Ratio Consultants

Market Presence: 
Victoria
Category: 
Planning Consultancy

Ratio Consultants is a multi-disciplinary practice providing services in town and regional planning, traffic and transport engineering and social and economic impact assessments.

Ratio has a fundamental commitment to the delivery of realistic and accurate advice to clients and progressive improvement of the environment through innovative planning and creative design solutions.

There is a recognition today that new projects require sophisticated and detailed evaluation and planning so that the end result is complementary to the environment and that the physical and economic factors are understood before construction, or even before initial design work, is commenced.

Ratio can offer a range of services at differing scales, providing a balanced perspective on a range of planning problems.

Ratio has also been responsible for the evaluation and planning of individual large scale projects. Integrated project planning, where many different specialists within Ratio work together, offers our clients real benefits in terms of performance and the synthesis of ideas from many disciplines.

Ratio also offers services from individual disciplines within the Company. Whether the service required is limited to a zoning assessment requiring Statutory Planners or site design, or requires only the expertise of Traffic Engineers, our professionals operate within a multi-disciplinary environment where feedback and advice from diverse specialists improve the end product for the benefit of our Clients.

In all projects it is Ratio's aim to work closely with our clients to ensure that their priorities are met with quality advice and outputs.

The principal areas of practice encompass:

Town Planning: including Permit Applications, VCAT Advocacy / Expert Evidence, Property Advice, Planning Scheme Amendments, Due Diligence & Building Permit Dispensations.

Traffic Engineering – VCAT Expert Witness, Traffic Impact Assessments, Car Parking & Mechanical Car Parking, Local Area Traffic Management.

Transport Planning - Construction Management Traffic Plans, Waste Management Plans, Bike Planning, Sustainable and Green Transport Planning & Major Event Planning.

Impact Assessments – Social and Economic Impact Statements & Liquor Licensing.

A client may require only one of the above services, either individually or to complete a project team. Alternatively Ratio may bring to a project many of the individual disciplines as an integrated team of people used to working closely together.

http://www.ratio.com.au
Twitter Handle: 
@Ratio_consult
Contact Name: 
Colleen Peterson
Contact Phone: 
03 9429 3111
Address: 
9 Clifton Street
3121 Richmond , VIC
Australia
See map: Google Maps
Victoria AU

Contact Ratio Consultants

Related Articles

Abbotsford's small-street commercial market set to expand

Tue, 20/03/2018 - 16:00 Alastair Taylor
The progressive diversification in the nature of employment that happens in Abbotsford might get a boost with a new planning application before Yarra City council. Across Fitzroy, Collingwood and Abbotsford, many existing semi-industrial streets are seeing a progressive diversification of employment space and the latest proposal before the council would see that trend continue, albeit on a slightly larger scale compared to more recent small-...

Transport Camp: Melbourne 2017 - A Beginners Guide from the Inside

Tue, 30/01/2018 - 12:00 Ben Thomson
Transport Camp. Yes, you read that right, and no it’s not like Band Camp, where not much is achieved. Transport Camp Melbourne 2017 was the third iteration of the ‘unconference style’ conference, hosted in the Melbourne Town Hall in late October 2017. As someone relatively new to the city, I have recently gained an understanding of the history behind Melbourne’s transport planning and where the current economic and political climate is taking...

Monash Amendment C125: The ongoing saga

Tue, 08/08/2017 - 12:00 David Crowder
You may recall that Amendment C125 to the Monash Planning Scheme sought to introduce the ‘Monash Housing Strategy 2014’ (MHS) as a reference document into the planning scheme, and update the suite of residential zones and LPPF. The amendment has undergone public exhibition and been assessed by an Independent Planning Panel. ratio: made submissions to the Panel on behalf of various landowners within the municipality. A fundamental criticism was...

Footscray's Binks Ford site finally in line for development

Thu, 16/03/2017 - 12:00 Mark Baljak
Site purchase and demolition for one of Footscray's key renewal sites occurred during 2012. Thereafter the Binks Ford site has seen precious little activity. But now plans are afoot for an intensive redevelopment of the 9,047sqm plot which abuts the Footscray rail corridor. Developer AVIC Developments Pty Ltd is seeking the green light for 412 dwellings across four separate residential buildings, with the tallest maxing out at 10 levels. Dubbed...

Residential zone reforms announced by Spring Street

Sun, 12/03/2017 - 10:30 Colleen Peterson
Since the introduction of the new residential zones in 2014, ratio: have been actively involved advocating about issues surrounding their implementation. Collaborating with other consultants, ratio: has been actively involved in the past 4 years seeking to influence the appropriate application of the zones. Our view has always been that the Zones should allow for the increased density and diversity of housing consistent with the location of...

