Final Drafts of Township Structure Plans Respond to Community Concerns

Council will consider final drafts of the Township Structure Plans and Rural Hepburn Strategy at a Special Council Meeting on Tuesday 3 September.

The Draft Plans, which were released in April resulted in considerable local community concern particularly in relation to an environmental assessment zone around the Daylesford Transfer Station and former landfill site and in relation to a proposal to rezone farmland for residential and light industrial use along the eastern boundary of the town.

Council officers, noting the unwillingness of the current landowners and tenants to entertain land use change, have recommended the development of land immediately adjacent to the the town along Daylesford-Trentham Road and Midland Highway be rezoned as residential. Approximately 15 hectares could be made available for housing, an area similar to the earlier proposal for development along East Street. Although the land is currently zoned for farming, several past decisions have reduced the agriculture use of the area at the entrance to the town.

Provision would be made for water protection and management on both sides of Trentham Road. Land on the hill-slope along the Trentham Road-Lyman Road intersection would be maintained as open space to provide a rural presentation to the town entry.

Further east, the former abattoir site on Leitches Creek Road which remains and active industrial site, could become an industrial area a suitable distance from sensitive areas and with capacity to accommodate industrial buffers.

In response to the buffer zones depicted in development maps around former landfill sites, the depicted zones have been replaced by “asterisks” indicating that off-site impact assessments are required. The specific area of any buffer or additional planning provisions would be determined by a more detailed impacts assessments in the future, and will depend on the findings.

One of the drivers for the Future Hepburn project is that Victorian State Government planning policy mandates that all municipalities have sufficient urban land available to cater for projected population growth. Council officers have admitted that multi-story and infill developments close to the township centres are unlikely to satisfy the projected housing requirements. The also note the risk that a failure to make adequate provision for growth could result in planning decisions being taken by state authorities.

Bradley Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, said that the Future Hepburn project has been the most significant strategic planning project Hepburn Shire Council has ever delivered, with the potential to touch every landowner, resident and visitor in the Shire, now and into the future.

The draft Township Structure Plans and Rural Hepburn Strategy were developed after extensive consultation with community panels, community and stakeholder groups throughout 2023, along with specialist technical advice from consultants and Council officers with expertise in planning, ecology, infrastructure, transport, recreation, and economic development.

“We appreciate the interest and engagement we’ve had on the Future Hepburn project and the valuable feedback received from the community and stakeholders, over the last two years. We have taken onboard all of the feedback and made some adjustments to the plans and strategy.”

“Officers have spent considerable hours reviewing submissions, technical advice and conducting many workshops with Councillors and ultimately have reconsidered and made some changes to areas earmarked for rezoning and other planning changes. This was only made possible by overwhelming community and government assistance provided during the consultation period,” he said.

The engagement period for Future Hepburn ran between Wednesday 1 May to Wednesday 26 June 2024. The initial engagement period of six weeks was extended by two weeks in response to community feedback.

“The potential adoption of the Township Structure Plans and Rural Hepburn Strategy on Tuesday will not result in ‘overnight’ changes to Hepburn Shire’s planning provisions. The implementation of the adopted plans and strategy will take some time and will involve future planning scheme amendments. This is a statutory and legal process, involving additional formal community and stakeholder consultation, future Council decisions at key stages, independent expert scrutiny of Council’s strategic work, and finally, a decision from the Minister for Planning on whether to adopt or reject Council’s proposed planning scheme amendments,” said Mr. Thomas.

To view the Special Council Meeting agenda, visit Agendas and minutes.

To register to attend the Special Council Meeting, visit Public participation.

To view a webinar explaining recommended changes to the draft Township Structure Plans and Rural Hepburn Strategy after feedback from the community and stakeholders, view the video below.