In Victoria’s world of planning codes and zoning designations, few are as misunderstood — or inconsistently applied — as Transport Zone 2 (TRZ2). Designed to serve transport-related uses, TRZ2 land is often leased to private corporations like Transurban and John Holland, enabling them to run highly commercial operations often directly adjacent to residentially zoned land with minimal departmental oversight.
Nowhere is the contrast between public-sector privilege and private-sector precision more evident than in the side-by-side comparison of 641 Melbourne Road and 7 Cullen Court in Spotswood — both TRZ2-zoned, yet worlds apart in execution, amenity, compliance, and intent.
| TRZ2 Feature | 641 Melbourne Rd (Department of Transport + Leaseholders) | 7 Cullen Court (Clarke Towson) |
|---|---|---|
| Surface Treatment | Bitumen hardstand, some gravel + dirt | Grass (transport-compliant), zero runoff |
| Vehicles Stored | High level Commercially branded (Transurban) incident management trucks | Cage trailers, 100% mobile, low level of visible commercial branding |
| Perimeter Treatment | Damaged fencing, graffiti-tagged walls | Stainless steel bollards + chain, clean fencing on my side / weed filled on Department of Transports side |
| Signage | Contractor signage, “Incident Management” | Some branding (minimalist legal compliance) |
| Camera Systems | Mobile lighting & camera tower | Camera pole and camera |
| Landscaping | Landscaped front portion in part | Native botanical installation in progress across the site |
| Graffiti Presence | Multiple tags on structures/fencing | None — cleaned, maintained |
| Lighting | Industrial floodlights on tower pole | N/A — zero-night-use transport hire site |
| Security | Damaged gates + wire fence, gates left open 24/7 | Locked bollards + controlled access |
| Amenity Contribution | Visual clutter, noise proximity | Quiet use, nature-friendly frontage |
| Compliance Transparency | No public-facing documents | Fully documented online and on site legal page |
| Community Impact | Noise/light/visual impact likely | Visually soft, low-impact presence |
| Permit or Public Record? | Unknown | Publicly documented existing use under P&E Act s6(3) |
The 641 Melbourne Road site — despite being publicly owned — is marked by a level of operational issues: 24/7 open gates, security weaknesses, graffiti, contractor clutter, and lighting towers more suited to a construction zone than a suburban street. The land may be "transport" in name, but its current state evokes industrial sprawl rather than public responsibility.
Contrast that with 7 Cullen Court. A privately owned parcel legally activated under Section 6(3) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (Vic), my site shows discipline: clean, landscaped, monitored, secured using stainless steel restractable bollards and chains, and above all, compliant — with documentation to prove it. No noise. No spillover. No abuse of the zoning. Just pure TRZ2 logic.
What’s astonishing is not that 641 Melbourne Road operates as it does — but that it is allowed to. The Department of Transport, which owns the land, is content to lease it for unsightly, disruptive use without requiring public engagement, VCAT proceedings, or planning permits.
Meanwhile, private owners activating TRZ2 sites for lawful, transport-specific purposes — especially when cleaner and quieter — are met with scrutiny, surveillance, or bureaucratic suspicion.
This is not a complaint. It’s a demonstration: If this is what TRZ2 looks like in government hands… then private citizens like me have not only the right, but the responsibility, to show how it can be done better.
7 Cullen Court is not merely a transport-use parcel — it's a test case. A legal edge condition. A systems audit. And now, in stark visual and functional contrast with 641 Melbourne Road, it’s a benchmark.
If the Department of Transport and their corporate lessees can use TRZ2-zoned land this way…
Then so can I.
And frankly, I’ve done it cleaner.