Boronia Renewal Project (Amendment C192knox)

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The Boronia Renewal Project addresses key social and economic issues that impact on service and infrastructure delivery in Boronia. It sets out strategic planning strategies and built form controls for future land use in the Boronia Major Activity Centre.

About the project

The project is currently on exhibition, refer to Council’s Have Your Say page

Boronia has been identified by the State Government as a Major Activity Centre.

This means it should provide a focal point for services, employment, housing, public transport and social interaction.

The Boronia Renewal Project responds to this by:

addressing key social and economic challenges
coordinating the planning and design phases for infrastructure and service delivery
planning policies and built form controls for future land use in the Boronia Major Activity Centre.

Activity centres and urban renewal

A Major Activity Centre is a mixed-use urban area for commercial and other land uses. It attracts people for shopping, working, studying, recreation or socializing.

Urban renewal involves updating an area to improve local jobs, investment, and housing. It can mean:

rezoning land
improving facilities
redevelopment
identifying transport and infrastructure needs.

Boronia Renewal Strategy 2019 (revised 2021)

A key part of the Boronia Renewal Project is the Boronia Renewal Strategy 2019 (revised 2021)

The strategy provides a framework for growth over the next 20 years.

About the strategy

The strategy focuses on five themes:

economic development and investment
land use and built form
movement and access
public spaces
community wellbeing and infrastructure.

The strategy also aims to redefine the Boronia Major Activity Centre Boundary.

Read the Boronia Renewal Strategy

Council adopted the strategy on 23 August 2021 and resolved to request authorisation from the Minister for Planning to begin the Planning Scheme Amendment C192knox which will include community consultation on the strategy. This strategy is subject to further changes in response to feedback from the community and the Department of Transport and Planning.

The Boronia Renewal Strategy 2019 (revised 2021), once finalised, will supersede the current Boronia Structure Plan 2006, which was adopted by Council in October 2006 and updated in March 2012.

About the Amendment C192knox

Amendment C192knox seeks to implement the objectives and strategies of the Boronia Renewal Strategy 2019 (revised 2021) through the application of local policies, changes to zones and overlays, and other consequential changes to the Knox Planning Scheme. Notably, a new Design and Development Overlay - Schedule 10 will be applied to proposed Precincts 1, 2 and 3 of the Major Activity Centre.The land affected by the amendment is the Boronia Major Activity Centre as shown on the following map:

Boronia map

Subject to receiving ministerial authorisation, the amendment and the strategy will be placed on public exhibition.

Exhibition and submissions

Following the receipt of conditional authorisation from the Minister for Planning, the amendment has been placed on exhibition. The exhibition of the amendment commenced on Monday 6 March 2023.

Any person can make a submission in relation to the amendment, before 5:00 pm on Thursday 13 April 2023.

The exhibition of the amendment and the Renewal Strategy is currently available via Council’s Have your Say.

How to inspect the amendment

You can inspect a copy of the amendment at the following locations:

Online - Department of Transport and Planning website
In-person - Customer Service building and planning counter
Knox City Council Civic Centre
511 Burwood Highway, Wantirna South
(Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm, subject to COVID-19 restrictions)

Have Your Say and how to make a submission

Submissions must be made in writing with the following:

the submitters name and contact address
clearly state clearly stating the grounds on which the Amendment is supported or opposed
indicate what changes (if any) the submitter wishes to make.

Submissions can be submitted via:

Have Your Say - Boronia Renewal Project
Email - psamendments@knox.vic.gov.au
Mail - Attention: Submission to Amendment C189knox
City Strategy and Planning
City Futures Department
Knox City Council
Reply Paid 70243
Wantirna South VIC 3152

What happens next

Council will consider the submissions in a Council meeting and/or public hearing. Submitters will be notified if the opportunity to attend.

We will make a copy of every submission for any person to inspect until the end of the 2 months after the amendment comes into operation or lapses.

Submissions will be disclosed in full the Council consultants (if applicable) who will make recommendations to Council regarding the submissions.