Things to look out for in 2017

Tue, 14/02/2017 - 12:00 Colleen Peterson
As we approach mid-February and the Christmas break begins to feel like a distant memory, it’s time to start thinking about what 2017 has in store for the planning world. There’s plenty in the pipeline to get our heads around so to help you keep up to date here’s a summary of just a few of the things to look out for. BETTER APARTMENT DESIGN STANDARDS (BADS) The highly anticipated BADS were released in their entirety in December 2017 (read our...

2 Neilson Place rounds out Footscray's Joseph Road Precinct

Wed, 01/02/2017 - 07:30 Mark Baljak
The latest and last of Footscray's Joseph Road Precinct super-sites has gone to advertising, outlining a quartet of residential towers planned for the site which is referred to as 2 Nielson Place. No less that 577 apartments are requested as part of a permit that would square away Joseph Road Precinct's final major land allotment. FJP Pty Ltd is behind the development push, with Architecton in the primary design role; something they would be...

Better Apartment Design Standards released

Mon, 19/12/2016 - 10:30 Colleen Peterson
The State Government released the final version of its Better Apartment Design Standards (BADS) on Saturday, providing the industry with the much-awaited policy guidelines that will influence the design of apartment development throughout Melbourne for years to come. The final document is noticeably different to the draft Guidelines exhibited earlier this year. Many of the prescriptive requirements are gone, which will be a relief to some...

Minister approves central city built form controls

Thu, 24/11/2016 - 16:00 Colleen Peterson
The Minister for Planning approved Amendment C270 to the Melbourne Planning Scheme yesterday, introducing the much discussed and controversial built form controls in the Hoddle grid (CBD) and Southbank. In approving the amendment, the Minister has had the benefit of the Independent Panel Report following a strongly contested panel hearing which ran for 29 days.

A new order: 820 Whitehorse Road, Box Hill

Thu, 21/04/2016 - 07:00 Laurence Dragomir
Box Hill continues its evolution into a high density activity centre with a fresh town planning application under assessment for a 30-storey residential tower at 820 Whitehorse Road, rising to a height of 99.78 metres. Designed by Fender Katsalidis for Longriver Group, the proposal seeks to join a growing list of high rise residential towers in the area such as SkyOne (36-storeys / 122.8m) and Whitehorse Towers (36-storeys / 115m + 26-storeys /...

Outer suburban Berwick to get an urban development injection

Thu, 10/12/2015 - 06:00 Alastair Taylor
City of Casey recently approved a multi-building development in Berwick which has paved the way for the municipality's first entry on the Urban Melbourne Project Database. 1-9 & 11-17 Lyall Road sits on a prime site at the bottom of Berwick hill, set back from the suburb's main intersection. The proponent is a developer using the entity name Sheradar Pty Ltd and the four building development has been designed by Baldasso Cortese . The...

VPELA Seminar Summary: VCAT's Nightingale decision, car parking, and the future of sustainable development

Fri, 13/11/2015 - 12:00 Ben Daly
On Monday 9 October 2015, the Victorian Planning & Environmental Law Association ( VPELA ) in conjunction with Ratio Consultants presented: ‘Where we're going, we don't need roads? VCAT's Nightingale decision, car parking and the future of sustainable development.’ The seminar provided a balanced overview of the proposed Nightingale development, why VCAT set aside Moreland’s resolution to grant a permit for the proposal, and what this...

VPELA seminar 9th November: VCAT's Nightingale decision, car parking and the future of sustainable development

Thu, 29/10/2015 - 06:00 Alastair Taylor
The Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association (VPELA) in conjunction with Ratio Consultants have organised a seminar titled "Where we're going, we don't need roads? VCAT's Nightingale decision, car parking and the future of sustainable development", to be held on Monday 9th of November. The seminar will be held at the Treasury Theatre, lower level, Treasury Building at 5:15pm for a 5:30pm start. Just before Back to the Future's 2015...

Colleen Peterson on amendment C262

Fri, 09/10/2015 - 08:00 Colleen Peterson
The overnight implementation of amendment C262 to the Melbourne Planning Scheme last month, which reintroduced plot ratio restrictions into the CBD, took us all by surprise. For those of us who have been around long enough, the concept of plot ratios was a key feature of development in the Melbourne CBD in the 1990s. Their reintroduction is perhaps a spot of nostalgia for some of us. The introduction of the control was fast, swift and wide...

