Albert Park Mixed Use Code Amendment Sets Zoning Rules for Business and Housing

The Albert Park Mixed Use Code Amendment was adopted on January 11, 2023. It created a Suburban Business Zone for low-impact businesses and medium-density housing plus a Housing Diversity Neighbourhood Zone. These designations now govern what property owners and business operators in Albert Park can do on their land without further approvals in the new zones.

Residents feel the effects when planning home additions, new housing projects or small commercial ventures. The zones set clear boundaries on where medium-density housing can be placed and which businesses qualify as low-impact, influencing daily access to local services and housing supply.

Permit Rules in Conservation and Heritage Areas

Land bounded by Albert Road, Kings Way and the light rail line generally requires no permit for development carried out by the parks and waterways authority when it follows the November 1994 Albert Park Master Plan. The same land sits inside an Urban Conservation Area, so any substantial proposal still needs planning permission and must keep original architectural character and details.

Development inside the Heritage Overlay Schedule 443 triggers a permit requirement that includes limits on demolition and specific building works. Residents in these sections of Albert Park therefore face extra steps before starting renovations or new construction on affected properties.

Commercial Zone Requirements at Specific Sites

Properties such as 146-150 Bridport Street fall under the Commercial 1 Zone. In this zone a permit is required for accommodation use whenever ground floor frontage exceeds 2 meters and for all building works. Local residents and business owners considering mixed-use projects at these addresses must meet those frontage and permit thresholds before proceeding.

Future projects in Albert Park are expected to comply with the Suburban Business Zone, Housing Diversity Neighbourhood Zone and the conservation and heritage rules already in place. Property owners will continue to check each proposal against these zoning and overlay provisions to determine the approvals needed.