by Gabriella Vukman
Tuesday’s council meeting saw the progression of the Monbulk town hall Urban Design Framework (UDF) to its next phase of consultation with the Minister for Planning.
After undergoing public consultation and exhibition between 2022 and 2023, the Monbulk UDF received extensive community feedback in the form of 448 submissions.
Monbulk and District Community Opportunities Working Group (MADCOW) committee member and speaker Aimee te Boekhorst said that she wanted to show her support for the amendment proposal for Monbulk.
“We’ve been advocating for the structural plan and the urban design framework for Monbulk for the past nine years,” Ms te Boekhorst said.
“I just wanted to publicly say we support the amendment, the action items from the structure plan and the UDF can progress and we’re really looking forward to seeing the things that will help the age-friendly housing diversity of our community.”
The objectives of the Monbulk Town Centre UDF are to ensure that the Main Road is a centre of pedestrian activity and to set the stepping stones for development in terms of changing the appearance and operation of the town centre.
A local planning policy is to be included for the Monbulk Township in the Planning Scheme.
During Tuesday’s meeting minutes, the go ahead for the council to seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning to proceed with the UDF scheme was given.
The efforts of MADCOW to work with the council to proceed with the UDF was acknowledged by Councillor David Eastham.
“I want to acknowledge that [Ms te Boekhorst]…and other members of MADCOW have been with the council every step of the way from the community plan to the structure plan, all of the work around the recreation reserve and right through to the UDF,” Cr Eastham said.
“The ongoing advocacy that you all do is just absolutely incredible and I don’t think Monbulk would be the township that it is without the work that you’ve all done.”
“I know there’s a mountain of work that you’re all doing in the Aging in Place resilience communities as well [Ms te Boekhorst] has given so much time for your community.”