Better Apartments: Yes, but not at the expense of innovation

Mon, 25/05/2015 - 00:00 Colleen Peterson
The planning industry has been waiting for some time for the release of guidelines on the development of high rise apartments in Victoria. This is largely a result of the uncertainty, at both local government and VCAT, regarding acceptable levels of internal amenity and also the hot issue of ‘equitable development potential’. Some decision makers will not accept south facing apartments but others will, some will accept studio style dwellings for...

PDG Corporation and Spec Property double up in North Melbourne

Tue, 24/03/2015 - 07:00 Mark Baljak
PDG Corporation and Spec Property have seized upon the success of their current North Melbourne projects by each proposing separate additional apartment developments within the suburb. Far from the soaring towers of Melbourne's CBD, the proposed developments are comparatively modest, yet point to the underlying strength of North Melbourne as a desired suburb for both developers and buyers seeking to avoid postcode 3000. Lodged with City of...

State Government reneges on new Residential Zone in Bayside

Wed, 26/11/2014 - 12:00 Colleen Peterson
In June the Minister for Planning approved approximately 82 per cent of Bayside’s residential land for inclusion within the Neighbourhood Residential Zone (the most restrictive zone). In doing so the Minister requested that Council apply the Residential Growth Zone, which allows development up to 4 storeys to 3 per cent of its residential land. Reluctantly Council proposed draft Amendment C125 allocating 3 per cent of residential land around...

The Capitol of South Yarra

Thu, 02/10/2014 - 08:00 Laurence Dragomir
Covered briefly earlier in the week, Urban Melbourne today takes an in depth look at the latest and greatest proposal for The Capitol in South Yarra. Acquired by former Dodo founder Larry Kestelman's LK Property Group it becomes the seventh incarnation in a long list of development proposals for the 5,600sqm former Capitol Bakeries site on the corner of Toorak Road and Chapel Street.

190 metre tower sought for South Yarra

Tue, 30/09/2014 - 00:00 Mark Baljak
Mid last year Nicholas Harrison wrote a piece titled " Sixth time lucky at the Fun Factory " which highlighted the many attempts to realise a large-scale tower on what is South Yarra's premier development site. Spanning as far back as 1989, developers have sought to make good a string of predominantly residential schemes designed for the site, but to no avail. The most recent attempt found itself at VCAT during 2013, and ultimately gained...

Setting the Pace at St Kilda Junction

Mon, 22/09/2014 - 00:00 Mark Baljak
Pace Development Group currently have a planning application before City of Port Phillip for a prized Fitzroy Street, St Kilda site which the prolific developer reportedly paid in excess of $17 million for during the course of 2013. Previously home to the Australian Institute of Management, the existing office block at 181 Fitzroy Street is set to make way for a sizeable building of 177 apartments. Incidentally 181 Fitzroy Street joints four...

Planning Minister approves new residential zones in 39 Victorian LGAs

Sat, 14/06/2014 - 10:31 Colleen Peterson
Consistent with the Planning Minister’s approach for making a splash, he announced on Friday (13/6) that 39 Victorian municipalities will have their current residential zones converted into the new suite of residential zones as of today. Whilst the amendments also make some other changes, like including business zoned land into the reformed Commercial Zones, the main theme of the Special Government Gazette was the implementation of the new...

The Urban Melbourne Industry Hub is born

Thu, 05/06/2014 - 09:00 Alastair Taylor
Chances are that 25% of everyone who reads this article will belong to or take an active part in what we deem to be a part of the Urban Industry - property developers, architects, planners, engineers, development managers, financiers, analysts and creatives. Today we are launching a new section of Urban Melbourne where we aim to concentrate industry focused news, analysis and opinion as well as allow interested organisations to carve out their...

New Residential Zones advisory committee announced

Wed, 12/03/2014 - 11:51 Colleen Peterson
The following is an edited version of an article originally published on Ratio Consultant's website . Many of you will be familiar with the issues surrounding the implementation of the new Residential Zones in Victoria. The new zones, and in particular the proposed widespread use of the Neighbourhood Residential Zone by many Councils, significantly limits the development potential of many sites and has wider ranging planning implications in...
Victoria One - 452 Elizabeth Street

Victoria One - 452 Elizabeth Street

Mon, 03/03/2014 - 07:40 Laurence Dragomir
Victoria One, at 452 Elizabeth represents Golden Age Group's third foray into the Melbourne apartment market. Designed by Elenberg Fraser , the 75-storey development is set to join a growing number of high-rise developments beyond 170 metres in height through the northern end of the CBD, which are illustrated in the images below. These include ICD Property's Eq Tower , 450 Elizabeth Street , Mammoth Empire's 398 Elizabeth Street , and Brady...