Victorian Sites
Coastal Towns Design Frameworks
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Landscape Architect: Urban Initiatives Pty Ltd
Listed as A Case Study for the AILA's 2008 National Climate Change Project
Introduction
The Coastal Towns Design Framework is the largest urban design framework project to be conducted in regional Victoria. It comprises planning and design studies of 19 settlements and adjacent areas located along over 300 kilometres (approximately 40%) of Victoria’s coastline – extending from Robertson’s Beach to the east of Wilsons Promontory to Mallacoota near the NSW border. The project area also includes Metung, Paynesville, Lakes Entrance, Loch Sport and other towns within the Gippsland Lakes area.
The project was funded by the East Gippsland and Wellington Shire Councils, in association with the Department of Sustainability and Environment and the Gippsland Coastal Board. The project commenced in late 2004 and was completed in April 2007.
The project team comprised Meinhardt Infrastructure & Environment Pty Ltd as the lead consultant, together with Urban Initiatives Pty Ltd, Urban Futures Consulting, Saturn Corporate Resources Pty Ltd and Ecology Australia Pty Ltd.
The final output from the Coastal Towns Design Framework project comprises three volumes:
- Volume 1 contains the Strategic Regional Background Report, which provides a profile of the Wellington and East Gippsland municipalities and an overview of coastal development pressures.
- Volume 2 contains the Between Settlements Strategic Framework, which examines planning policy for areas outside of the 19 coastal settlements and the adequacy of existing policy to manage development pressures in those non-urban areas.
- Volume 3 contains the 19 individual Urban Design Frameworks. Through these Frameworks the project provides guidance on the location, type and extent of future development along the coast of the Wellington and East Gippsland Shires, with specific emphasis on the 19 nominated settlements. The Urban Design Frameworks assess the development needs and potential of each settlement and provide a sustainable vision for the future form, image and function of the settlements, thus giving greater certainty to the local communities and investors about what is possible and appropriate in terms of future development.
The development of Master Plans formed a key component of each Framework. For some of the more complex towns simple 3d computer simulation was undertaken to model built form and landscape development proposals. All design proposals were described, costed and prioritised over a 15 year time horizon giving Councils a comprehensive overview of the economic cost and benefit of the plans as well as a tool to plan implementation.
The understanding of local issues and aspirations for each settlement was gained from a comprehensive community engagement program that incorporated input and feedback opportunities at various stages of the project. The program included a community ‘road show’, design workshops, issue workshops and various displays and printed media.
Contact Urban Initiatives
In Melbourne: 143 Franklin Street Melbourne 3000 Victoria Australia
Telephone: +61 3 9329 6844 Facsimile: +61 3 9329 6336
http://www.urbaninitiatives.com.au
introduction / overview / images / location /Projects / Urban Initiatives
2008
