Planning & Development
The FRA Committee monitor major developments in Fitzroy. Contact us if you know of and are concerned about a development that will impact on you, your neighbours or the suburb.
The City of Yarra website provides some information to assist objectors. See also www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/planning/planning-applications and the kits provided through the National Trust.
The City of Yarra website also shows the current major developments under consideration.
Major developments currently before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) are also listed.
The FRA have also developed a Strategic Planning 101 Information Sheet to assist residents in understanding Council planning processes and procedures.
Important Planning Changes
Planning amendments and change is ongoing in the city of Yarra, the following is a summary of the major changes from the past 2 years and their current status:
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Design and Development Overlays (DDOs) – ONGOING
In September 2022 Yarra had a YourSay consultation on a suite of twelve in-development DDOs. The consultation includes height limits and set backs across Fitzroy and Collingwood. The FRA responded to this consultation as did many residents (500 responses were received). An updated set of DDOs was then put to the Planning Minister in December 2022. Despite numerous follow ups, these DDOs remain in draft.
After a strong campaign in early 2024 (following no action by the Planning Minister in over 18 months), the pressure applied by Council, Residents and the FRA resulted in the Minister approving the Overlays. These DDOs are now being advertised, so if you want to have your say, we encourage you to get involved. There are details on the Council Have Your Say website – responses close 5pm, 24 February 2025.
Remember, if the DDOs are adopted, they will set out the rules and expectations, which make it clear to ALL, what is acceptable and what is not when it comes to planning and development. Without these DDOs in place, we are continually seeing developers seek application for buildings that far exceed these requirements. This can be traumatic for residents and tiring for the community and Council to continually fight these. The DDOs will set a clear guideline to Developers so they know prior to purchasing land for development what is and is not acceptable. It also creates transparency for residents as to what may be built in the future around them.
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Yarra Statutory Planning Delegations (March 2022) – CLOSED
Significant changes were adopted in March 2022, the key one is that to force a planning decision to a Committee it must have more than 15 individual objectors. More details about these changes are available in our Changes to the Yarra Statutory Planning Delegations
Planning Applications
The FRA will consider making objections to developments where they reduce residential amenity, are not considerate to the environment or community, and / or are not in keeping with the character of Fitzroy. If you would like to alert us to a development, please contact us at info@fitzroyresidents.org.au
Objections made by the FRA over the past two years are listed below, along with their status and if applicable outcome:
430-434 George St, Fitzroy (PLN24/0255) – IN PROGRESS
Developers propose to build a 9 storey building on George Street (next to Min Lokal). This building is 4 storeys higher than the DDO allows. The DDO has lower height levels here because the houses to the north, west and south are residential. The development completely ignores the residential and historical character of the area. The DDOs need to be upheld and the 5 storey limit enforced. In addition, the buildings across the road and to the south of this building will experience a severe detriment to their wellbeing, with some of the houses having no sunlight at all in their gardens in winter and no privacy.
This application is open for objections: Lodge your objection now
74-84 Rose St, Fitzroy (PLN24/0738) – IN PROGRESS
Developers are again ignoring the Design and Development Overlay for the area. Here they argue that because they own 2 sites (one with a height limit of 6 storeys, and the other with a height limit of 4 storeys), that they should be able to ignore both, and develop 8-9 storeys. This building opposite the Fitzroy Mills will if built be larger than the Standard X Hotel on the other corner and completely dominate the area, not to mention completely engulfing the little church behind the building. Again we are arguing that the DDO must be upheld – 6 storeys for the main part of the block and 4 storeys at the front. We are also requesting consideration of any rooftop terrace to be only for residents and to have hours of use given the area is primarily residential.
This application is open for objections: Lodge your objection now
169-171 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy (PLN24/0889) – IN PROGRESS
On this site, developers are wanting to construct a building which is two storeys higher than the DDO allows.
This application is open for objections: Lodge your objections now
243-255 Smith Street, Fitzroy (PLN24/0516) – IN PROGRESS – VCAT
This site is the current Woolworths site. There is some merit in this building in that they will improve the front heritage (by restoring the windows) and that they will open up the front of the building so that it engages with Smith Street (windows will look into the store again). But like so many developers, everyone wants to push the envelope and this building is again 2 storeys over what the DDO allows. Here we simply want the building to be developed within the DDOs.
