Workshop Map and Participant Guide

Registration

Slide Show: Introduction

The Rowville Plan

Looking Back: Workshop #1

Today’s Discussion: Evaluating Options

What’s Next: Future Schedule

HOUSING & DEVELOPMENT

TRANSPORT

BUILT & NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

COMMUNITY SERVICES

OTHER ISSUES

Input Collection & Feedback

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The Rowville Plan The Rowville Plan is a strategic document that will set out a vision and direction for the Stud Park Shopping Centre and surrounding neighbourhoods over the next 20 years.

One of the main purposes of this document is to provide more certainty about the type and location of development expected in Rowville over the long term. The Plan will also examine a range of other issues to help guide decisions related to future infrastructure needs and the provision of community services.

Why We Need Your Input

The Rowville Plan won’t solve all things for all time, but the process of planning is important. We must continually ask questions about what is changing, what we need, and who can deliver successful outcomes.

The community plays a critically important role in helping set the agenda, planning for and delivering the future of Rowville. It’s important to understand what Council can deliver and what the community can do.

Council needs the community’s participation to understand what’s important, set priorities, establish partnerships to assist in making well-informed decisions

Developing the Rowville Plan Planning for the future of a suburb is no simple task. Rowville is a dynamic place where over

30,000 people live, work, and play – each with their own aspirations and ideas about the future. The purpose of the Rowville Plan is to help guide decisions on a wide range of issues important to Rowville’s future, from housing and development to infrastructure and community services.

Each decision has impacts on many issues. The challenges Rowville faces are not easily

separated from each other. Each issue is related to other issues, so that making a decision on one affects the outcomes of another. For example, to provide answers on the effects of higher density development, we must as questions about housing, neighbourhood character, traffic, infrastructure, population, & more.

We have developed a process to help sort through all of the issues that the Rowville Plan must consider, and allows for community input at each stage.

1. Develop List of Issues The Rowville Plan must consider a range of issues, since decisions on one issue affect many others. We have developed a list of key issues based on previous plans for the area and input from the community.

2. Determine a Priority for Each Issue Every suburb, neighbourhood, and community is unique, with it’s own set of aspirations and concerns. In order to provide guidance and balance competing priorities, it is important to understand which of these issues are the most important for Rowville.

3. Define Successful Outcomes for Each Issue It is important for Council and the community to have a shared understanding of what a good and bad outcome looks like when discussing the future of Rowville. We have worked with the community to describe ‘poor,’ ‘acceptable,’ and ‘excellent’ outcomes for each of the key issues.

4. Develop Options The first three steps together can be used as a tool to evaluate different options for Rowville’s future. One of the first key decisions that the Rowville Plan will help guide is what type of development is expected and appropriate in the shopping centre and surrounding neighbourhoods.

5. Evaluate Options against Each Issue When evaluating options, it’s critical to consider how each one stacks up against the full range of issues, not just one or two key questions. We will use our definitions of successful outcomes as a reference point for evaluating the pros and cons of the different options for each issue.

6. Select Preferred Option Once we have worked through each of the five steps above, we will use the information to help make decisions. We will combine what we learn about community priorities, shared definitions of success, and an evaluation for each option that covers all of the issues into a single framework that can help us make balanced, well-informed decisions about the future direction of Rowville.

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We Are Here

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Looking Back – Workshop #1, March 2013 The first Rowville Plan Community Workshop was held on Wednesday 13 March 2013. Over 85 members of the community, Councillors, and Council staff talked about the issues important to Rowville’s future.

The list of key issues below was compiled from several different sources:

• Key principles of the previous Stud Park Structure Plan

• Learnings from Council’s recent Knox@50 project

• Guidance from the Rowville Community Reference Group

• Council research including new 2011 Census data

• Community input from Workshop #1 in March 2013

Issues the Rowville Plan Should Consider A diverse mix of retail, activities, and services

Main Street shopping, cafes, and restaurants

Town Square, community hub, or other civic space

A variety of housing sizes and types

Housing affordability Supply of social housing Safe, convenient public

transport Safe, high-quality walking

and cycling facilities

Traffic congestion and parking

Parks, recreational facilities, and open space

Native flora and fauna Flood protection and

stormwater management

Design and character of buildings

Leafy streetscapes and views to the Dandenongs

Privacy, overlooking, and overshadowing

Community connectedness, village

feel, local living

Community participation in decision making and

partnerships

Local employment and job skills training

Equal access to services, resources, and

technology

Innovative and sustainable buildings

Social isolation and mental health

Activities and services for aged residents and

people with disabilities

Activities and services for young people

Activities and services for aboriginal & multicultural

communities

Access to affordable, healthy, nutritious food

Active healthy lifestyles and supporting infrastructure

Public safety Community Arts

Looking Back – Workshop #1, March 2013 The first Community Workshop included two main activities designed to collect information that will help build a decision-making framework for the Rowville Plan. Participants voted for their priority issues and helped develop definitions for successful outcomes for Rowville’s future for each of these issues.

