Victorian Government rezones former brickworks site in Burwood East for residential development
The Burwood Brickworks site in Melbourne’s east is set to be home to more than 2000 people, after Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne last week approved a rezoning to allow for major residential development.
The 20-hectare Middleborough Rd site in Burwood East has been vacant for about 20 years. The development is expected to generate 1150 direct jobs and 1800 indirect jobs during construction.
Mr Wynne said he fast-tracked the plans so the developer can get on with their $500 million residential and retail investment, which has strong support from Whitehorse City Council.
The site, to be developed in stages, will have about 900 dwellings which will include a mix of apartments, terraces and family homes.
Low-rise apartment buildings with a five-storey height limit will be built around the retail centre. There will also be a 10,530 square metre retail centre and 2.4 hectares of open space.
“The old Brickworks has sat dormant for far too long. We now have a major developer who can get on with realising its potential for the community,” Mr Wynne said.
“Demand for housing around inner suburbs is at an all-time high. With Melbourne’s population set to grow, we need more smart development in the right locations.”
Mr Wynne used his powers under 20(4) of the state’s planning act, which allows state-significant projects to be fast-tracked.
The Minister said it was appropriate to intervene in this decision given the site had been dormant for so long and the council had taken public consultation into account throughout their assessment.
According to the government, Mr Wynne has already approved more than $3 billion worth of major residential development and said encouraging projects in the right locations boosted jobs and added to Melbourne’s housing stock, which needs to accommodate another 100,000 people each year.
Source: News Release, Urbanalyst, 24 August, 2015