By Mikayla van Loon
The vision for Lilydale’s future is about growth and development, catering to a higher population and creating a hub at the centre of town.
As the need for housing expands, the draft Lilydale Structure Plan aims to address those issues proactively, by building up and supplying more services in the main part of town.
Although positive feedback from the community has been received, one element of the plan seems to have people questioning the suitability for Lilydale – being high density housing in the Main Street.
Daniel Bradshaw’s social media post in one of the community noticeboards received over 300 comments and just as many likes both criticising the plan and seeing the positives.
Having lived in Lilydale since 2007, Mr Bradshaw said Lilydale is the gateway to the Yarra Valley and with canopy trees and heritage buildings, it holds an aesthetic that needs to be protected.
“I see Lilydale town centre functioning as a connection hub for the residents of local and surrounding suburbs. People come into the town to connect with commerce, communities and public transport,” he said.
“Increasing the density of housing in the town centre will only congest both incoming road and outgoing public transport options – it won’t translate to a direct increase in local interactivity.”
Receiving the overwhelming amount of comments and questions on his post, Mr Bradshaw said he felt as though the community were “blindsided” by the proposal from Yarra Ranges Council.
“My main concern is the underwhelming attempt at community engagement – the early Covid-19 lockdown timing and relatively narrow band of consultation could not accurately reflect the wider local community’s view on future development,” Mr Bradshaw said.
The council’s plan visualises the 20-minute neighbourhood concept of the State government, that is having services, eateries and shopping all within a 20 minute walk from home or public transport.
Up to six storeys will be able to be built for both commercial and residential use along Main Street and John Street, with variations depending on zoning.
Balconies, rooftop gardens and solar panels have all been included in the designs for these high rise buildings to meet environmental standards.
Where heritage buildings are concerned, the council has assured the necessary setbacks to protect the facades.
While Mr Bradshaw can see the positives of this concept, he is concerned about the high density living and said with capital gains tax, rental freedoms and first home buyer grants, just to name a few, should be considered in addressing the housing crisis.
“Any new housing development should be sympathetic to the needs of the community, the people within, and the existing aesthetics unique to the area,” he said.
“Councils and governments should explore ways of promoting appropriate housing and home ownership turnover rates, enabling families to adapt to dynamic household numbers with greater ease.”
The high density living has captured the attention of the community but there are many other elements to the structure plan that would be beneficial to the township of Lilydale.
These include better roadways for connection especially with the Kinley development coming along.
One of the key elements of the plan is the advocacy for a Lilydale bypass, to redirect large traffic movement away from Main Street and John/Hardy Street.
Pedestrian and cycling connections, as well as providing inviting streetscapes and open spaces are also a major part of the plan and vision for Lilydale in the future.
Casey Liberal candidate and vice president of the Lilydale Township Action Group Aaron Violi said this was a positive vision for Lilydale.
“Having worked first hand on the Yarra Ranges Council reference group to bring the structure plan to life, I am a strong advocate of having a holistic plan and 20 year vision for Lilydale,” he said.
“[I would like to see] the council, State and Federal levels work together to achieve a positive outcome not just for the residents and businesses of Lilydale but also the residents and businesses of the Yarra Valley and Upper Yarra who travel through Lilydale.”
Yarra Ranges Council was contacted for comment but was unable to provide anything prior to print. It encouraged the community to submit their thoughts on the plan through the survey found here https://shaping.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/lilydale-structure-plan before 28 February.
