This section provides information on how to implement the SDAPP framework in your municipality. Not all Victorian councils are the same, and that there are a number of differing priorities, resource capabilities and development contexts across Victoria. The SDAPP framework needs to be sufficiently flexible to cater for these differences. To date the framework has been primarily adopted by inner and middle Melbourne municipalities, municipalities which see similar and generally larger development types than outer metropolitan, regional and rural councils.
Implementation for all
As part of the SDAPP Rollout Project, the project team has developed an SDAPP Implementation Plan tailored to each council type in order to ensure that the benefits of the program are available to growth area, peri-urban, regional and rural councils as well . Whilst there are many aspects that will be the same or similar, others will be tailored to the specific development context.
Council types
- Inner city and middle-ring councils
- Growth area councils
- Peri-urban councils
- Regional councils
- Rural councils
Inner city and middle-ring councils
Inner city and middle ring councils are home to the majority of established area development within Victoria and are characterised by a wide variety of development which is generally of greater density than outer-metropolitan, regional and rural councils. State government forecasts predict that nearly 50% of new dwellings and the majority of new retail and office buildings will be built in established urban areas to 2036 and therefore the environmental performance of these buildings are an important consideration of planning for Melbourne.
New buildings in established areas generally require planning permits based on development type, heritage issues or lot size. This, combined with increased focus on sustainable buildings has led to widespread adoption of the SDAPP framework by the majority of councils in this council category.
The major considerations of the Inner City and Middle Ring Councils SDAPP framework are;
- The built environment is the significant determinant of energy and potable water use
- Larger projects can absorb higher consulting costs at the planning stage
- The popularity of the STEPS and SDS tools as a method for complying with the framework
- Able to capture the majority of development through the planning process
- Generally good resourcing capacity (at least for larger councils)
- Generally good understanding of sustainable design by developers, buyers and tenants
Download the SDAPP Implementation Plan
Growth area councils are home to the majority of greenfield development in Victoria. The Victorian Government’s Melbourne @ 5 Million report projected a need for an additional 600,000 dwellings in Melbourne over the next 20 years, with 284,000 of those dwellings to be accommodated in the growth areas. There is a considerable pressure to maintain a significant land supply in view of housing affordability concerns. This rapid rate of growth needs to be matched with expanded public infrastructure (services, community buildings, transport) which in turn puts pressure on agricultural land, water quality and biodiversity conservation. Growth area planning has four distinct phases; corridor (or framework planning), precinct structure planning, subdivision planning and building. Local government planning processes include a role in the first three of these stages, but does not allow for assessment of individual dwellings, so approaches which focus on the first three steps represent the key planning opportunities for improvement in greenfield development. Some town centre and employment development is occurring, however nearly 95% of development in growth areas does not require a planning permit.
The major considerations of the Growth Area Councils SDAPP framework are;
- Unprecedented growth in green field development which complements some town centre and employment area development
- Opportunity to integrate with precinct structure and subdivision planning to influence dwellings which do not require a planning permit for works
- Factoring in energy consumption as a significant contribution to housing affordability
- Identifying the opportunity to use precinct wide tools - eg suburb / precinct design guidelines for improving sustainability outcomes
- The points of influence in urban planning and energy planning processes and opportunities to influence developer decision-making
Download the SDAPP Implementation Plan
Peri-urban councils
Peri-urban councils are characterised by their interface role between the city and the country and include a wide variety of development, generally on a small scale. Peri-urban councils are neither fully urban, nor fully rural and as such have a particular set of planning issues ranging from biodiversity protection to retention of quality agricultural land. Sustainable development takes on a broader definition in a peri-urban context and issues such as effluent discharge are central. In addition, one of the key challenges for the built environment is addressing a trend towards extremely large homes on lifestyle properties which have high embodied and operational energy requirements.
The demand for lifestyle properties and the objective to protect the natural and visual environment are often at odds, meaning that planning overlays are heavily applied in peri-urban areas. This represents an opportunity for planning to address sustainable design in a greater number of buildings, given the increased proportion of single dwellings which require a planning permit, but must be part of a wider engagement strategy with the community on sustainability issues.
The major considerations of the Peri-Urban Councils SDAPP framework are;
- Sustainability assessment needs to be perceived by applicants as a service rather than a planning requirement
- Managing the requirement for ongoing resources and the need for simplicity to administer and operate
- Recognising the residential development context of predominantly renovators and new single builds
- An opportunity to complement council’s sustainability education and awareness programs
Download the SDAPP Implementation Plan
Regional councils
Regional councils share many structural elements of metropolitan, rural and growth area councils. As in growth areas, there is pressure to maintain a significant land supply in view of housing affordability concerns. Many of the biodiversity and agricultural issues which accompany growth area planning are also present. Environmental issues are high on the agenda generally; in particular regional councils such as Ballarat and Bendigo have undergone severe droughts in recent years. Although current supplies have recovered there is a need to factor in conservation of potable water as a core element of sustainable design - industrial areas represent a particularly good opportunity.
Due to the smaller housing market, the diversity in housing product is limited and sustainability features are not always marketed as a point of difference. This means that regional councils needs to also focus on engagement and awareness to drive improvements in the overall environmental performance of residential housing. In a number of Victoria’s regional centres, heritage protection is considered a high priority. This represents both an opportunity and a challenge for in-fill development.
The major considerations of the Regional Councils SDAPP framework are;
- Influencing the growth area housing market without compromising affordability
- Integrating with precinct structure planning and subdivision planning to influence dwellings which do not require a planning permit for construction
- The need engage and incentivise participation to reach a greater number of developers / applicants
- Being economical with its use of technical capacity
Download the SDAPP Implementation Plan
Rural councils
The majority of non-metropolitan Victorian councils are considered rural. These areas are characterised by a broad spectrum of planning issues. These include those as diverse as connecting smaller or isolated settlements to reticulated services, water resource allocation and the appropriateness of housing on broad-hectare farming land where the holding is under the designated minimum lot size. The environmental performance of a dwelling is often a secondary concern and generally low overall growth rates indicate that a program supporting sustainable design assessment for new dwellings should complement improvements to existing housing through community sustainability education programs.
Sustainability is a core objective of planning in rural Victorian councils, but the focus has traditionally been on land care, biodiversity, water resourcing and other related environmental issues. Awareness of built form sustainability issues is quite varied both within the small planning teams and the development industry more broadly.
The major considerations of the Rural Councils SDAPP framework are;
- Increasing general awareness of sustainable building design
- Facilitating a regional approach which can share technical resources
- Identifying achievable small steps
- Showcasing examples of good and bad design
- Concentrating on no-cost or low-cost recommendations to applicants
- Assisting councils to lead by example with their own assets
Download the SDAPP Implementation Plan
