This post was written in July 2017 prior to the Hearings for the Redevelopment and the Amendment. For an update, see https://mooneevalley.blog/2018/03/29/flemington-estate-renewal-amendment-approved-by-minister/
Here are some facts and figures about the redevelopment proposal for Flemington Housing Estate:
What will the planning amendment do?
The draft planning amendment will do the following:
- change the area to Mixed Use Zone
- apply the Development Plan Overlay
- apply the Parking Overlay
- give the Planning Minister control over the whole precinct including Debneys Park
- apply Debneys Precinct plan as a reference document
How many homes will be built?
The proposal is for at least 20 new social housing homes – as well as rebuilding 198 ‘walkup’ homes. 825 new private homes are proposed. This will mean the total number of homes on the estate will increase from 916 to 1772 (53% social housing).
From p.4: https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/69801/SHRP-SH1-14.-Traffic-Report-TR-REP02-1.0.pdf
Where will the new homes be built?
The draft planning amendment sets out that news homes will be built in a number of new buildings and towers according to the map and table below:
A drawing of potential buildings shows the levels in more detail – but this is not part of the planning amendment – just an example. The brown areas denote car parks.
As you can see, the buildings occupy all of the areas currently used for open space and car parking.
Who will own and manage the housing?
This has not been made clear at the meetings I have attended. When directly asked, DHHS representatives said this was yet to be finalised. However, planning documents say that land will be sold for private development:
From p.3 : https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/69800/SHRP-SH1-13.-DESIGN-FRAMEWORK-FLEMINGTON_7.0_Low-res.compressed.pdf
And across Victoria –
This suggests that private dwellings will be on land sold to private owners, and that social housing providers will manage new social housing and possibly existing public housing.
What about car parking?
The draft plans show that there will be an increase from the current 742 car parks to 1300 car parks on the site. However, there will possibly be only 562 spaces for social/public housing residents in the new plan.
From p.27: https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/69801/SHRP-SH1-14.-Traffic-Report-TR-REP02-1.0.pdf
The draft planning amendment includes a Parking Overlay that will exempt the area from normal parking requirements and ratios.
The ratios to be included in the planning amendment have a lower rate of car parks for social housing residents across the whole estate.
As you can see, there are only 0.6 car spaces for each social housing dwelling, regardless of the size of the dwelling. This means there will be fewer spaces to be shared between residents and it is not clear how these will be allocated, and at what cost. Private dwellings will have a greater ratio of car spaces.
The traffic report argues that census data prior to 2016 shows that car ownership in the area supports this ratio:
From p.27: https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/69801/SHRP-SH1-14.-Traffic-Report-TR-REP02-1.0.pdf
The data for private dwellings from census information is said to demonstrate a need for a higher ratio for private dwellings:
There will be approximately 657 car parks for the 825 private dwellings.
Car parks will be in multi-storey above ground car parks.
Traffic, pedestrian and cycling movements are anticipated to occur according to the table and diagram below (p.34 same document):
From p.21: https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/69800/SHRP-SH1-13.-DESIGN-FRAMEWORK-FLEMINGTON_7.0_Low-res.compressed.pdf
The traffic report recommends a new left hand turn lane be created (on current footpath area) on Racecourse Rd heading east (towards the city).
What else will change on the estate?
It is proposed that new community spaces will be created at the foot of each building – with the possibility of the Flemington Community Centre being moved to Racecourse Rd.
As the amendment proposes to given planning controls of the entire area (including Debneys Park) to the Planning Minister, it is hard to know what additional changes may come – and residents and the Council will have no planning rights regarding any future developments on the area.
What will change at Debneys Park?
Stage 2 of the development anticipates changes to Debneys park although no details have been provided. Residents have expressed a desire for basketball facilities, better facilities for sports teams, and provision for young and older people for sport, leisure and well being.
As the amendment proposes to given planning controls of Debneys Park to the Planning Minister, at the request of Moonee Valley City Council (Councillors voted in March to hand over control of Debneys Park to the Planning Minister), it is hard to know what additional changes may come – and residents and the Council will have no planning rights regarding any future developments on the area.
Where will people be moved to during rebuilding?
This has not been announced publicly, though various staff from DHHS have made themselves available to take any inquiries from people currently living in the walkups.
Will rents in the new homes be higher?
Unknown.
Will the existing high-rise towers change?
No.
What about open space?
The planning amendment provides for 1000 square metres of open space on the existing housing estate.
What about community facilities?
It is proposed that new community spaces will be created at the foot of each building – with the possibility of the Flemington Community Centre being moved to Racecourse Rd. Specific details are not available. There doesn’t appear to be anything in the Development Plan Overlay regarding the provision of internal community facilities.
Why will the site be zoned ‘Mixed Use’?
The MU zoning means that development does not need to comply with other requirements in the planning scheme –
Recap – what will the planning amendment do?
The draft planning amendment will do the following:
- change the area to Mixed Use Zone
- apply the Development Plan Overlay
- apply the Parking Overlay
- give the Planning Minister control over the whole precinct including Debneys Park
- apply Debneys Precint plan as a reference document
Making a submission
Find out how you can make a submission.
Rose Iser
Moonee Valley Blog 
Dear Rose,
Thank you for all your hard work on this. Here some feedback which I have also made to the Flemington Association, where some posts were worried about over-population in Flemington.
Looks very similar to the Kensington redevelopment which is beautifully landscaped, providing private, and usable outdoor space and convenient parking. It will have proper street frontages for the buildings which will be more convenient and safer at night. And like Kensington, it will have an outlook on to a major park and sporting facility, which can be built on and improved. We can’t stop population growth – the world has another 4 billion to go before it levels off. And we can’t build walls around our country, our state or our suburb (pace Donald Trump). From the govt’s plans for shared equity and social housing geared for people on higher incomes, most of the private accommodation will be for city workers and young people without the means to buy, as well as older empty nesters. We need places for teachers, nurses, young doctors, police, child care workers etc etc to live in the inner city. If we don’t make economic and social diversity possible, our city will suffer as will the nurses commuting from Craigieburn to the RMH. And if we can’t provide affordable housing for creatives, researchers and knowledge workers, we can kiss our economy goodbye.
I think Flemington will be fine, indeed might even become a better, more tolerant and inclusive place, particularly, as has happened in Kensington, the social mix translates into the local schools—a far better test than coffee shop preferences.. This is a reform overdue by about 40 years.
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