This application is now with VCAT for consideration.
155 Johnston St, Fitzroy (PLN23/0441) – IN PROGRESS – PLANNING MINISTER
Developers propose to build a 11+ storey building fronting Argyle and Young Streets behind the BP Service Station. The building is more than 2 storeys higher than allowed in the DDO and does not comply with the street wall height, the building set back requirements and the need to transition to lower built form. This results in an overbearing building that will significantly dominate its surroundings, including being visible from Brunswick Street. Already more than 18 residents have lodged objections. This development also poses a threat to the vibrancy of Fitzroy putting 40+ units on Young Street facing the live music venue the ‘Night Cat’. While we strongly favour housing development, the planning documentation calls out that the noise generated from such a venue is too loud for residential amenity. This is commercially zoned land and therefore should be more sympathetically designed to meet its surrounds. To read the full objection of the FRA, click here.
This development initially went to VCAT, but was called in by the Planning Minister. Sessions were held in December 2024 and we are now awaiting the Planning Minister’s decision.
224-228 Smith St, Collingwood (PLN22/0917) – IN PROGRESS
An oversized apartment building. The FRA has added its objection to this building because it sets a precedent for Fitzroy. The developers have ignored the proposed ‘Mandatory’ height and setback limits in the DDO. This makes a mockery of the DDOs and we feel they should be enforced. The setback at the rear is likely to create a wind tunnel and the building is not sympathetic to the heritage buildings around it. There were more than 56 objections. View the FRA objection here.
The initial development went to VCAT and after a fantastic campaign by residents and their advocate, VCAT supported residents and dismissed the application. The Developer is now working with residents to ensure that residential amenity is maintained. We continue to monitor but this is a great outcome for everyone.
151-159 Victoria Parade, Fitzroy (PLN22/0143) – ON HOLD
A mega 10 storey medical centre / hotel / hospital that dominates the corner of Victoria Parade and George Street. The FRA and 47 others lodged objection to this building on account of it being double the allowable height in the DDO, having insufficient setbacks and aggressive design, the development being in breach of the Neighbourhood Residential Zone, safety concerns with the design, residential amenity concerns caused by overshadowing, noise, wind tunnels and contamination, insufficient traffic or parking planning and is inconsistent with the heritage of the area.
It appears this development proposal has stalled. We continue to monitor the site.
St David Street, Fitzroy (PLN22/0992) – CLOSED – SUCCESSFUL
A six storey hotel with two bars catering for 152 people. The building is much larger than what is allowed on the site (under the proposed DDO) and potentially had traffic / safety implications for Exhibition St / wind tunnelling on St David St. Read the FRA Objection here.
The developers have now given up the hotel proposal and are seeking to build apartments on the site. This is in keeping with other developments in the area and supports more housing in Fitzroy. The work has not commenced so we continue to monitor the site.
235 Napier Street, Fitzroy (PLN21/0375.01) – CLOSED – SUCCESSFUL
A new proposed oversized hotel, restaurant, and café, with no parking in a residential area. The FRA opposed the size and setback of the building, the function of the building given the potential for reduced residential amenity (noise and disruption of hotel in a residential area), the lack of parking and therefore impact on surrounding area and most importantly on the safety of the community given the lack of planning around drop off and pick up of patrons on a bike commuter street. The site is now back up for sale after failing to obtain a permit. The approved permit for the site is a 6-storey set of apartments with parking. This is consistent with the other buildings on this side of Napier Street. View the FRA objection here
28 Johnston Street, Fitzroy (PLN22/0028) – CLOSED – SUCCESSFUL
Skinny 8 storey residential development and office. This building makes little sense given the surrounding buildings and was proposed to be a series of tiny apartments stacked upon each other. With over 34 objections, this matter went to VCAT and was decided in May 2023 in favour of the Yarra Council. View the FRA objection here
The FRA Committee welcomes and supports the role of individual members who along with their neighbours take on developments that impact on their residential amenity and more broadly Fitzroy’s liveability and sustainability.