Ivanhoe

As per the Development Plan Overlay, the Development Plan will provide for public open space and residential uses to address the increased housing needs of the Ivanhoe-Heidelberg area.

Community engagement, planning and design processes, and site works will occur over the coming years, to inform the renewal of the site.

Community input will be considered for the planned public open space to ensure it meets local community needs and Banyule City Council's requirements.

Considerations may include:

• The area's rich neighbourhood character and type of use the public open space will best facilitate.
• The design elements required for the best and safest outcome for all users.
• Landscaping, plantings and the site's interface with the street.
• Access and connectivity, such as the type and location of paths through the site.
• The type of activation that might provide a new and improved amenity for local residents.

In October 2016, Development Victoria engaged with stakeholders and the community to understand their aspirations and concerns regarding development of the site.

Key themes included:

• Traffic, parking and access
• Overshadowing and overlooking
• Height and density
• Loss of trees and habitat on-site
• Need for open space
• Cumulative impacts of development in the area

The community also felt the development should aspire to:

• Reflect the area’s rich history and heritage
• Consider amenity within the development
• Provide meeting spaces and landscaped design
• Improve connectivity and accessibility with surrounding areas
• Create a sustainable community outcome

Phase 2 of community engagement was held in March 2017 with two information sessions, for discussion of the draft master plan.

The draft master plan represents an initial response to community engagement and will continue to be developed to reflect community input and technical advice.

Following community engagement in 2016 and 2017, and rezoning in 2018, Development Victoria purchased the site from Yarra Valley Water and is now working on a draft Development Plan for the residential development.

Approximately 2,000 square metres of the site has been set aside for a new Council Park. 

With the existing playground nearing the end of its life, a unique opportunity exists to design a new park which meets the community’s needs and provides ease of access and connectivity.

Development Victoria will work with Council, Traditional Owners and the community to bring the new Council park to life.

In 18 July- 7 August 2023, Council ran community engagement on the new park. The feedback gathered helped us develop a concept plan for the new park. For details on the engagement process, and to view the concept designs, visit: https://shaping.banyule.vic.gov.au/IvanhoeWaterTank

From 8 April to 10 May 2024, we exhibited the draft Development Plan for the residential development and the Concept Designs for the Council park.

We held two information sessions to provide the community with more information about our plans and give them the opportunity to ask questions of the project team.

We created a summary of the Development Plan and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which you can view and download in our Resources section (see tab above).

The full Development Plan and Council Park designs have been submitted to Banyule Council for consideration.

To view the full Development Plan and find out more about what happened during the exhibition period visit Shaping Banyule.

Development Victoria has purchased the site from Yarra Valley Water with plans to rejuvenate it by demolishing the existing tank and associated services and in its place, deliver new housing options and a new Council park for the community.

This site is appropriately located for residential living; close to public transport, retail, health, and community services located in Heidelberg. It is also near La Trobe University and primary and secondary schools.

Yarra Valley Water no longer has a need for the land or the water tank and in accordance with government policy, the land has been rezoned to allow for residential development to increase housing supply and affordability in this prime location– close to jobs, transport, and services.

The site at 421 Upper Heidelberg Road Ivanhoe was previously zoned as a Services & Utility area. Following community engagement in 2016 and 2017, a rezoning application was submitted and approved by the Minister for Planning in 2018. As a result, it was rezoned to a Residential Growth Zone, to enable future housing on this site. A Development Plan Overlay Schedule 7 (DPO7) was also put in place, applying an additional layer of standards for any development at this site.

We are currently in the Development Plan phase of the project, with tank demolition works to begin soon to clear the site for the future, approved, development.

After the Development Plan has been approved, a final design will be created in line with this plan, and this will be submitted to Council as part of the planning permit process. Construction on site will only commence once we have been issued a Planning Permit by Council.

Development Victoria undertook two phases of community and stakeholder engagement in 2016 and 2017 to understand community concerns and aspirations. The key themes from this consultation influenced the current design.