What We’ve Heard: Community Priorities We have asked the community to help identify the top priority issues for Rowville’s future. We collected 5,189 issue votes from 599 people, which includes input from Workshop #1, meetings with stakeholder groups and Council advisory committees, and our on-line and paper survey. The chart here shows the total votes for higher priority in green and lower priority in red.

No view was unanimous – every issue received some high votes and some low votes. This illustrates the challenge in balancing many different competing priorities, and is one reason it is important to develop a shared reference point based on a common understanding of the issues.

Council will work to combine what we have heard from the community with current Council policies, goals, and research to provide a balanced approach to addressing priorities in the Rowville Plan.

Looking Back – Workshop #1, March 2013 During the second activity, we asked community members at Workshop #1 to help define what ‘poor’, ‘acceptable’, and ‘excellent’ outcomes might look like in Rowville for each issue.

Example: Privacy, Overlooking, & Overshadowing Description of a ‘Poor’ Outcome

Description of an ‘Acceptable’ Outcome

Description of an ‘Excellent’ Outcome

What we heard from the community: transcribed input from activity at Workshop #1

•Setbacks that do not allow reasonable space for screening options (i.e. built form to the boundary)

•Building over 2 storey and building high density buildings

•Buildings greater than 2 storey other than commercial areas

•Gardens and private open space is negatively impacted to the point where persons do not feel safe and secure in their own home

•Having neighbours property shadow and block solar panels on own property

•Having someone being able to look into your back yard

•Higher fencing than 2.1 metres

•Maximum 2 storey buildings (x 2)

•No high rise

•No one to see into your back yard

•No overshadowing or over looking

•Too much privacy with high fences, etc blocking view from neighbour can lead to too much crime. Create a more friendly neighbourhood instead

•No overshadowing

•Protection against development that overshadows neighbouring houses

•Enough distance for high plants, screens

•At least 3 metres set back between properties and plant high narrow plants for screening using opaque glass for windows on that side

•No one can see into your property

•No buildings over –shadow your property

•Reduction of high density so there is no overlooking and overshadowing

Working definitions that aim to balance community views and incorporate Council input

•Setbacks do not allow space for screening options

•Buildings over 2 storeys in residential neighbourhoods which allow views into back yards or cast shadows on adjacent property and/or solar panels

•Loss of privacy means people do not feel safe and secure in their own home

•Too many high fences blocking views that could lead to crime, safety concerns

•Limited overshadowing of private open space in some areas, but no direct overlooking permitted (e.g. prevented with tall planting, fencing over 2.1 metres, and/or opaque glass for side windows)

•No overshadowing or overlooking of properties from adjacent buildings (e.g. planting, screening and/or opaque glass for side windows

•At least 3 metres set back between properties

•A friendly neighbourhood that allows people to interact with and keep an eye out for each other

What We’ve Heard: Defining Outcomes We collected a wide range of ideas from the community across many different issues. For some issues, people generally agreed on what a poor or an excellent outcome might look like. But for others it wasn’t so clear – what some people defined as excellent, others defined as poor outcome for Rowville.

Balancing different visions for the future of Rowville is a key challenge for Council. We may not reach 100% agreement within the community about every issue. But the process of talking through the issues in the Rowville Plan will help us all work together to find balanced solutions for Rowville’s future.

Today’s Exercise: Evaluating Options One of the first things the Rowville Plan will support is changes to the Knox Planning Scheme which will provide additional guidance to Council, residents, developers on the size, type, and shape of development supported in the areas of Rowville in and around the Stud Park Shopping Centre.

The land use options here are described in terms of the amount of change expected in existing residential neighbourhoods over the next 20 years. The categories below describe a range of possible future conditions for Rowville, from lowest change to highest . Council has commenced a wider review of the Knox Housing Policy, which will examine residential change across all of Knox. While the descriptions of change in Rowville Plan may be different from those across the rest of Knox, the Rowville Plan will provide important guidance on how the new Housing Policy will be applied in Rowville.

Lowest Change

Lower Change

Higher Change

Highest Change

Opportunity Sites

Low-intensity development to preserve existing neighbourhood character. Only one- and two-storey detached dwellings and dual-occupancies are supported in these areas.

