Local environmental risks and amenity policies aim to reduce the environmental impacts of development in Yarra and maintain the liveability of existing areas.

This includes the four following policies:

Flood management

The Flood Management policy seeks to reduce flood risk through the appropriate siting of development and use of flood mitigation measures. For example raising ground floor levels and ensuring basements for car parking are properly designed to reduce flood risk.

Caretakers' houses

The Caretakers’ houses policy protects business and industry by preventing housing that is not associated with a business or industry from establishing on land where housing is prohibited.

Caretakers' houses, however, are allowed in commercial and industrial areas and are only intended as a minor component of a commercial or industrial activity. There needs to be a clear and legitimate link between a business or industrial operation and any proposed caretaker’s house.

It is a translation of existing policy into the new format.

Interfaces and amenity

The Interfaces and amenity policy updates the existing policy to manage the impact of noise generating land uses, such as from our bars and other late-night venues, or industrial or commercial activities.

It aims to protect the normal operation of business and industrial activities from new residential developments.

It provides guidance around how things like noise, fumes, light , storage, areas overlooking other properties and hours of operation should be managed.

Guidelines - managing noise impacts in urban development is to be included as an incorporated document to guide decisions when considering noise impacts from urban development and activity.

Licensed premises

The Licensed Premises policy helps to protect the amenity of nearby properties by managing the location, size of operation and hours of licensed premises. It is a translation of the existing policy into the new format.

Gaming (electronic gambling)

This policy aims to ensure that the location of gaming machines and the design of gaming machine venues minimise the risks associated with electronic gambling and avoids exacerbating problem gambling. It is a translation of the existing policy into Schedule to Clause 52.28.

Learn more about the policies

Watch the video below to learn more about the environmental risk and amenity policies, or see all of our information videos on Amendment C269.