In July and August 2023, Council sought community feedback on what the Council park should include via an online survey and in-person engagement sessions at the site. Based on this feedback, we have developed a draft concept for the Council park to be shared with the community for feedback before finalising.

The key themes received from the community included impacts such as overlooking, height, density and increased population causing traffic and parking issues. There was overwhelming support for improved public open space.

We have used this feedback to inform our designs for the site, as detailed in the Development Plan Summary which can be found under the Resources tab on this page.

Responding to community feedback, the tiered architectural design of the building will fit seamlessly into the local neighbourhood and minimise the disruption of sunlight to surrounding dwellings.

The Development Plan Overlay allows for up to 12 levels of housing however the exact height of the development is not yet confirmed. We are currently planning to build approximately 275 apartments.

In our traffic management plans within the Development Plan, we have proposed to provide vehicle access via Upper Heidelberg Road, to reduce the traffic impact on local streets.

The Development Plan proposed that all resident parking is located within the building.

Yes – we are planning to replace the existing playground with a much larger, new Council Park. This will sit next to the development, with extra landscaping and meeting spaces between the new building and the park to seamlessly link the two together.

For more details on the Council park and to share your thoughts, visit Shaping Banyule.

Sustainability is a key focus for the design, including targeting a 5-Star Green Star Community rating which outlines minimum standards for sustainable design.  It will encompass key sustainability principles and strategies with a focus on integrated water management, energy efficiency and waste minimisation.

A minimum 10% of homes across the site will be offered to those eligible for affordable housing giving more Victorians the opportunity to enter the housing market.

We will deliver a mix of 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom homes on the site to suit a range of budgets, lifestyles and needs. 

Development Victoria is safely demolishing the existing tank and associated services in the coming weeks. Development Victoria will proactively inform residents of the upcoming works and any impacts they may create.

The demolition of the tank is planned to commence in early-mid 2024 and take approximately 12 weeks to complete (weather permitting).

This site has been rezoned to allow for residential development to meet the growing need for quality housing supply in Ivanhoe.  The tank will need to be demolished to make way for the future approved development.

Yes – the existing park will temporarily close during the tank demolition so we can safely complete works. After the demolition, we intend to reopen the park until we start works on the new residential development and new and improved Council park, however this will be subject to Council approval.

Yes – for safety reasons, we’ll be temporarily closing the Council park from late June to late September/early October, weather and site conditions permitting. The park will reopen after the demolition works are complete.

We will be working from 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and may also need to work on Saturdays, which will be limited to 9am to 3pm. This timing is subject to change, depending on weather and site conditions.

To remove underground pipes connecting to the pump station, we’ll need to remove a small number of trees (next to the basketball court). If trees are to be removed, we will seek Council approval.

We carefully manage our works to reduce impacts to the local community and environment.

We have installed a range of monitors and will be regularly reviewing data to ensure works are being delivered within EPA guidelines. We are also regularly inspecting the site and are in regular contact with Delta’s site manager to discuss all matters relating to the works.

We will first remove the walls, roof and roof structure. To do this, we are using a 30t excavator equipped with a pneumatic hammer and crusher. The final stage will be removing the pump tower and then the tank floor foundation, followed by levelling the tank foundation area in preparation for future development works.

You may notice increased activity in the area with extra workers and construction vehicles on site, however we will attempt to lessen this by ensuring crew members are parking inside the site; using traffic controllers when required: and loading and unloading trucks inside the site.

Works to demolish the water tank are on track to be completed in late September/early October, weather and site conditions permitting.

Once the site has been safely cleared, fencing will remain in place until construction of the approved residential development and new Council park commences.

For more information about upcoming demolition works contact:

• Phone: 03 8317 3400 
• Email: ivanhoetanksite@development.vic.gov.au 
• Visit Shaping Banyule 
• Register for project updates on the Ivanhoe project page