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East Brunswick Village

The East Brunswick Village is a 3.1 hectare site located between Nicholson Street and John Street (east-west) and Albert Street and Glenlyon Road (north-south).

The site comprises a number of land parcels and will be undergoing a significant redevelopment in the coming years to facilitate buildings of up to six storeys in scale and comprising a mix of land uses, including a new supermarket, offices, shops and dwellings.

Axonometric View of the proposed built form massing within the East Brunswick Village (Source: Approved Development Plan – Jam Architects 27/07/12)Axonometric View of the proposed built form massing within the East Brunswick Village. (Source: Approved Development Plan – Jam Architects 27/07/12)

Background information

Amendment C92 to the Merri-bek Planning Scheme

Amendment C92 to the Merri-bek Planning Scheme came into operation on 20 January 2011 to facilitate the creation of a new Neighbourhood Activity Centre on the land generally bordered by Nicholson Street, Glenlyon Road, John Street and Albert Street, Brunswick East, (including the subject site), described as ‘the Precinct’.

The planning scheme amendment underwent a comprehensive public exhibition process and consideration of all submissions by an expert state appointed planning panel.

Under Amendment C92, industrially zoned land was rezoned to Business 1 and 2 Zone (now Commercial 1 Zone) to facilitate a mix of retail, commercial, residential and community uses within the precinct, consistent with the Brunswick Structure Plan.

The Amendment also applied an Environmental Audit Overlay to the majority of the land. As part of Amendment C92, Schedule 11 to the Development Plan Overlay (DPO11) was introduced to the Merri-bek Planning Scheme.

DPO11 details requirements for the preparation of Development Plan(s) to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority to guide the future development of the precinct.

DPO11 can be accessed on Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure website.

Map of area affected by DPO11 (Source: Merri-bek Planning Scheme)

Map of area affected by DPO11 (Source: Merri-bek Planning Scheme)

Development Plan Overlay: Exemption from notice and review

Clause 43.04-2 of the Development Plan Overlay states that:

An application under any provision of this scheme which is generally in accordance with the development plan is exempt from the notice requirements of Section 52(1)(a), (b) and (d),the decision requirements of Section 64(1), (2) and (3) and the review rights of Section 82(1) of the Act.

This means that statutory public notice is exempt and third parties do not have the right to appeal Council’s decision at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for any planning permit application within the DPO11 area that is generally in accordance with an approved development plan. Nevertheless, Council, at its meeting on 8 March 2017, resolved to conduct informal public notification.

Current approvals

East Brunswick Village Development Plan

Under Clause 43.04-1 of the Development Plan Overlay, a permit must not be granted to use land, construct a building or construct or carry out works until a development plan has been prepared to the satisfaction of the Responsible Authority.

The East Brunswick Village (EBV) Development Plan was endorsed by Council on 4 October 2012 as satisfying the DPO11 requirements for the preparation of a Development Plan for part of the precinct. The endorsed EBV Development Plan prescribes building envelopes, requirements for public realm works, vehicle and pedestrian circulation, ESD expectations and developer contributions. It guides the future development of 31,221 square metres, (63 per cent) of the precinct, including the precinct’s largest land parcels.

Endorsement of the EBV Development Plan occurred after public consultation, Council consideration and a review by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Endorsed Development Plan documents

* This document has been superseded. The updated document is listed below under Relevant documents.

Amendment to East Brunswick Village Development Plan

An application to amend the East Brunswick Village Development Plan was approved by VCAT on 21 February 2018. The key changes to the development plan include:

  • Modifications to the layout of buildings within the site, including new building separations
  • Realignment of pedestrian and vehicular links
  • An extension to the extent of the six storey built form adjacent to Elm Grove
  • Changes to the basement circulation plan, including an increase to the basement size and introduction of additional basement entry locations
  • Changes to frontage types and land use allocations for buildings north of ‘Main Street', and
  • Modifications to staging.

Relevant documents

Planning Permit MPS/2013/979

Planning permit MPS/2013/979 was issued on 8 April 2015 and allowed a two-stage redevelopment of the land at 127 – 137, 139 and part of 149 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East comprising three 5 storey buildings and four 6 storey buildings located over two basement levels containing dwellings, a supermarket, retail premises and offices.

Artist Impression of ‘Main Street’ within core of East Brunswick Village (Source: Jam Architects 29 September 2016)

Artist Impression of ‘Main Street’ within core of East Brunswick Village
(Source: Jam Architects 29 September 2016)

Relevant documents:

Planning Permit MPS/2013/979

An amendment to planning permit MPS/2013/979 was issued on 2 March 2017 and subsequently amended at the direction of VCAT in September 2017.

Relevant documents

Stage 1 endorsed plans:

Planning Permit MPS/2013/979/C

Council, at its 25 July 2018 Planning and Related Matters Meeting, resolved to support an amendment to the planning permit.

The amendment allows:

  • An amendment to the description of land to which the permit applies to refer to 127-151 Nicholson Street
  • Development of the former Pacific Laundry site for 3 new buildings (Lots 8, 9 and 10) with associated vehicle and pedestrian links, to be constructed as part of Stage 3 of the development
  • Modifications to the form and layout of Lots 3 and 4
  • Modifications to the layout of dwellings in Lots 1 and 2
  • Extension and modifications to the basement, and
  • Consequential amendments to the plans, what the permit allows and conditions.

Relevant documents

* This document has been superseded. The updated document is listed below under Relevant documents.

Planning Permit MPS/2013/979/D

An amendment to planning permit MPS/2013/979/C was issued on 12 December 2019.  The amendment allows:

Condition 2(a)(iii) is amended from:  

  • A temporary car park on the ground floor general within the are of Lot 4 shown on plan number TP16, and as depicted on the plan titled ‘Lot 4 Temporary Car Park layout’ received by Council 12 July 2018 which includes details including surface treatment, line parking and temporary landscaping treatment.

To:

  • A temporary car park on the ground floor general within the area of Lots 6 and 7 in plan number TP05 and TP16 revision R3 dated 17/10/2019, received by Council 22/10/2019 which includes details of the surface treatment and line marking.

Condition 2(a)(iv) is amended from:  

  • The temporary fencing (as shown on TP16) modified to fully enclose Stage 3 (excluding the car park area) and include fence Type 2 along the southern side of Lot 3 at a minimum.

To:

  • The temporary fencing (as shown on TP16) modified to fully enclose Stage 2 (excluding the car park area).

 Relevant documents

Live applications

Planning Permit Application for 127-151 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East - MPS/2013/979/E

A planning application was received on 20 July 2020 proposing to amend Planning Permit MPS/2013/979/D in the following follows:

Council has not yet made a decision on this application.

Nicholson Street Tram Upgrades

At its meeting on 11 July 2018, Council considered a report regarding the Yarra Trams Route 96 Tram Improvement Project - Nicholson Street, Brunswick East. You can view the report and Council resolution from Council's minutes and past agendas page.

The Council report provides background to the project along with plans for the project. More information can be found on the Public Transport Victoria website.

Further information about East Brunswick Village

For further information about this site contact Council Planning Services.

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