An independent advisory committee has been appointed by the Victorian Government to assist in delivering an "effective, transparent and simple" development contribution system across the state.

The Advisory Committee will be chaired by Kathy Mitchell, Chief Panel Member with Planning Panels Victoria. Members will be Trevor McCullough, Senior Panel Member with Planning Panels Victoria; Professor Rodger Eade, Senior Policy Advisor at Victoria University; Chris De Silva, Director of Mesh Planning; and Bryce Moore, Founding Director of Moremac Property Group.


In June 2011, Planning Minister, Matthew Guy, established a stakeholder reference group to provide advice on a new development contribution system.


The advisory committee will consider the work of the reference group and develop a framework based on five infrastructure categories: community facilities, open space facilities, transport infrastructure, drainage infrastructure and public land.


The committee would be responsible for reaching an agreement on the scope of works that could be included in each infrastructure category and the setting of the standard development contributions.


It has been proposed that a different levy would be set for different development settings such as greenfield development, metropolitan infill development and regional and rural development, as well as a levy for residential and non-residential development.


Mr Guy said councils and developers would have greater certainty through a new a set of standard development contributions for different development settings.


He said a mix of standard and variable levies would remove the requirement for councils to prepare costly and complex development contribution plans.


Further information about the Advisory Committee process can be found here.