Council refers Pakington Street design plan to planning panel

THE City of Greater Geelong council has referred its proposed amendments to the future of Pakington Street and Gordon Avenue Urban Design Frameworks (UDFs) for Pakington Street and Gordon Avenue to a planning panel after being unable to resolve community objections to the plans.

First exhibited earlier this year, the amendment rezones land in the UDF areas from Commercial 2 to Commercial 1 and to the Residential Growth Zone, and would also facilitate a broader range of retail and office uses and to support greater housing growth, including taller height limits.

There were 51 submissions received about the exhibited amendment: 13 supporting, 34 objecting, and four providing comments only.

Issues raised in the submissions included traffic congestion, parking shortages and limited public transport, proposed building heights, drainage and sewerage capacity, the loss of the Autumn Street car park and the need for more green space, and application of the Environmental Audit Overlay to certain sites.

The city says the UDFs align with both the city’s Settlement Strategy 2020 as well as the Victorian government’s Plan for Victoria and its housing target of 128,600 new homes in Geelong by 2051, of which 77,500 must be delivered in established areas.

Late last year, councillors voted to request that Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny appoint an independent planning panel to consider submissions.

Geelong mayor Stretch Kontelj said the decision to request an independent planning panel was the appropriate next step.

“Pako is very important to us, so we’re taking the time to get this process right by carefully considering all of the submissions provided by the community,” he said.

“Those who took the time to make a submission will be invited to speak to their submission, and if council decides to adopt the amendment, it will go back to the minister for approval.”

Cr Trent Sullivan, deputy chair of the council’s city planning portfolio, thanked those who made a submission.

“I want to recognise the detailed submissions which were received from the community,” he said.

“These submissions will be taken into consideration by the independent panel appointed by the minister before these amendments move further.”

Those who made a submission will be contacted with information about how to speak to their submission.

For context on the long-running planning scheme changes and design guidelines impacting this area, see Urban Design Frameworks previously discussed by the council.