Zones
- Page type:
- Article
- Category:
- Land use planning and management
- Jurisdiction:
- Victoria
What is a zone?
The Victorian Planning Provisions contain standard ‘zones’ for residential, industrial, business, rural and public land areas, together with Special Use Zones and other specialised zones.
The zone of a property tells you what uses will require a planning permit. 'Uses' for land are different to 'developments' on land.
Zones are applied to particular areas within the municipality.
Some of the zones which can be applied include:
- residential
- business
- industrial
- rural
- green wedge
- rural conservation
- rural living
- rural activity
- farming, and
- public land
Each zone stipulates the uses of land that require a permit, uses that do not require a permit and uses which are prohibited.
Various ‘Rural Conservation’ and 'Green Wedge' zones exist. These are comparatively environmentally sensitive zones. They include Rural Zones, Rural Living Zones, and several Green Wedge zones.
They contain the important directive that before deciding on an application to use or subdivide land, construct a building or construct or carry out works, in addition to the decision guidelines in Provision 65, the responsible authority must consider, as appropriate (among other matters) the following environmental issues:
- an assessment of the likely environmental impact on the flora and fauna of the area;
- the protection and enhancement of the natural environment and the character of the area, including the retention of vegetation and fauna habitat, and the need to revegetate land including riparian buffers along waterways, gullies, ridge lines, property boundaries, discharge areas and recharge areas, including the need to re-vegetate riparian zones;
- how the development relates to sustainable land management practices and the need to prepare and integrated land management plan;
and
- the location of effluent disposal areas on the site and the effect this may have on waterways.
Some of the main differences between the various rural and green wedge zones are the size of land that can be subdivided in each zone, and the activities that require a permit.
Green Wedge
Green Wedge land is land that is described in a 'metropolitan fringe planning scheme' outside the urban growth boundary.
The Green Wedge Zone recognises and protects non-urban land outside the Urban Growth Boundary (“UGB”) in the metropolitan area. The land is protected from urban sprawl for its agricultural, environmental, historic, landscape or recreational values, or its mineral and stone resources.
The zone allows for most agricultural uses and there are also certain non-rural uses which are permitted. The non-rural uses are restricted to uses that support agriculture or tourism, or uses that are essential for urban development but cannot be located in urban areas for amenity and other reasons (such as airports, waste treatment plants and land fills).
In green wedge zones a dwelling requires a permit and only one dwelling per lot is permissible.
The minimum lot size in Green Wedge Zones is 40 hectares unless the schedule to the zone specifies an alternative. The creation of smaller lots is generally prohibited but there are some exceptions such as the creation of a small lot for a utility installation.
The Rural Conservation Zone
The purpose of the Rural Conservation Zone is to conserve, maintain and enhance the environment. The zone provides for agricultural production while protecting and conserving the environment and natural processes for their historic, scientific, landscape, habitat or cultural values. Rural areas degraded by environmental factors such as salinity or erosion can also use this zoning.
The Urban Growth Zone
The Urban Growth Zone was introduced to the VPPs in 2008. Its purpose is to facilitate the rapid development of areas designated by the Victorian Government as growth areas. Presently, these are Wyndham, Melton-Caroline Springs, Hume, Whittlesea and Casey-Cardinia. The Urban Growth Zone is different from most of the other zones contained in the VPPs, as the way it functions depends on whether a Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) for the area has been incorporated into the relevant planning scheme.
If no PSP has been incorporated, then an area zoned UGZ functions much like a Farming Zone. Minimum lot sizes are 40has. and permissible uses are primarily rural / agricultural. If a PSP has been incorporated, however, the UGZ operates significantly differently. Important differences include:
- Restrictions on third party objection rights. The right of third parties to object to permit applications is removed, provided that the application is 'generally in accordance with' the PSP.
- Minimum lot size varied. If a PSP exists, the minimum size for lots is not necessarily 40 has., but is set by the Schedule to clause 37.07 for the relevant planning scheme.
- Permissible and prohibited uses varied. If a PSP exists, the uses that a permitted or prohibited in the UGZ are those contained in the Schedule to clause 37.07 for the relevant planning scheme.
- 'Applied Zones'. Although all UGZ land is necessarily zoned UGZ, the Schedule to clause 37.07 can direct that certain parts of the land zoned UGZ are to be treated as if they were another kind of zone (e.g. Residential or Industrial Zones).
Finding information on zones
You can view zones and other planning scheme documents at www.dse.vic.gov.au/planningschemes.
- You can also read: How to find out which zone or overlays apply to a property
Interesting cases and VCAT decisions
Other Sources of Information - External links
See Also
