23 Apr What is an Activity Centre Zone?
The Activity Centre Zone is a zone that has been created to facilitate development and land use planning within an activity centre.
Unlike most other zones, the types of uses allowed are determined by the Council, which allows for a bespoke planning control, unique for the activity centre. The Activity Centre Zone is used to implement the approved structure plan for an activity centre and will include details of the uses that are allowed as well as development controls such as preferred heights, setbacks and built form.
The Activity Centre Zone is used to facilitate higher density housing. It is intended to ensure that an activity centre is developed in a consistent way and in a way that meets the projected future housing requirements for the area.
The Activity Centre Zone was developed specifically for metropolitan Melbourne, but it is also applicable for larger regional cities that show a distinct “CBD’ function and have an approved structure plan.
The boundary of an Activity Centre must be carefully thought out. It is not simply the extent of existing commercial land as surrounding residential land capable of higher density development is also an important component of the area.
An example of an existing Activity Centre is the Moorabbin Activity Centre. This Activity Centre extends from South Road towards residential land to the south, following Nepean Highway:
Moorabbin Activity Centre area
The Moorabbin Activity Centre Zone has been designated to steer the direction of housing and employment generating uses within the centre. There are controls both on the preferred land uses within the different precincts as well as built form controls (including building heights and setbacks). This Activity Centre Zone spans two municipalities, Bayside and Kingston, which adds to the complexity of development within the area.
Below is an image from the structure plan for the Kingston side of the activity centre.
Moorabbin Structure Plan
and this is an image from the structure plan for the Bayside part of the activity centre area,
Hampton East Structure Plan
The planning requirements within Activity Centre Zones can be complex. You may need to identify what precinct the land is located within and then what specific controls apply to your land. There may be controls around preferred height limits, setbacks from the street and from side boundaries, preferred types of uses as well as other built form or development preferences. If you need help interpreting the controls in an Activity Centre Zone contact us today.