Generally preserve and enhance the existing neighbourhood character while allowing for some gradual change over time. One and two storey detached dwellings and dual occupancies are preferred, some villa units and townhouses may occur on larger sites. Apartments will not be supported in these areas

Allows for a mix of housing types. Detached dwellings are replaced in the long-term, with two or three two-storey villa units. Two storey villa units and dual occupancies are preferred. Some townhouses and apartments of up to three stories may occur on larger sites.

Allows for higher density dwellings and mixed-use buildings with on-site car parking. Detached dwellings and dual occupancies are expected to be replaced over the long-term with a mix of villa units, townhouses and apartments. Taller buildings over 3 storeys may be allowed on specific sties

Sites where a mix of uses is encouraged, which may include a residential component. Larger sites, typically with direct access to major roads and public transport, which can support the highest intensity of uses.

Land Use Options for Evaluation Stud Park Structure Plan

The 2010 Stud Park Structure Plan supported a more intensive pattern of development in the neighbourhoods nearest the shopping centre.

Highest Change

• Opportunity Sites, Stud Road, Stamford Crescent

Higher Change

• Residential areas inside the activity centre

Lower Change

• All residential areas outside the activity centre

In 2010, Council decided that the Stud Park Structure Plan did not a feasible option for future land use changes in Rowville. It is included to provide a comparison with other options.

Land Use Options Option A

This option calls for a reduction in the amount of change across the study area compared to the 2010 Stud Park Structure Plan.

Highest Change

• Opportunity Sites only

Higher Change

• Residential lots immediately fronting Stud Road

Lower Change

• Areas within the activity centre

Lowest Change

• All residential areas outside the activity centre

Option B

In this option, most of the residential neighbourhoods in the study area are designated for the ‘Lowest’ level of change in Rowville. Most development would be restricted to one or two units on a lot.

Highest Change

• Opportunity Sites only

Higher Change

• Opportunity Sites only

Lower Change

• Residential lots immediately fronting Stud Road

Lowest Change

• All other residential areas

Today’s Exercise: Evaluating Options The two land use options below were developed in conjunction with the Rowville Community Reference Group as potential alternatives for consideration in the Rowville Plan. These options serve as inputs into a number of technical studies, including a transport and stormwater management, which will help assess the potential impacts on infrastructure of future residential development

The orange areas in all three options represent ‘opportunity sites’ that may be suitable for higher-density residential, commercial, or mixed use development in the future. The development potential on these sites is considered to be the same for each option. Council has been meeting with the landowners of these sites to understand their potential for development, and will address each site individually in the Rowville Plan.

Today’s Exercise: Evaluating Options We would like you to help us start to evaluate the three different land use options against the whole range of issues. In order to understand how each option performs overall, we must start by examining them one issue at a time. That way, we can build up a broad understanding that will allow us to make more informed decisions about the future.

The instructions below describe the type of questions we’ll be asking you today. As you move through the next few stations, please free to talk with Council staff about your ideas and any questions. Please record your thoughts in the sheets provided and we will collect them.

Evaluation Process Stud Park

Structure Plan Option A Option B

Issue A Poor? Acceptable? Excellent?

Poor? Acceptable? Excellent?

Poor? Acceptable? Excellent?

1. Pick an issue that you believe are important to the future of Rowville. Do you think each option will contribute to a poor, acceptable, or excellent outcome for this issue? Use the definitions of each outcome as a reference point.

2. Rate the outcome from 1 to 5, with 1 = a poor outcome for that issue and 5 = an excellent outcome for that issue.

3. Tell us why rated each option the way you have. What factors played a part in your decision? How do different levels of change for development affect this issue?

4. If you’re not sure how to rate this issue, tell us why. What information could Council provide to help

What’s Next: Future Schedule After today’s workshop, the Council will take all of the input we have heard from the community about priorities, outcomes, options, and your evaluation of the issues and put them together in an evaluation framework, as shown below. This framework allows us to calculate an overall score for each option, which includes a weighing of the issues according to the shared priorities of Council and the community.

This won’t give us one right answer for Rowville – we’ve seen that the issues are too complex for it to be that easy. But it will help us answer questions about how each option balances different issues, which can help guide better informed decisions.

