Plan2Place Consulting was engaged by Brimbank City Council to provide advice about the potential next steps to guide the future use and development of the Solomon Heights Industrial Estate.

The Solomon Heights Industrial Estate is an undeveloped and un-serviced subdivision zoned for industrial uses in Sunshine North. Originally subdivided for residential purposes, the subsequent rezoning of the land for industrial uses and several other constraints on the land have made it undevelopable to date, partly due to extensive native vegetation of national significance.

A Stocktake and Options Report was provided to Council in two parts. The first part provided a stocktake of the work undertaken to date for the Estate with a concise overview. The second part provided analysis of the potential pathways available to Council including a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis of the land and outlined potential planning options going forward.

The key tasks undertaken in this project included:

• Document review – review of several previous strategic reports and studies to determine the current strategic context for the area.
• Issues and opportunities – undertaking a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis of the area using a range of existing reports to determine the issues and opportunities for the area in the future.
• Review of current road and land ownership – providing a synopsis of the road ownership and the current state of play in relation to a recent court case.
• Council options – preparing an options analysis of the planning tools available to Council to drive improved outcomes for the area.
• Recommendations for next steps and further work.