The Yarra River with its landscape corridor is of immense value to the people of Melbourne; it is an icon of our city. This paper discusses the evolution of planning controls to protect the Yarra River’s landscapes for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations.
As a means of understanding the landscapes that we see and experience today, broader cultural landscape values of the river corridor and the various approaches to their management have been explored.
Recognition of the landscape values of the river has been emerging over the last 30 years. A new ‘Yarra River protection’ clause recently included in State planning policy sets an objective at the highest level to maintain the river as an open space, aesthetic, environmental and tourism asset for metropolitan Melbourne.
To implement the State policy objective in municipal Planning Schemes, Planisphere is currently working with the State Government and local Councils to introduce detailed planning controls to manage development at the river’s edge. This work aims to articulate the shared values of the river’s landscape, and develop an understanding of the relationship between built form and landscape within this sensitive environment.