_MORE QUESTIONS ON RESIDENTIAL REZONING

The Minister for Planning recently rezoned several parcels of land in the City of Yarra (Yarra) through planning scheme amendment C197. These parcels were previously identified to be included in the Residential Growth Zone however, through amendment C197 have been rezoned to either the Neighbourhood Residential Zone or the General Residential Zone.

Whilst the rezoning of land to the new residential zones is not particularly noteworthy, the location and history related to these several parcels raises a few questions.

Initially Yarra proposed only the General Residential Zone or Neighbourhood Residential Zone as the residential zones in its Municipality. The former Minister for Planning (Matthew Guy) required a change in the approach to include some residential land in the Residential Growth Zone. After the change of State Government, the new Minister for Planning (Richard Wynne) removed the requirement for Yarra to include areas of Residential Growth Zone. As a result, amendment C197 was introduced to rezone the sites previously identified for Residential Growth to either Neighbourhood Residential Zone or General Residential Zone.

This result raises the following questions regarding the rezoning.

Why has the Neighbourhood Residential Zone been used in situations where on the land included in some areas (such as along Queens Parade, pictured below), three to five storey modern-style developments exist and which exceed the maximum height and dwellings per lot limit possible in that zone?
Are there other examples across the Municipality where this type of zoning / existing development contradiction is significant?
Was any consideration given in the rezoning of the land to the Managing Residential Development Advisory Committee Deliberations and its report?

Image Source: Google street view