Go back to main page

A Structure Plan is a land use plan that sets a long term vision for how a specific Activity Centre will develop in the future. It outlines the preferred direction for future growth and sets out how this change will be managed within the Activity Centre.

A Structure Plan provides certainty to the community, business owners and developers about the level of change and type of development that can be expected.

The Epping Central Structure Plan will be used by Council to guide and manage future planning and decision making, subject to its adoption by Council.

Council continually assesses and reviews existing Structure Plans to ensure each plan responds to changes in the economy, transportation, planning, urban design and the community more broadly. The review and update of the existing Epping Central Structure Plan (originally adopted in 2011 and amended 2013) seeks to ensure that the refreshed Epping Central Structure Plan remains up to date, better aligns with current policy and responds to emerging issues and opportunities.

Key aims of the review were to ensure that the updated Structure Plan supports and facilitates increased local employment, provides more diverse housing choices and creates a more vibrant Activity Centre consistent with Whittlesea 2040: A place for all, being the community and Council’s shared vision for the City of Whittlesea.

The refreshed Epping Central Structure Plan will ensure that Epping Central continues to grow as a liveable, diverse and thriving Activity Centre.

The Epping Central Structure Plan review project is being undertaken across four stages, with each stage involving consultation with the community:

Stage 1 (completed) comprised the Background Review preparation of detailed analysis reports on a range of key issues including urban design, planning, economics, gender equity and community and infrastructure needs.

Stage 2 (completed) comprised the development of a Future Directions Paper and associated community consultation and engagement. Community consultation for the Future Directions Paper was conducted between 15 June 2020 and 17 October 2020.

Stage 3 (in progress) – Comprises the preparation of a ‘refreshed’ Structure Plan and associated community engagement.

Stage 4 (yet to commence) – review of the existing planning scheme controls of the Whittlesea Planning Scheme to give effect to the finalised Epping Central Structure Plan.

As noted above, the Epping Central Structure Plan Review is being undertaken across several stages, with each stage involving consultation with the community and key stakeholders. This includes engagement undertaken as part of the development of the existing Structure Plan (2011 amended 2013) to better understand the community’s likes, concerns and priorities for Epping Central.

Consultation undertaken as part of the Future Directions Paper enabled more targeted engagement on the potential directions for the entire Structure Plan area and individual precincts. This feedback has made a valuable contribution to the drafting of the ‘refreshed’ Epping Central Structure Plan.

The vision for a higher density mixed-use precinct and the overarching principles of the structure plan are still relevant and no significant changes are therefore proposed to the broad objectives and strategies.

The Vision has been updated and expanded to build on the existing attributes of the Northern Hospital Health Precinct and Melbourne Markets and the future investment opportunities these facilities provide for expansion of related uses.

The draft Structure Plan has been updated to have regard to the following matters:

  • Significant refinement of the Structure Plan document to make it clearer.
  • Removal of repetition / matters already covered in the Planning Scheme e.g. Ecological Sustainable Development, signage.
  • Significantly condensing the actions to restricting these to a small number of future strategic work opportunities (noting that further work may also be informed by other Council strategies).
  • updating and refining the ‘vision’ to provide a greater focus on the attributes and opportunities of Epping Central including the potential for increased health services and food innovation together with improved public and sustainable transport
  • incorporating the Epping Renewal Site Precinct into the broader activity centre having regard to the significant employment and residential opportunities it will provide to Epping Central.
  • incorporating additional urban design guidance to facilitate high quality built form outcomes and which has an attractive interface to the public realm
  • addressing policy gaps within the planning framework
  • incorporating changes/opportunities resulting from other key Council policy and plans developed subsequent to the original Structure Plan
  • reviewing opportunities to provide for a diverse range of housing within the Structure Plan area,
  • reviewing the boundaries of individual precincts to ensure that an integrated land use and development outcome is achieved that supports the vision for Epping Central and to minimise land use conflicts between different precincts; and
  • review of the Structure Plan boundary.

Key aims of the ‘refreshed’ ECSP included refining the document; addressing policy gaps; incorporating additional urban design guidance to facilitate high quality built form outcomes; and reviewing the Structure Plan boundary.

Some of the key changes include:

  • Review of mapping to focus the provision of higher-density residential development in specific precincts and strategic development sites in proximity to the Epping Station and close to other services and facilities.
  • New strategies for interim use and/or development to ensure the future development potential of sites is not compromised and to ensure that interim development does not undermine the vision for individual precincts.
  • Identification of key pedestrian movement corridors within Epping Central, which will be a focus for any new development proposed in these precincts.
  • An alternative rail alignment and location for a station as part of the future Wollert Rail-line.
  • Future opportunities identified for new Urban Squares and open spaces.
  • Removal of proposed neighbourhood park in Coulstock Street road. Further investigation of the future of the western end is subject to further detailed review.

