Morwell Activity Centre Plan

What is the project? 

Latrobe City Council is developing an activity centre plan for the Morwell Central Business District (CBD). Morwell is the last of Latrobe City’s four main towns to have an activity centre plan prepared.

Activity Centre Plans guide the major changes to land use, built form and public spaces that together can achieve economic, social and environmental objectives for the centre generally over a 15 year period.

Activity Centre Plans can help local government to:

  • provide greater certainty to the local community and investors about its expectations for the future form of development in its activity centres
  • manage change to ensure activity centres are attractive, vibrant areas to live, work and shop
  • ensure economic and social vitality of the area
  • make best use of council resources and focus council investment to best serve the community.

Who is involved?

Council has sought the assistance of hansen partnership Pty Ltd to assist in the preparation of the Urban Design and Built Form Plan and Movement and Place Consultancy Pty Ltd in the preparation the Transport Impact Assessment and Car Parking Strategy.  

Further background reports such as planning context, economic assessment and medium density housing assessment as well as the final Morwell Activity Centre Plan document will be undertaken by council officers.

What are the aims?

The Morwell Activity Centre Plan aims to plan for and develop a shared vision for the CBD of Morwell and to identify the type and scope of change projected over time. The plan will help manage, influence and facilitate change within the Morwell CBD.

The project aims to build upon the community’s desire to reactivate and redefine the Morwell CBD to be complementary, rather than competitive to the Mid Valley Shopping Centre. The intention is to also build upon the strategic work already completed for Morwell, such as the Morwell Structure Plan and Future Morwell, consolidating work and filling gaps to ensure the sustainable development of the Morwell Town Centre over the next 15 years.

What is the study area?

The study area for the Morwell Activity Centre contains all of the commercially zoned land to the south and the majority of the mixed use zoned land to the north. It is generally bounded by Fleming Street to the North, McDonald Road and White Street to the east, Elgin Street to the south and Jane Street and Maryvale Crescent to the west.

The study area is oddly shaped due to the inclusion of the full length of Maryvale Crescent down to (but not including) the Eric Lubke Yarra Gum Conservation Reserve  and the newly refurbished Morwell Recreation.

Morwell Activity Centre Plan Study Area Map

Current Stage

Stage 1 –  Research, Data collection and review and analysis of background information - Complete

Stage 2 – Development of a suite of Background Reports - Complete

Stage 2 of the Morwell Activity Centre Plan consisted of the preparation of a suite of background reports to inform the development of the Activity Centre Plan.
 
Background reports included:
  • Planning Context Report;
  • Economic Assessment;
  • Community Infrastructure Assessment;
  • Urban Design and Built Form Discussion Paper and Plan; and
  • Transport Assessment and Car Parking Strategy.
Council has sought the assistance of hansen partnership Pty Ltd to assist in the preparation of the Urban Design and Built Form Plan and Movement and Place Consultancy Pty Ltd in the preparation of the Transport Assessment and Car Parking Strategy. Initial key stakeholder engagement took place in September 2020 to seek feedback on the identified issues and opportunities within the CBD of Morwell.
 

Stage 3 – Development of the draft Morwell Activity Centre Plan (the Plan) - Complete

 
The recommendations from the background reports and the internal and external consultation undertaken during stage 2 have been vital with informing the development of the Plan. The Plans vision forms the basis of a framework which outlines key policy directions and important physical outcomes as they relate to the following:
  1. Land use and activity;
  2. Built form and development;
  3. Landscape and public realm; and
  4. Access and movement
The Plan also outlines a series of urban design guidelines to support the built form strategies.  
 
The draft Plan was completed in April 2022. The draft background reports and the draft Plan were presented to Council on 2 May 2022 where approval was sought to request Authorisation from the Minister for Planning to prepare and exhibit and Amendment to the Latrobe Planning Scheme to implement the land use and built form directions from the Plan.
 

Next Steps

Council officers are currently preparing amendment documentation. It is anticipated that the amendment will be out for formal exhibition in the latter half of 2022.

Have Your Say

Further information

For more information contact Leah Misiurka, Strategic Planner, 5128 6152 or email leah.misiurka@latrobe.vic.gov.au.

Do you like our site?