Stage 2 - Councils engage shared Sustainable Subdivision Advisor Resource

Mildura Rural City Council has joined forces with six other Victorian Councils, to push for more sustainable development outcomes in greenfield subdivisions, by employing a Sustainable Subdivisions Advisor, specialising in Environmentally Sustainable Subdivisions (ESD) to work across the seven partnering Councils including: the City of Greater Bendigo (lead Council), Ballarat City Council, City of Greater Geelong, Horsham Rural City Council, Mildura Rural City Council, Moorabool Shire Council and Warrnambool City Council.

Moving to Stage 2 of the Sustainable Subdivision Framework project, Simon Francis has been appointed as a dedicated shared resource for 12 months and will be hosted by the City of Greater Bendigo.

Simon will support planning staff from the participating Councils in assessing subdivision applications, utilising the Sustainable Subdivisions Framework (SSF) resources, whilst at the same time assisting developers to increase sustainable development outcomes, including encouraging a move towards all electric suburbs.

Although based in Bendigo, Simon will work with key officers from across Mildura Council and applicants to assess their subdivision applications (where these are greater than 15 lots) against the framework. For applicants with smaller subdivisions, we invite you to talk to us about opportunities to apply the Framework to your project/subdivision application.

For more information about the completed Stage 1 of the project please click here.

About the Sustainable Subdivisions Framework

How does the trial work?

For subdivision greater than 16 lots, Council planning staff will work with applicants to assess their subdivision applications against the Sustainable Subdivisions Framework (SSF). There is no additional application fee for developers to utilise the Sustainable Subdivision Advisor and resources.

We invite you to talk to us about opportunities to apply the SSF to your subdivision application. We acknowledge implementing any recommendations within the SSF is voluntary, we do however strongly encourage developers to utilise the SSF to frame your thinking when preparing the initial concept subdivision design and then implement opportunities identified during the detailed design process. We welcome all feedback on the SSF and welcome collaboration with the development community so we can improve the SSF and deliver beneficial outcomes for our community.

Why is a framework important?

The creation of a subdivision is the creation of a community. A subdivision is an opportunity to set up community life that will extend over many decades. The initial subdivision design represents an enormous opportunity to create fundamental conditions, for a sustainable and resilient community.

Despite clear objectives in existing planning policy seeking to influence sustainable design outcomes in the built environment, there is limited information regarding requirements and standards to support robust evaluation of subdivisions from a sustainability perspective.

The long-term nature of subdivision planning is now set against a backdrop where our climate is fundamentally changing. Many councils are planning population growth for the next 20-30 years, in some cases via Precinct Structure Plans, and are currently considering how these communities might contribute to achieving the 2050 net zero emissions target identified in the Victorian Climate Change Act.

What will the Framework achieve?

The SSF seeks to mitigate the impact of future climate projection scenarios, by creating sustainable and liveable subdivisions that can adapt to the changing climate. The SSF identifies seven categories that can assist in creating environmentally sustainable subdivisions. 

These are:

1. Site Layout and Liveability
2. Streets and Public Realm
3. Energy
4. Ecology
5. Integrated Water Management (IWM)
6. Urban Heat
7. Circular Economy (Materials and Waste)

The seven SSF categories each include objectives and measurable standards to facilitate stronger sustainability outcomes and apply innovation and implementation considerations to all categories.

For further detailed information about the Sustainable Subdivisions Framework, please visit the Sustainable Subdivisions - The Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE).  From the website you can access an extensive array of resources to support the SSF, including a copy of the SSF itself and sample submission requirements.  A series of case studies are also available from the website.