Council and the state government may also publish submissions on their websites, provide copies of submissions, and make publicly available lists of submissions.

Submissions may be disclosed in a report to Council which will by virtue of the Local Government Act 1989, be available to the public for an extended period.

Timeline

Find out more about the chronology of the Boronia Renewal Project.

Date	Action	Minutes
11 September 2017	Council endorsed the Boronia Renewal Project key stage and timeline at Strategic Planning Committee	SPC minutes
23 April 2018	Council endorsed the Boronia Renewal Project Community Engagement Program at Council meeting	Council minutes
22 October 2018	Council endorsed the “draft Boronia Renewal Strategy 2018 for consultation purposes”	Council minutes
26 August 2019	Council resolved to seek authorisation to prepare and exhibit the Amendment C178knox to the Knox Planning Scheme. (Amendment C178knox was ultimately abandoned and replaced by Amendment C192knox).	Council minutes
16 December 2019	Council adopted a series of background report to the Boronia Renewal Project, including the Community Engagement Report	Council minutes
23 August 2021	Council resolved to seek authorisation to prepare and exhibit the Amendment C192knox to the Knox Planning Scheme.	Council minutes
6 March 2023 – 13 April 2023	The Boronia Renewal Strategy and Amendment C192knox are placed on exhibition

Related projects

Council is currently involved in other Boronia-based projects to support the Boronia Renewal Project as part of Building a better Boronia.

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257 Dorset Road

This site is currently vacant following the demolition of the Boronia Youth Hall.

The long-term use of the site has not yet been determined. In the meantime, the site is available to the public as a temporary open space.

We consulted with the local community on how the space can be used. Based on feedback, the following have been installed:

seating
planter boxes
plants.

The future of this site will be determined at a later stage once the Boronia Renewal Strategy is finalised.

Lupton Way

Council sought community feedback in early 2020 on a concept plan to inform the development of a detailed design for Lupton Way.

Council implemented the design to improve the accessibility of Lupton Way, so that the space is more inviting and pedestrian friendly. The project was delivered in 2022.

Boronia Retail Precinct Crime Prevention Project

This project resulted in the purchase and installation of an upgraded CCTV system in Boronia. The CCTV system aims to deter crime, reduce graffiti and anti-social behaviour and improve the communities’ perception of safety.

The project was delivered in 2019.

Delivering a safer, more secure Boronia

In 2018, Council officers ran a community safety audit for areas near Boronia train station. This was a joint initiative with Victoria Police and the members of the community.

The aim was to discover where could be made safer with lighting and other potential solutions.

The project resulted in the installation of solar lighting and bollards, in particular along Orchid Ave and Tormore Reserve and the western side of the train station in 2019.

Commuter Car Park, Boronia

The Federal Government announced funding for Boronia in 2019 to increase the capacity of park and ride facilities.

This project is managed by the Victorian Level Crossing Removal Project under the Commuter Car Park Program.

Suburban Revitalisation Fund

In July 2020, the Victorian Government announced funding support to co-invest in Boronia works and upgrades. Additional funding were also provided in 2021 and 2022 to enable the delivery of several projects as part of the Building a better Boronia.

Council will keep engaging with the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions to identify projects and works to benefit Boronia.

Big Move Project: Boronia Train Station Redevelopment Concept

Following feedback received during the Boronia Renewal Project, the draft Boronia Renewal Strategy 2019 (revised 2021) identified the train station precinct redevelopment as crucial to helping deliver the vision of the Strategy. Feedback also identified the need for improvements and potential renewal of public assets within the train station precinct.

Council was successful in obtaining funding under the Streamlining for Growth fund in 2019 to prepare a concept plan for the train station precinct.

More information

These documents are subject to further changes through the planning scheme amendment process (Amendment C192knox):

Information leaflets

Need help?

Lodge a request with Strategic Planning and we will get back to you.

Or call our City Futures team on 9298 8000.