Victoria’s Andrews Labor Government has announced that it will not be scrapping the previous government’s planning strategy for metropolitan Melbourne, choosing instead to “reboot” and revise the Plan Melbourne document.

The Andrews Government will reconvene the original Ministerial Advisory Committee that developed the original Plan Melbourne back in 2013 and plans to revaluate the topics of climate change, affordable housing and energy efficiency.

The original draft version of Plan Melbourne attracted 450 submissions and saw the involvement of 10,000 Victorians. The government says that it will now release the public submissions on the draft and get new advice so that the right decisions and key long-term projects can be prioritised.

Victorian President of the Planning Institute Australia James Larmour-Reid said that revisiting the Plan Melbourne strategy with the original expert advisory committee will ensure that the latest thinking on key planning issues such as housing affordability and transport can be incorporated into the plan.

“A great deal of community input went into Plan Melbourne,” Mr Larmour-Reid said.

“It’s refreshing to hear that the Government is prepared to build upon the foundations of the document rather than start the process all over again.

“Melbourne is a rapidly growing, international city - it deserves consistency and continuity in its planning vision.

“Housing affordability, access to jobs, and transport are key issues across Melbourne; a comprehensive metropolitan strategy is crucial to joining the dots across different Government portfolios.”

Related: Melbourne a future Manhattan says Monash Architecture Studio

Related: Plan Melbourne: Vic government's 2050 vision for the city

New community consultation on Plan Melbourne will be completed by the second half of 2015.

The new plan is expected to be incorporated into the Planning Scheme in the first quarter of 2016.

Nathan Johnson

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