Property Council of Australia claims Geelong CBD future at risk amid building height limits plan

A national lobby group for property owners and developers is warning the State Government against height and overshadowing restrictions designed to protect central Geelong from “inappropriate developments”.

A national lobby group for property owners and developers is warning the State Government against height and overshadowing restrictions designed to protect central Geelong from “inappropriate developments”.

The Property Council of Australia has lodged a submission on the Central Geelong Framework Plan, warning height and overshadowing restrictions are “not fit for purpose” and will jeopardise Geelong CBD’s future as a vibrant precinct.

The move to develop a Framework Plan was announced by the State Government in January, with documents suggesting it came as a specific response to multiple “overdevelopments” already approved in the city.

The plan itself was then released in May, including revised maximum height rules for CBD developments, with buildings of up to 18-storeys only allowed near the Geelong station and northern end of Mercer St and a handful of sites allowing up to 12-storeys across the CBD.

The majority of central Geelong will covered by building height limits of six and eight storeys.

Geelong CBD could be subject to future building restrictions. Picture: Alan Barber

But, the Property Council of Australia has warned against the new restrictions.

“Historically, planning has, on occasion, been perceived as a brake on inappropriate development or something which protects the community from ‘bad development’. We reject this notion,” the submission noted.

“Planning needs to enable good development and good design. Its role is to maximise the positive outcomes for Geelong in terms of social amenity but also, importantly, economic development.

“Inappropriate restrictions such as height controls that are not fit for purpose and overly restrictive overshadowing rules pose a risk to Central Geelong’s development potential and growth prospects.

“The housing needed to help grow Central Geelong’s population… will need to be more than the eight-to-ten storey limits as detailed in the Framework.”

“…steps must be taken now to ensure restrictions that are not fit for purpose, such as the height and overshadowing restrictions, are revised before their detrimental impacts are realised and Central Geelong’s future as a vibrant precinct are jeopardised.”

The submission includes an example of how a proposal to build a five-star, 13-storey hotel on Ryrie St had been put on hold due to the new height and overshadowing restrictions included in the draft Framework Plan – noting the new controls “significantly limited the viable development of the site”.

Property Council of Australia Victorian Executive Director Danni Hunter said Geelong was primed to see a population boom from relocating metropolitan residents, but would need to take action to “underpin a robust growth plan”.

“Key to this will be the need to unlock the full potential of Central Geelong as a precinct for people to work, live and play,” Ms Hunter said.

“Overly restrictive planning controls that are not fit for purpose present a real risk to the future of Central Geelong. Height limits and overshadowing restrictions need to be appropriately designed so as to not hold back the city’s growth.

“With appropriate planning that encourages development and utilises space, Central Geelong can flourish as a dynamic city and attractive destination to live and work while also remaining a gateway for visitors to the region.”

Originally published as Property Council of Australia claims Geelong CBD future at risk amid building height limits plan