In late August, the State Government gazetted Amendment VC139. For regular development applicants, the most significant change contained in VC 139 are the new Apartment Design Guidelines for Victoria.
The Apartment Design Guidelines have been created as a companion to the recently introduced Better Apartment Design Standards and are now listed as a reference document within the State Planning Provisions.
Permit applicants seeking planning permission for apartment projects can review the new Apartment Design Guidelines for assistance in interpreting the following Objectives and Standards:
| Objective | Clause(s) | Standard(s) |
| Energy efficiency | 58.03-1 & 55.07-1 | D6 & B35 |
| Communal open space | 58.03-2 & 55.07-2 | D7 & B36 |
| Solar access to communal outdoor open space | 58.03-3 & 55.07-3 | D8 & B37 |
| Landscaping | 58.03-5 | D10 |
| Integrated water & stormwater management | 58.03-8 & 55.07-5 | D13 & B39 |
| Building setback | 58.04-1 | D14 |
| Noise impacts | 58.04-3 & 55.07-6 | D16 & D40 |
| Accessibility | 58.05-1 & 55.05-6 | D17 & B41 |
| Building entry & circulation | 58.05-2 & 55.07-8 | D18 & B42 |
| Private open space | 58.05-3 | D19 |
| Storage objective | 58.05-4 & 55.07-10 | D20 & B44 |
| Waste and recycling | 58.06-3 & 55.07-11 | D23 or B45 |
| Functional layout | 58.07-1 & 55.07-12 | D24 & B46 |
| Room depth | 58.07-2 & 55.07-13 | D25 or B47 |
| Windows | 58.07-3 & 55.07-14 | D26 & B48 |
| Natural ventilation | 58.07-4 & 55.07-15 | D27 & B49 |
As a ‘reference document’ the weight that can be given to the new Guidelines by decision makers is limited, however it does provide a useful tool for applicants seeking to understand how Council and VCAT is likely to interpret the above Objectives and Standards.
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