Precinct Specific Changes:

(Note: Precinct specific Fact Sheets have been developed to address the key changes as they relate to each Precinct)

  • High Street Village (Precinct 1) – realignment of boundary; designates this precinct as the ‘neighbourhood heart’.
  • High Street North (Precinct 2) - realignment of boundary (properties west of Duffy Street included in Precinct 5); areas designated for high density residential, primarily focussed on those areas in proximity to Epping Station/Cooper Street.
  • Epping Station Hub (Precinct 3) - areas designated for high density residential, primarily focussed on those areas in proximity to Epping Station/Cooper Street.
  • Regional Demand (Precinct 4) - designates this precinct (comprising the key anchors including Pacific Epping Shopping Centre, Epping Homemakers Centre, Northern Hospital) as the ‘activity heart’ of Epping Central; identifies pedestrian priority movement corridors to be provided through the precinct; considers an alternate rail alignment and train station location as part of the future Wollert rail corridor; proposes a preferred priority road connection as part of the future redevelopment of Pacific Epping.
  • Regeneration (Precinct 5) - Significant realignment of the boundary of this precinct is proposed as part of the updated draft Structure Plan, with land generally west of Miller Street to be included in the Employment Precinct (Precinct 6). Some additional parcels previously included in Precincts 1 and 2 included in this Precinct.
  • Employment (Precinct 6) - realignment of the boundary (land generally west of Miller Street to be included in this Precinct).
  • Epping Renewal Site (Precinct 7) - inclusion of the former Epping waste disposal site known as ‘Epping Renewal’ within the Structure Plan boundary.
  • Dalton Road Neighbourhood (Precinct 8) and Childs Road Employment (Precinct 9) - These precincts are to be retained within the Structure Plan boundary but have been designated as contributory precincts.

The provision of any additional community facilities within Epping Central will be subject to further investigation and consideration of a range of matters including service need, locational requirements, land availability, partnership opportunities and funding.

The Pacific Epping Shopping Centre have proposed an alternative rail alignment and location for the station which will better integrate with future stages of development of the shopping centre. The alternate alignment has been shown in the draft Structure Plan so feedback can be provided on both options by the community.

As part of the community consultation process we are keen to get your views on what you see as the best location for the station considering matters such as its proximity to the bus interchange, Cooper Street, New Epping and other matters considered relevant.

At this stage of the project there is no proposed changes to the Development Contributions Plan (DCP). The plan will still apply to new development in the Structure Plan area including proposed contributory precincts.

The State Government are continuing to investigate the potential application of the new Infrastructure Contribution System (ICP) to ‘strategic development areas’ such as activity centres. The Structure Plan identifies a future work opportunity for Council to potentially investigate and review the development contributions framework apply to Epping Central upon completion of the State Governments work.

Any feedback should be provided in writing to:

Manager Strategic Futures

City of Whittlesea
Locked Bag 1
Bundoora MDC VIC 3083

Or email: Epping.Centralg@whittlesea.vic.gov.au

Comments are due by 4 December 2022.

You can provide comments on line in the Have your say section of the Engage Page.

Council officers will be conducting a number of Pop up sessions:

High St Village – Epping (outside the Bakery) Wednesday 9 November 11.30am to 1.30pm

Pacific Epping Shopping Centre

Saturday 12 November 10am to 12.00pm &

Thursday 17 November 3.30pm to 6.30pm

All submissions received will be considered and will inform the development of the final Epping Central Structure Plan. All comments and feedback will be tabled at a subsequent Council meeting prior to endorsement, but individual names will not be made public.

The Strategy is expected to be considered by Council by mid-2023. Confirmation of the Council meeting will made closer to the date.

The Draft Epping Central Structure Plan is on display, and feedback will be received until Sunday 4 December 2022.

Once endorsed by Council, the Structure Plan is proposed to be given effect through inclusion in the Whittlesea Planning Scheme via preparation of a planning scheme amendment

Further opportunity will be provided to comment on the revised planning controls through the normal statutory process undertaken as part of any planning scheme amendment.

The successful delivery of the Structure Plan will require collaboration across the whole organisation The Structure Plan identifies additional opportunities for further strategic work, which will need to be considered as part of the business planning of responsible departments having regard to budget and Council resourcing. It is anticipated that further community engagement will occur through more specific consultation on particular actions or projects as they are undertaken.