Urban Renewal Authority Victoria (trading as Places Victoria)

Full description

The Urban Renewal Authority (trading as Places Victoria) was established on 25 October 2011 under the newly amended Urban Renewal Authority Act 2003 as a body corporate operating on a commercial basis limited by ministerial power to invoke public interest provisions. It was successor in law to the Victorian Urban Development Authority (VicUrban) (VA 5004).

The purpose of Places Victoria was to carry out or manage or co-ordinate urban renewal projects, contribute to the implementation of government urban planning and development policies, undertake declared projects, and complete the development of the Docklands area. The authority continued to oversee existing projects previously delivered by VicUrban and undertook to honour all existing contracts.

Amendments to the Act refocused the authority's priorities and functions to urban renewal, rather than urban development. According to the amended Act, urban renewal was defined as the redevelopment of large scale urban neighbourhoods to improve their amenity for residential and mixed use purposes. Places Victoria's other purposes were broadly the same as those of VicUrban, including its mandate to complete the development of the Docklands area and the requirement to carry out its functions on a commercial basis.

In 2012, Places Victoria listed some 31 projects in its summary, citing the Docklands, Fishermans Bend, Junction Place in Wodonga, Dandenong, and also future plans for the former Defence site in Maribyrnong, as prime examples of urban renewal.

All the staff working at VicUrban were transferred across to Places Victoria, however the governance of the organisation changed. When recommending persons to be directors of the authority, the Minister was to ensure as far as is practicable that collectively the directors had an appropriate range of specified skills, experience or knowledge. Moreover, the Chief Executive could no longer be a director of the Authority, so that corporate governance and operational management were separated.

From its inception until 9 April 2013, Places Victoria was included as a statutory body in the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) (VA 4838) and reported to the Minister for Planning. On 9 April 2013 DPCD was abolished and Places Victoria transferred to the new Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure (DTPLI) (VA 5003) until 1 January 2015, when it was move to the new Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (VA 5036). Places Victoria continued to report to the Minister for Planning. Places Victoria was later transferred to the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (VA 3034) and began reporting to the Minister for Major Projects on 23 May 2016.

The Urban Renewal Authority Victoria Amendment (Development Victoria) Act 2017, which received assent on 1 April 2017, retitled the Act Development Victoria Act 2003. The amendments abolished Places Victoria and established Development Victoria (VA 5293) as its successor in law. The new authority's functions and governance structure were amended and a new Board appointed.