Carpark Rezoning Close to Conclusion

At the Boroondara Council's Urban Planning Delegated Committee (UPDC) meeting on 15 May 2023 the Amendment C385boro to rezone Serpells Lane carpark (399 Burwood Road) from Public Use Zone 6 (PUZ6) to Commercial 1 Zone (C1Z) was referred to a Council Meeting for adoption. The rezoning is required for the Council's intended sale of the land to “deliver key projects throughout Boroondara”.

A Council Officer’s report explained that “To facilitate the future sale of the land, the property must be rezoned to a more suitable zone to reflect the change from public ownership and to facilitate future redevelopment.”

The Council has received 67 submissions, among these were objections to loss of car park and sale of the site. At the UPDC meeting a group of local residents, including Julian Burnside AO KC, voiced their concerns for Council’s plans.

If Council can successfully rezone the land ahead of 1 July, they will avoid a new Windfall Gains Tax to be applied to rezoned land after that date. At this stage, there is no guarantee the land will be approved for rezoning before then, as the amendment still requires approval from the Minister of Planning.

The Council can still abandon the rezoning process and therefore the sale of the site, when Amendment C385boro is presented at Council Meeting.