Shared Priorities Weight Highest Priority Issues 5

4

3

2

Lowest Priority Issues 1

Evaluation Results Score Excellent Outcome 5

Acceptable Outcome 3

Poor Outcome 1

Rowville Plan Next Steps Jun – Sept 2013 Oct – Dec 2013 Early 2014 Late 2014

Develop Draft Rowville Plan and accompanying Planning Scheme Amendment, report both documents to Knox Council, and request permission from Minister for Planning to begin public exhibition of both Public exhibition of the Rowville Plan and amendment. The community will have the opportunity to provide comments on both documents. Work through community comments and develop final Rowville Plan and accompanying Planning Scheme Amendment, report to Council, and present to Minister for Planning for approval Anticipated adoption of Planning Scheme Amendment which will formally implement the Rowville Plan

Combined Evaluation Stud Park

Structure Plan Option A Option B

Issues

…

OVERALL RATING

Poor Outcome

Acceptable Outcome

Excellent Outcome

Variety of Housing Sizes & Types

•No variety to cater to needs of different needs, ages, incomes •Too few restrictions on type and size, high-density in existing residential areas

•Increase in number of smaller dwellings, with preference for two-story houses, granny flats, dual occupancies, and town houses

•Balanced community with variety of different housing types & sizes for many needs, ages, etc •Higher density development near shops, not neighbourhoods

Diverse Mix of Retail, Activities & Services at Stud Park

•Reduced viability, empty shops, high rent, minimal investment •Stud Park expands to be too big,, like another Knox City or Waverly Gardens

•Small-scale upgrades to shops, mostly aesthetic improvements •Some new shops /more variety •Some new activities in existing spaces, but few new venues

•Large-scale expansion of size & type of shops, restaurants, entertainment, activities •Don’t need to leave Rowville for most shopping needs

Community Connectedness, Village Feel, Local Living

•Few places to gather, eat, chat •Don’t know your neighbours, people don’t help each other out •Disputes, disrespect, disconnect

•Shops, services, recreation are within 5-minues of most homes •Safe, peaceful lifestyle where people know and help each other

•Many different places to meet, and participate in activities •Can shop locally for most needs •Strong community feel and links

Sample Influencing Factors for Evaluating Options Variety of Housing Sizes & Types

• Lone Person and Couples Without Children fastest growing HH type since 2001 • Population growth in Rowville slowing, but household size decreasing • Dwellings with less than 3 bedrooms make up only 4.5% of Rowville dwellings • Since 2001, median house price is up 127% while median income is up 55%

Diverse Mix of Retail, Activities & Services at Stud Park

•New Rowville Library and Proposed Bus Interchange is part of long-term vision for future development of Stud Park shopping centre • Timing of future development at Stud Park depends on number of customers

Community Connectedness, Village Feel

• Knox@50 participants identified the desire for living, working and playing in the local area: maintaining village feel, knowing neighbours, reducing travel • Stamford Park project represents major opportunity for new community space in Rowville that could serve many different users and activities

Housing and Development

Stud Park Structure Plan Option A Option B

Lowest Change

Lower Change

Higher Change

Highest Change

Opportunity Sites

Poor Outcome

Acceptable Outcome

Excellent Outcome

Walking & Cycling •Gaps in cycle & footpath network •Barriers for pedestrians including poor crossings of main roads •Lack of funding for maintenance

•Connect missing links in paths •Safe, convenient walking access to activities & services •Better facilities & safety

•New off-road cycle connections that connect to regional network •Improved safety & priority for bicycle and pedestrians over cars

Public Transport •Buses not convenient, don’t go to enough places, poor connections •Feel isolated due to poor access •Reduced viability of Rowville Rail

•Convenient, safe for many different users and ages •Improvements to existing bus services, vehicles, and stops •Rowville Rail still under study

•All homes, schools, businesses within 400m (5 min) of bus •Bus interchange at Stud Park •More places accessible by bus •Better viability for Rowville Rail

Traffic & Parking •Severe congestion at intersections and into neighbourhood estates •Difficult to find parking , increased congestion from on-street parking

•Some congestion on main roads and residential streets •Restricted on-street parking with improved enforcement

•Reduced traffic on main roads •Increase in requirement for on-site parking for new residential developments (less on-street)

Sample Influencing Factors for Evaluating Options Walking & Cycling • Crossing of Stud Road and Fulham Road represent existing barriers for

pedestrians, particularly for aged residents and young children • Missing links in bicycle network along Stud Road, across Corhanwarrabul Creek to Dandenong Creek Trail, and east to Ferny Creek Trail

Public Transport • Proposed Bus Interchange at Stud Park to be funded solely by shopping centre • Congestion and long distance to rail services mean long travel times to city • Access to public transport particularly important for young and aged • State Govt: feasibility of Rowville Rail depends on downstream improvements

Traffic & Parking • Some existing intersections already over capacity in peak periods • Future traffic projections show large numbers of “pass-through” traffic • Narrow residential streets in Rowville require balance between travel lanes, on-street parking, and space for trees and landscaping

