Council has approved the Greater Bendigo Rural Areas Strategy Background Review and Issues and Opportunities paper to be released for public consultation later this year.
Council supported a review and update of the existing Rural Areas Strategy 2009 to provide certainty on the future planning of rural areas for landowners, communities, and industry.
Whilst the existing strategy is working well, the document needs to be updated to reflect emerging issues. Outdated references will also need to be removed.
The review also complements the adopted Managed Growth Strategy which provides direction and a framework on future growth in urban Bendigo and the larger townships over the next 30 years.
Council also agreed to the next steps for the Issues and Opportunities paper to open for public consultation for four weeks in late 2024.
The community will be asked to provide feedback and identify any land use issues and opportunities in rural communities that have not been considered.
The paper provided key themes which have been considered during the background research phase. It identifies issues, opportunities and potential strategies that will require further investigation to inform the updated Rural Areas Strategy.
Some of the early issues and opportunities identified for the Rural Areas Strategy review to consider include:
- Protection of productive farming land
- Protection and enhancement of natural and cultural values
- Potential opportunities for non-agricultural uses in appropriate locations
- Opportunities to reduce land use conflicts by identifying appropriate locations for rural residential, tourism and other non-agricultural uses
- Needs of existing and future agricultural operations, particularly intensive animal industries, including appropriate lot sizes and buffer areas
- Infrastructure such as roads and water
- External pressures such as the impact of climate change and changing forms of energy production
The project is broadly focused on land in the rural areas of Greater Bendigo that have not been addressed through other recent strategic planning work. It captures the entire municipality, excluding:
- Land within the current Urban Growth Boundary
- Land identified for future urban growth within the Managed Growth Strategy
- Rural towns which have been, or are currently being, considered through separate structure or township plans
- Land within the Public Conservation and Resource Zone (PCRZ) which generally applies to National, Regional and State forests, reserves, and parks
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf said it was an opportunity for the community to get involved in what matters for rural areas in the region.
"The Issues and Opportunities paper will be exhibited for a period of four weeks in late 2024 on the Let's Talk Greater Bendigo online platform. There will also be various in-person opportunities for the community to provide input over this period," Cr Metcalf said.
"The intent of the updated Rural Areas Strategy is to provide greater guidance to current and future landowners, planning professionals and Council when proposing change and making decisions regarding Greater Bendigo's rural areas."
The updated Rural Areas Strategy will be prepared in the early part of 2025, with community consultation on a draft version expected in mid-2025. Once updated and completed, the final strategy will then be presented to Council for consideration.
