A Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) is a land use and infrastructure plan to guide the development of an area over time. It provides certainty for community members and developers by providing a long-term vision for how an area will develop in the future.   

A PSP sets out the preferred locations of residential and employment land and infrastructure, and provides guidance for transport and parking, urban design, heritage and character, open spaces and integrated water management.   

Together with the broader planning framework, precinct structure planning is an important part of the Victorian Government’s strategy to address population growth, housing and employment demands.   

A Development Contributions Plan (DCP) identifies the costs of some essential infrastructure required to support a PSP such as the costs of intersections, roads, community centres, sports reserves and others. It will also set out a levy required for new development on a ‘per hectare of net developable area’ basis.     

The DCP is required since broad scale new development often contribute to or cause the need for new or upgraded infrastructure. It ensures that existing infrastructure is not over-burdened by new development.      

The DCP will be prepared concurrently with the PSP. All infrastructure items included must be strategically justified through a suite of background studies undertaken on the project. The DCP becomes a public document to be publicly exhibited along with the PSP. 

A Native Vegetation Precinct Plan (NVPP) is a plan used in growth areas to manage native vegetation within a precinct. 

The NVPP identifies: 

• What native vegetation should be retained and protected in the precinct 

• What native vegetation can be removed in the precinct  

• What offsets are required for the removal of native vegetation 

The NVPP bases these decisions on factors such as vegetation significance, land protection values, amenity and landscape.