Bayside Planning Scheme
The Bayside Planning Scheme sets out policies and controls for the use, development and protection of land in the municipality.
The scheme consists of a written document (ordinance) and any maps, plans or other documents incorporated in it.
For more information, view the Bayside Planning Scheme from the Department of Sustainability and Environment website.
The Scheme contains three main sections:
Sustainable Design Assessment in the Planning Process
Background
All levels of Government are moving towards the introduction of stronger regulations for sustainable development.
Bayside City Council is committed to creating an environmentally sustainable city.
A critical component in achieving this commitment is to encourage developers to incorporate environmentally sustainable design into proposals and to meet appropriate environmental standards. One of the ways to achieve this is through the planning permit process.
Council’s role
Council has several roles in improving the performance of the built form in Bayside including:
- Leading by example: Designing and building projects that have a minimal impact upon the environment through the application of the sustainable design assessment tools (STEPS and SDS) to our own projects.
- Support/Education: Providing information and technical support to individuals and organisations.
- Recognition: Recognising developers and applicants who have achieved the best environmental outcomes through the Bayside Built Environment Awards.
- Advocacy: Continuing to advocate to other levels of government for a state wide and consistent approach to improving the performance of the built form or enabling Local Government to include higher standards within its controls.
Sustainable Design Assessment Tools
To determine beyond minimum legal requirements (such as the Five Star Standard), the following tools may assist:
- STEPS (to be used for residential development)
- The online STEPS (Sustainable Tools for Environmental Performance) tool measures the environmental impact of the design for a home. It rates five categories including mains (drinking water) use, building material impacts, greenhouse emissions, peak energy use and stormwater quality leaving the property. It also calculates the number of bicycle places needed and space needed for waste recycling services.
- SDS (to be used for commercial, industrial and mixed use development)
- The SDS (Sustainable Design Scorecard) measures the environmental impact of the design of non-residential buildings. The scorecard is a free Microsoft Excel document that rates seven categories. Use the Sustainable Design Scorecard to rate a:
- commercial building
- retail building
- industrial building
- retail or commercial component of a mixed use development
At no point is Bayside City Council setting pre-determined performance requirements as part of SDAPP. Rather we want to work with each applicant to achieve the most appropriate and sustainable outcomes possible in the context of each development.
To assist, Council has appointed an Sustainability Design Officer to assist applicants with expert design advice and advice on the use of the STEPS (to be used for residential development) and SDS (to be used for commercial, industrial and mixed use development) tools free of charge. If you would like to make an appointment with the Sustainability Design Officer to discuss ways to improve the sustainability of your design, please submit an online enquiry form or contact 9599 4444.
FAQs
Q. What is Environmentally Sustainable Design?
A. Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) is design that is socially and ecologically responsible. This includes consideration of the human and environmental impacts of building, both in the present and the future. Key considerations include passive design and careful siting; responsible use and disposal of materials and waste; socially responsible generation, management and use of water and energy resources; high indoor environmental quality, beauty and inspiration in the design and low impact on flora, fauna and local biodiversity.
Q. Why consider ESD in the built form?
A. Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) buildings are more comfortable and healthy to inhabit. While there may be increased construction costs, there are also ongoing financial benefits through reduced running costs and improved health of occupants. Healthy buildings have been proven to improve the health of the occupants. Recent research by the Green Building Council of Australia has shown that applying ecological planning and design strategies into buildings can result in:
- 60 per cent reduction in water and energy consumption;
- reduction in annual operating costs and more efficient asset management;
- higher relative investment returns (minimum 14 per cent Return On Investment);
- higher market value for the asset (10 per cent increase);
- higher rents (5-10 per cent increase);
- less than three per cent premium above standard cost of construction to build green;
- increased occupant well being and productivity; and
- a marketing advantage.
(Source: Green Building Council Australia Dollars & Sense of Green Buildings 2006).
Integrating ESD elements in built form also has a number of benefits for the broader community – including reduced greenhouse gas emissions; reduced water use; reduction in the impact of flooding events; protection of water quality; more sustainable resource use, reduced waste and support of emerging sustainable products and materials industries.
Existing energy efficiency and water conservation measures in the Building Code of Australia are a positive step, but are aimed at eliminating worst practice. A more comprehensive ESD approach is desirable to improve performance and understanding. A State Government ESD framework is preferable for consistency and extent of application, but following some years of development, the timeframe for rollout is not clear. In the absence of a State system, Council has adopted SDAPP which includes the use of STEPS and SDS tools to improve the performance of the built form to be used during the planning process.
Q. What is Sustainable Design Assessment in the Planning Process (SDAPP)?
A. Sustainable Design Assessment in the Planning Process is a collaborative endeavour between numerous local governments in Victoria to provide a consistent method for assessing the environmental performance of developments that require town planning approval.
Q. What is Sustainable Design Assessment (SDA)?
A. Planning permit applicants are required to submit a Sustainable Design Assessment. You will need to do a sustainable design assessment for the following types of development using the nominated assessment tool:-
The purpose of requesting an SDA is to:
- ensure buildings meet adequate environmental performance standards;
- provide a clear outline of the standards required by Council;
- provide a consistent approach in assessing planning applications and their environmental impact;
- provide flexibility in achieving environmental performance standards through simple assessment tools; and
- promote awareness and knowledge of the benefits of making developments more sustainable from the planning stage.
Two tools have been developed to make doing an SDA easy, STEPS (to be used for residential development) and SDS (to be used for commercial, industrial and mixed use development).
Everyone is encouraged to use these tools in the design of new developments, even if a planning permit is not required. The more our developments incorporate these tools into the design, the more sustainable our city will be.
Q. What do I need to submit?
A. One copy of a Sustainable Design Assessment should be submitted with your planning application which includes:-
Based on the advice from Council’s Sustainability Design Officer the approved Sustainable Design Assessment is endorsed; and if and when the application receives a permit; it becomes a statutory requirement to implement (at a minimum) the items listed and shown on the plans.
Q. Is my five star standard enough?
A. Council does not consider meeting the minimum legal standards (such as the Five Star standard and Section J of the Building Code of Australia) to be a ‘sustainable design feature’ or as examples of ‘excellent’ environmental performance. An ESD assessment using STEPS or SDS will be required.
Q. How everyone can get involved ?
A. The best way is to incorporate ESD into your design as early as possible, preferably from the conceptual stage. This will achieve a better result and is much easier than retro fitting an existing development. Also, in selecting an architect or builder, choose one who has an appreciation and understanding of ESD in the built form. There is a wide range of sustainable design products and services available; and the City of Port Phillip has prepared a list of these with the relevant contact details. Whilst many products listed are not necessarily low impact materials themselves, when used appropriately they can help reduce the overall environmental impact of a building.
The list includes:
- Specialist sustainable design products
- Experts and practitioners in the field of sustainable design
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13-Oct-2009 |
