Wednesday, 19 November 2025

 Anthony CIANFLONE (Pascoe Vale) (19:17): (1436) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Planning, and the action I seek is for the minister to visit my electorate to further consider local views and community feedback in relation to our vision to revitalise central Coburg. Further to my previous contributions, I continue to very much elevate and convey the views of all locals who have continued to contact me in relation to these central Coburg and Sydney Road, Brunswick, draft activity centre plans for Sydney Road with the Coburg and Brunswick community reference groups calling for the revitalisation of Coburg Street mall; better local transport services, including via the Upfield line; accessible trams and buses; better and safer connections and provisions for cyclists, pedestrians and vulnerable road users; measures to improve community safety and perceptions of safety, including through lighting, CCTV and other measures; and the need for ongoing local consultation and close engagement as plans are finalised and progressed over future years, including with key stakeholders through the central Coburg precinct, such as the Presentation of Our Lord Greek Orthodox parish within central Coburg.

Along with this feedback, I also draw the minister’s attention to the views I have received from other residents throughout Coburg, including those residing in the vicinity of Moreland station and the Glencairn Estate, who were advocating on (1) better public transport – again, the Upfield line; (2) about issues around congestion, traffic and car parking; (3) local infrastructure around health – and I acknowledge the federal government’s Medicare urgent care clinic commitment for Coburg, our free pharmacy program for our community and our commitment to deliver a future adult mental health hub in Coburg; (4) more open spaces, parks and tree canopy; (5) mitigating issues around potential new development, heights, density, overshadowing and privacy; (6) preserving and enhancing local heritage, ambience and livability; and (7) the need for the final activity centre map catchment and zones to better reflect and complement existing local nuance, streetscapes, built landscapes, density and heritage profiles, particularly where existing low-rise neighbourhood and heritage areas are proposed to interface with the train and tram core zone, the inner catchment zone and the outer catchment zone. This is a particularly important priority for those residing in existing streets that are narrow in width, dead-end in length or originally designed for smaller or moderate-scale housing developments.

Locals have raised concerns that some aspects of the proposed activity centre plans are not sensitive enough to current pressure points and future needs of the area, with many highlighting the need for appropriate and sensitive height transition between the catchment zones. Many call for a more street-by-street analysis that recognises the opportunities and differences but also challenges within our micro neighbourhoods.

I look forward to highlighting these priorities with the minister, but I want to reassure residents, firstly, these are draft plans, which is exactly why we are consulting and listening. No decisions have been made. The maps have been released in draft to ensure locals’ knowledge can help further refine the boundaries, heights and safeguards before anything is made final. Secondly, I have been informed that community feedback will very much be closely considered as the plans are finalised next year. Thirdly, these long-term plans are to help guide future housing development over coming decades, not overnight. The fact is what is been proposed is not a development plan, but rather a planning amendment. This means giving parameters around future planning applications rather than directly proposing or instigating developments. It also means gradual growth over decades to come, close to public transport. Fourth, it is about highlighting and continuing to invest in local services.