Wellington Shire Council has appointed Ratio Planning Consultants to undertake, ‘The Port of Sale East Bank Redevelopment Study’ (the Study).
Study Area
The Study area is located to the south of the Sale CBD, within the existing Port of Sale Cultural and Civic Precinct and as such, is of considerable strategic significance to both Council and the community.
The site is bound by Desailly Street to the west, McMillan Street to the south, Raymond Street to the east and more generally by The Wedge (Wellington Entertainment Centre) to the north (see Figure 1 below).
Figure 1 – Study Area
The site has prime frontages to both Desailly Street and the Port of Sale and Raymond Street and is currently occupied by the (now vacant) Sale Specialist School and former Sale High School buildings, whilst the north-east corner contains the (heritage listed) George Gray Centre.
Current Planning Controls
The site is currently within the Public Use Zone 2 – Education (PUZ2) within the Wellington Planning Scheme and is subject to the following Planning Scheme Overlays:
- Design and Development Overlay - Schedule 6 (RAAF Building Height above 15 metres).
- Heritage Overlay (HO90) – (former) Sale High School/Continuing Education Centre; 63-67 Raymond Street.
The Precinct is characterised by a diverse range of uses, including recreational, tourism and community all of which are housed within several iconic buildings and surrounded by attractive, landscaped public open spaces.
Purpose of Study
The purpose of the Study is to ensure that any future use and redevelopment of the site has regard to the strategic importance of its prominent location within the overall Port Precinct.
A key objective of the Study is to prepare new planning controls to guide and facilitate a range of appropriate uses and to create development, which is of a high architectural standard and responds, compliments and contributes to the character of the existing Port Precinct.
The preparation of detailed planning controls will ensure the future use and development of the land occurs in a way that achieves the aspirations contained within Council’s relevant strategic land use planning documents, whilst having regard to existing and future environmental, social, heritage and economic considerations.
Current Status
Officers are awaiting feedback from key stakeholders – including the Department of Treasury and Finance and the Department of Education prior to finalising a suite of draft planning provisions.
Next Steps
Work is now in progress to prepare both the strategic land use planning justification and draft planning provisions. The draft planning provisions will be the subject of discussion at a future council meeting, the date of which is yet to be determined.
Further Information
If you have any queries regarding the Study, please contact a member of the Strategic Planning Team or email barry.hearsey@wellington.vic.gov.au.