Amendment C376 ‘Sustainable Building Design’ was unanimously supported and adopted by Melbourne City Council on 29 July 2025 — a significant step to further embedding sustainability into the built environment.
Urbis’ Sustainability and Urban Design teams commend the City of Melbourne for its leadership in passing this amendment aimed at a more sustainable and greener city.
The Amendment seeks to elevate sustainability and urban greening planning controls in the Melbourne Planning Scheme through the introduction of a new Design and Development Overlay (DDO) and strengthening local planning policies. It will apply to new buildings and alterations to existing buildings of more than 1,000 square metres of new floor area. The increased building costs to comply with these new requirements have been considered and it is anticipated the additional cost will be between approximately 0.85 – 1.95% of total build costs.
Amendment C376 Sustainable Building Design aims to:
- Improve the liveability, experience and economic performance of the city by increasing the gardens and greenery visible to people from the street.
- Improve the performance of new buildings to reduce operational costs such as heating, cooling and water, and to support net-zero building transitions.
- Update policy in the Melbourne Planning Scheme with contemporary terms and standards already well-established in the industry.
Urbis can support you in navigating these new planning controls – with our integrated planning, urban design, sustainability, energy, and property & economic teams providing expert strategic advisory and technical consultancy services.
We are well versed in City Greening and Sustainable Design initiatives which support biodiversity, energy efficiency, air quality, urban heat island, decarbonisation, and stormwater management. In addition to environmental and health benefits, evidence suggests that City Greening and Sustainability provides a wide range of economic benefits including increased property value, emissions reductions, and operational cost savings.
The next step is final approval by the Minister for Planning before it comes into force in the Melbourne Planning Scheme.