Transport

Stud Park Structure Plan Option A Option B

Lowest Change

Lower Change

Higher Change

Highest Change

Opportunity Sites

Poor Outcome

Acceptable Outcome

Excellent Outcome

Parks, Recreational Facilities, and Open Space

•Lost open space to development •Reduced funding priority for maintenance and improvements •Single-use reserves with poor access, no variety, exotic species

•No loss of existing open space to private development •Multiple-use reserves serving a variety of users and activities •Better facilities & safety

•Large, multi-use open spaces with diversity of experiences & connections to other activities •Significant new features/facilities for arts, sport, community use

Leafy Streetscapes & Views to the Dandenongs

•Small, occasional, exotic trees with inconsistent look and feel •Views blocked by buildings •Street trees replaced with on-street parking bays for cars

•Trees dominant feature of look & feel of neighbourhoods, with preference for native species •Tree-replacement is staggered •Guidance on nature strip planting

•Consistent, healthy trees a major contributor to sense of place •Selectively replace high-risk trees •No parking bays, more flexibility for planting in landscape strips

Native Flora & Fauna

•Large loss of native vegetation to development or exotic species •Rarely see native animals, birds, & butterflies in neighbourhoods

•Prioritise native & indigenous species in parks and along streets •Allow some ornamentals in gardens •Increase participation in Gardens for Wildlife (G4W)

•Replace exotics over time with locally-sourced indigenous species to enhance habitat corridors •Programs to educate residents & provide incentives for native plants •Expand G4W to residents & schools

Stud Park Structure Plan Option A Option B

Sample Influencing Factors for Evaluating Options Parks, Recreational Facilities, and Open Space

• Rowville Community Centre, Library, playground are existing community asset • Rowville has lower amounts of public open space than other parts of Knox • Council funding system gives priority to parks in areas of growth and change • Council seeks to achieve multiple active and passive uses at parks & reserves

Leafy Streetscapes & Views to the Dandenongs

• Building and lot setbacks key factor in feasibility of street trees • Consolidation of lots for higher density development sometimes provide better opportunities for canopy trees than multiple units on a single lot

Native Flora & Fauna • Connected corridors of vegetation are key determinant of habitat quality • Corhanwarrabul Creek corridor and wetlands are important natural habitat

Lowest Change

Lower Change

Higher Change

Highest Change

Opportunity Sites

Built & Natural Environment

Poor Outcome

Acceptable Outcome

Excellent Outcome

Activities & Services for Aged Residents

•Lack of local aged care facilities •Activates & services not shared between people of all ages •Most services are far away and/or only accessible by car

•Increase funding & provision of facilities that cater to special needs •Facilities encourage multi-purpose uses, even if not designed to be •Services nearby, easily accessible

•New aged care centre and nursing home for all needs •Multipurpose services that connect people of all ages •Co-located facilities, services

Activities & Services for Young People

•Not enough activities, idleness, crime, anti-social behaviour •Inadequate engagement •Activities too costly, don’t meet needs, inaccessible

•Youth have safe places to go for socialising, informal activities •Some activities and services provided, but not much variety

•Many different organisations •Youth feel confident and empowered to participate •Reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour

Healthy Lifestyles & Supporting Infrastructure

•Lack of options for healthy food shops & restaurants •Poor walking/cycling networks •Lack of medical facilities and/or access to 24-hour care

•Some new healthy food options available, but expensive •Safer, more convenient walking & cycling environment •Community spaces and facilities supportive of physical activity

•New 24-hour public medical facility in Rowville •Spaces for community gardens •Increase in affordable, healthy food shops & restaurants

Stud Park Structure Plan Option A Option B

Sample Influencing Factors for Evaluating Options Activities & Services for Aged Residents

• Need for affordable housing options for Seniors in Knox has been a key topic of discussion for the Knox Healthy Ageing Advisory Committee in recent years • Access to services for aged residents is important

Activities & Services for Young People

• Knox Council’s Municipal Early Years Plan identifies integrated ‘linked up, collaborative and integrated services’ as most effective method of delivery • Australia Early Development Index identifies “developmentally vulnerable” children, Rowville numbers improving from 2009-2012

Active Healthy Lifestyles and Supporting Infrastructure

• Rowville has one of the highest overweight/obesity rates in Knox (53% ) • In 2011, 78.9% of Rowville travelled to work by private vehicle, compared to 76.1% in Knox , 68.2% in the eastern suburbs, and 66.0% in Greater Melbourne

Lowest Change

Lower Change

Higher Change

Highest Change

Opportunity Sites

Community Services