Achieving the vision
A new Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) has been prepared. It sets out a long-term vision and strategy for the growth and development of the municipality to ensure our city is well designed and managed and continues to be a liveable, vibrant and sustainable 24 hour city.
What is the MSS and Amendment C162?
The City of Melbourne manages the municipality’s land use and development through the Melbourne Planning Scheme, of which the MSS is a part. The MSS sets the high level strategic direction for all the controls in the planning scheme.
Planning Scheme Amendment C162 is the legal way the City of Melbourne will include the new MSS into the Melbourne Planning Scheme.
Key directions
The key directions in the new MSS are:
- planning for long-term growth in identified areas
- a well-connected and accessible city
- new developments to complement public places and spaces
- creating an 'eco-city'
- supporting a vibrant diverse and complementary mix of uses.
Consultation
The new MSS was on public exhibition July and August 2010. Consultation is now closed.
The City of Melbourne received 152 submissions from the community and stakeholders.
MSS Sub-Committee
In December 2010, The Future Melbourne (Planning) Committee of Council resolved to form a MSS Sub-Committee to review the administration’s assessment of the submissions and the revised Municipal Strategic Statement, and propose any amendments. It considered all written submissions in addition to considering 16 verbal presentations.
The sub-committee has completed its review. The Table of Submissions below shows the administration response to submissions (black text), the changes approved by the December 2010 Future Melbourne Planning Committee (red text) and the MSS Sub Committee approved changes (blue text).
Download Table of Submissions (Word, 968kb) 
Panel hearing
The Minister for Planning appointed an independent panel to consider submissions. Panel hearings were held from 18 to 21 July, and from 10 to 11 August.
The following expert witness statements were considered by the panel:
City of Melbourne (Word, 202kb)
Queen Victoria Market P/L (PDF,237kb)
Lost Dogs Home (PDF, 9.9MB)
Laurens Street, Kensington Properties (PDF, 8MB)
Allied Mills (PDF, 4.2MB)
George Weston Foods (PDF, 2.8MB)
Current status
Following the hearings, on 16 August, the panel provided written directions to the Council. Copies of these written directions were circulated to everyone who had made a submission.
Download Amendment Melbourne C162 Directions and Notes Prepared by Panel to Assist Council (PDF, 132kb)
In these directions, the panel set out the process and indicative timing for additional hearing sessions and requested that Council provide them further information in relation to the MSS.
To view all steps in this process, download Municipal Strategic Statement Amendment C162 – Next steps (PDF, 95kb)
On Tuesday 4 October the Panel convened a hearing to receive the further information that it had requested from Council. They did not provide opportunities for submissions by other parties at the hearing.
Proposed revisions to the MSS
At the 4 October hearing the Panel directed that there would be a further public hearing from 12 to 16 December 2011 to consider issues that arose at the hearing held on 10 and 11 August.
The 10 and 11 August Panel hearing focused on the urban renewal designation south of Macaulay Road in the Arden Macaulay area. A revised version of the Growth Framework Plan in the MSS was produced by City of Melbourne to illustrate the southern portion of the Arden-Macaulay area as an ongoing-change area rather than as an urban renewal area. Related revisions to the text for of the Municipal Strategic Statement were also produced.
Downloads
Original Growth Framework Plan (March 2011) and proposed revised Plan – August 2011 (PDF 571Kb)
Revised MSS text - 10 August 2011 (text only, 308kb)
Original MSS - March 2011 (PDF, 793kb)
The Panel directed that further notification be given to parties directly affected by the proposed revisions to the MSS. They will consider submissions received in response to that notification at their 12-16 December 2011 hearing.