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Public open space provides places to connect, reflect, exercise and play.
Living near good-quality open space benefits everyone, particularly people who live in apartments, townhouses and homes without large backyards. To create more well-connected, great places to live, we need to give greater attention to planning open spaces as Victoria grows and changes.
Minimum standards for public open space in established areas
Action 13 of the Plan for Victoria commits to introducing minimum standards and guidance for open space in established areas. The plan identifies the importance of great open spaces that are suitable for all Victorians close to homes.
The Public Open Space in Established Areas – Minimum Standards establish consistent requirements for open space planning. This will help councils, developers and decision-makers provide enough of the right kinds of open spaces to support the needs of our communities.
These new standards will be implemented across Victoria’s major cities, including Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat, to guide council open space strategies and structure planning in established urban areas. The Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) guidelines which have specific directions for open space provision and planning in growth areas will continue to apply in those areas.
A planning scheme amendment will formalise the implementation of the standards into the planning system.
Read the Public Open Space in Established Areas – Minimum Standards.
Open space strategies
Open space strategies are used to plan for the current and future open space needs of a municipality.
Councils preparing an open space strategy should examine how existing and new open spaces can be managed effectively and focus on innovation in open space delivery.
The Public Open Space in Established Areas – Minimum Standards provide planning standards for Melbourne and major regional cities.
Read the Public Open Space in Established Areas – Minimum Standards.
A guide and case studies are available to help councils plan for their open spaces on the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action (DEECA) Guide for Open Space Strategies webpage.
Open space for everyone
Guiding all levels of government in the planning, management and delivery of quality open spaces over the next 30 years is the Open Spaces for Everyone strategy delivered by DEECA.
To access the strategy and find out more information, go to the Open Space for Everyone webpage.
Page last updated: 21/10/26