VicPlan quietly reordered TRZ2 vs NRZ on 7 Cullen Court — here’s the proof

Between 19 July 2025 and late August 2025, the VicPlan interface changed for 7 Cullen Court, Spotswood. In July, the dominant zone shown was TRZ2 – Transport Zone 2 (Principal Road Network) and a grey TRZ2 overlay rendered by default. In the current build, Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ) is listed first and the TRZ2 overlay no longer appears by default. That ordering matters — and it’s consistent with a broader clean‑up of TRZ2 visibility on private land.

Before/After evidence

Screenshots are time‑stamped and preserved with original EXIF metadata. Copies are archived in the Spotswood Trailers evidence repository.

What exactly changed

• Zoning list order: NRZ now appears first for 7 Cullen Court; TRZ2 is last. Previously, TRZ2 was presented as the top/primary zone.
• Default overlay behaviour: The grey TRZ2 overlay no longer renders automatically; users must actively toggle/identify it (and that toggle is currently not working which is interesting).
• VicPlan build change: Interface shows a minor revision bump (v2.5.7 → v2.5.9) consistent with a UI/behaviour update.

Why this matters (legally & practically)

• Perception drives decision‑making: Many officers, councillors and neighbours rely on what VicPlan shows by default. If TRZ2 is buried, fewer people notice the anomaly of a transport zone on private freehold land.
• Existing Use Rights remain intact: My Section 6(3) Planning & Environment Act activation and documentation pre‑date the UI change. Display order in a web viewer cannot retrospectively extinguish rights.
• Statewide signal: When a statewide mapping tool changes how TRZ2 is presented on private parcels, it suggests central awareness of risk around historical TRZ2 applications and consent documentation.

What I think is happening

Rather than confront the core problem — TRZ2 applied to privately owned residential land and the question of required consent — the system has adjusted VicPlan’s presentation to make TRZ2 less obvious. In my view, that looks like risk management and a quiet audit.

• Audit in flight: Expect checks for the existence (or absence) of the required consent records for TRZ2 on private land.
• Narrative shift: By listing NRZ first, parties may try to argue that TRZ2 is somehow secondary. That is a presentation choice, not a legal one.

How to reproduce

1. Open VicPlan and search for 7 Cullen Court, Spotswood 3015.
2. Observe that the Planning Scheme Zones list shows NRZ ahead of TRZ2.
3. Note that the TRZ2 grey overlay does not render by default; use the Identify tools to reveal it if needed (note - not yet working).
4. Record the VicPlan version string shown in the footer for your screenshot and keep the original file (with EXIF) for integrity.

Version fingerprints & audit log

• 19 Jul 2025 – Screenshot captured with VicPlan v2.5.7. TRZ2 listed first; overlay visible by default. EXIF preserved.
• Late Aug 2025 – Screenshot captured with VicPlan v2.5.9. NRZ listed first; TRZ2 overlay hidden by default. EXIF preserved.

Closing note

This is how change happens: evidence → agitation → movement. If authorities are quietly re‑tuning VicPlan because one small block in Spotswood exposed a much bigger problem, that is a public‑interest win.

Contact / Share evidence