Boronia Major Activity Centre only (Precincts 1, 2, and 3).

The residential surrounds of the Boronia Major Activity Centre would be addressed via the standard height of the relevant zone and the existing strategies of the Knox Planning Scheme for an Activity Area. This will mean there are no changes to the mandatory heights for Precincts 4 and 5.

The current mandatory heights in place and what is proposed is shown on the maps below:

Current height controls

Proposed height controls

Car parking space requirements in developments are set by the State Government through the Victorian Planning Provisions Link https://planning-schemes.app.planning.vic.gov.au/Knox/ordinance/52.06.

Council does not have the authority to increase the number of car parking spaces and cannot force a developer to provide more car parking spaces than the minimum requirements set by the State.

The draft Amendment maintains the existing requirements of the Knox Planning Scheme in relation to the number of car parking spaces to be provided. Any development proposal will still be required to provide car parking requirements in accordance with the Knox Planning Scheme.

The draft Boronia Renewal Strategy discusses opportunities for improved car parking and traffic in section 6 Movement and Access (page 53-66). Please share your feedback on the proposed actions.

The proposed amendment will retain the special car parking exemption gained from the Boronia Special Rates Schemes 1967 and 1977. This will remain as a policy guideline at Clause 21.10-3 of the Knox Planning Scheme and unchanged from what is currently in effect in Boronia. The policy exemption will only apply to the extent and conditions specified in the Knox Planning Scheme today, which means that any parts of a development that does not meet the conditions will be subject to the car parking rate requirements. This exemption only applies to specific properties located in Precinct 1.

The draft Boronia Renewal Strategy aims to ensure existing vegetation, including trees and green spaces are retained as part of future development, particularly where it is identified as significant. The implementation of the Boronia Renewal Strategy notably through the actions for the Boronia Train Station Precinct and Boronia Park Big Move Project will also review remnant trees and evaluate whether adequate protection exists for those trees.

The existing vegetation controls (e.g. Vegetation Protection Overlay) will remain and the proposed amendment will incorporate strategies to seek development to consider significant vegetation.

The draft Amendment includes a number of provisions to promote this.

By increasing height of development will promote a reduced building footprint. This will allow space for landscaping.

Minimum requirements will be maintained for front setbacks (in relevant precincts) for landscaping to help achieve a ‘green and leafy’ streetscape. The proposed amendment will also ensure that existing significant vegetation is retained and that development enhances the streetscape through further planting or through green building designs (such as green walls).

A greater focus on streetscaping is included in the Renewal Strategy by:

• Incorporating a green spine along Chandler Road and Genista Avenue to promote walking and cycling and provide for biodiversity connection between Tormore Reserve and Chandler Park.
• Continuing to apply a Bush Boulevard strategy that promotes the protection of existing trees and additional street tree planting along Boronia Road and advocate to the Department of Transport and Planning to reduce the width of Boronia Road in favour of greater streetscaping.
• Increasing streetscape planting onto side streets from the proposed green spine and Bush Boulevard.

The proposed amendment does not change the current way those impacted by a planning application will be notified.

Planning applications will continue to be assessed and be notified to affected landowners and occupiers in accordance with Section 52 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the Knox Planning Scheme.

Development will remain subject to the requirements of the Knox Planning Scheme.

The amendment will introduce the following exemption from permit requirement for land subject to the proposed Design and Development Overlay Schedule 10:

• Earthworks that do not change the natural ground level by more than 1 metre.

While there are a few visual landmarks, the amendment does not propose to introduce any heritage protection controls in the Knox Planning Scheme for the Boronia Major Activity Centre.

The preparation of the Boronia Renewal Strategy and proposed amendment have referred to the City of Knox Heritage Study (1993). The Boronia Renewal Strategy recognises the iconic local significance of certain sites such as the Dan Murphy’s arched roof structure and Progress Hall but the proposed amendment does not seek to apply heritage controls to these sites.

Boronia Park is a 3.1ha Council-owned land and will remain one of the key parklands in Boronia.

An action of the Boronia Renewal Strategy is to prepare a Boronia Park Masterplan to determine the future design and purpose of the Park with the following key considerations:

• Improving Boronia Park’s function as a retarding basin to address Boronia’s increased run-off and manage overland water flows.
• Enhancing Boronia Park as a central, civic parkland that brings people together and is a community place of pride
• Investigating which community services and facilities may be appropriate to function from within the Park, and which may be better accommodated at an alternative location.
• Identifying complementary business activities that could provide activation, surveillance, and generate lease incomes for Council.

• Improving access for pedestrians and cyclists and enhancing visual connectivity into and within the park.
• Extinguishing the unformed road reserve legacy title running through Boronia Park and consolidating titles.

• Enhancing areas of green open space and celebrating water elements within the park.

The Boronia Renewal Strategy and its amendment also provide directions for land surrounding Boronia Park by ensuring future use and development:

• Include windows and balconies providing passive surveillance to Boronia Park.
• Activate frontages to Boronia Park where land abuts Boronia Park with a commercial component at ground level such as cafes with outdoor dining terraces fronting the park.
• Frame views to the Dandenong Ranges (e.g., Chandler Peak) when positioned at the western end of the park.

The existing basketball stadium is over 45 years old and is subject to significant structural defect amongst also being flood prone. The stadium is planned to be decommissioned and demolished following the construction of the State Basketball Centre in Wantirna South to replace this asset.

The removal of the old stadium will create space opportunity for other purposes, functions, and design within Boronia Park. An action of the Boronia Renewal Strategy is to prepare a Boronia Park Masterplan to determine the future design and purpose of the Park.

The eventual demolition of the Boronia Basketball Centre will render the Boronia Library structurally unsound. The building is also flood prone.

The Boronia Renewal Strategy recommends to investigate the relocation of the Boronia Library into a new multi-purpose community facility that could integrate different functions. The optional locations for investigation are for a new facility at the following locations: Boronia Train Station area, Dorset Square area, or Boronia Park.

Progress Hall is intended to be retained as a community asset within Boronia Park.

The Boronia Park Masterplan project will consider options for the future purpose and enhancement of the Progress Hall, which may include the relocation of the building from its current location on Boronia Road to an alternative site within Boronia Park.

Boronia Mall is a private entity and the future of the Boronia Mall and its land will depend on the choices made by these landowners.

The Boronia Renewal Strategy identifies the following opportunities for Boronia Mall:

• Maintain commercial activities at ground level with mixed used opportunities at upper levels.
• Maximum overall building height of 19.5m (6 storeys).
• Maximum three storeys street wall.
• Street frontage activation, passive surveillance and improved interfaces.
• Pedestrian connectivity from Dorset Square to Chandler and Floriston Road.

Background

257 Dorset Road is a Council property and the site of the former Boronia Youth Hall, which was demolished in 2019. The site is 1300sqm, zoned public use and located next to the Boronia Police Station.

Upon demolishing the Boronia Youth Hall, Council established 257 Dorset as a temporary pop-up space to activate the vacant land and contribute to the renewal of the Boronia Major Activity Centre.

Boronia Renewal Strategy

The Boronia Renewal Strategy identifies the site as a strategic opportunity site. The long term future of the site is undetermined at this stage and Council will review future opportunities as part of the implementation of the Boronia Renewal Strategy notably through the Boronia Train Station Precinct Big Move Project and Council’s Assets and Investment Strategy.

For the time being, the site will remain available as a temporary open space for community use.

The proposed amendment does not change the zoning of 257 Dorset Road and the site will remain public use zone at this stage.