Implementing the Strathfieldsaye Urban Design Framework and Township PlanPlanning Scheme Amendment C232

Community Bulletin, May 2019

Strathfieldsaye is growing rapidly, with its population expected to increase from approximately 5,700 to 13,000 by 2036. A lot of development and change has already occurred in the township over the last two decades.

To help guide future development, the City of Greater Bendigo, in partnership with the Strathfieldsaye community, prepared the Strathfieldsaye Urban Design Framework (2017) (UDF) and prior to this the Strathfieldsaye Township Plan (revised March 2012). This amendment will implement the UDF and further implement the Township Plan into the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme.

The amendment also includes some zoning recommendations from the recently adopted Greater Bendigo Public Space Plan (2018), introduces some planning tools to help better manage on-site effluent disposal and urban forest interface issues, and corrects some zoning and overlay errors.

Key zone changes required to implement recommendations of the UDF

Key recommendations of the UDF are:

• Consolidate the town centre to the north of Wellington Street for retail, commercial and public uses

• Ensure new development contributes to the preferred town character including the town entrances

• Encourage more intensive residential development near the town centre and close to services

• Plan for a town centre within the creeks and connected by cycling and foot paths

• Rezone Coliban Water land to provide for a safer link road from Taylors Lane to Tannery Lane and allow the CFA to expand

What does the Planning Scheme Amendment propose to do?• Rezone land on the south side of Wellington Street and at

2 Club Court from Commercial 1 Zone to Mixed Use Zone 2. There is an oversupply of commercial land for the needs of the town. Rezoning to Mixed Use will give landowners more flexibility on how the land can be used, with a mix of residential and office uses encouraged, support the consolidation of retail north of Wellington Street.

• Rezone land owned by the Anglican Church in Wellington Street, and Coliban Water in Tannery Lane as this land is surplus to their requirements. Rezoning the Coliban Water land to General Residential Zone will enable a link road to be constructed from Taylors Lane through to Tannery Lane allowing the current informal road to be removed from the CFA site, enabling the CFA to expand.

• Rezone a number of parcels of Council owned land from General Residential Zone to Public Park and Recreation Zone to reflect the existing and intended use of the land as public open space.

• Rezone land to correct land tenure errors including the old Strathfieldsaye Shire Hall and the Strathfieldsaye Community Church.

• Apply Design and Development Overlays on the town centre, inner residential areas and the town entrances to protect charcter and provide design guidance for future development.

• Apply a Design and Development Overlay to residential zoned land south of Sinclairs Road and north of Sheepwash Creek to ensure requirements to treat wastewater onsite can be understood early in the planning process.

• Apply a Design and Development Overlay to partially developed residential zoned land adjoining the Greater Bendigo National Park to ensure appropriate buffers are maintained.

• Remove the Development Plan Overlay from the town centre and an already developed area of land bounded by Guys Hills Road, Tannery Lane and Bakers Lane as it is no longer required.

• Remove the existing Neighbourhood Character Policy and replace it with the Strathfieldsaye Local Area Plan (as shown over page), which will bring past plans and policies for the town together into one framework plan with objectives and strategies to guide growth and development and protect neighbourhood character.

Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat uses are allowed in the Mixed Use Zone?

The Mixed Use Zone allows for a range of uses from industrial and office to retail and residential. The Strathfieldsaye Mixed Use Zone 2 encourages a mix of residential and office uses and discourages heavy industrial and retail uses to encourage retail use to be consolidated north of Wellington Street.

What is an overlay?

An overlay is a control in the planning scheme that identifies an issue that needs to be considered when developing land, eg heritage, flooding, design.

Can I still develop my property if an overlay is applied?

Yes, but you may need a planning permit.

Planning permits are generally required for development including buildings and works, earthworks and subdivision. When assessing a planning permit application, consideration is given, as appropriate, to such things as lot sizes, building locations, native vegetation, wastewater management and bushfire risk.

If my property is only partially affected by an overlay, would I need a permit for buildings or works outside the area covered by the overlay?

No, the requirements of an overlay apply only to development proposed within the area covered by the overlay.

Precinct Description Proposed Planning Scheme Changes

1 Town Centre: Provides a wide range of commercial, employment and residential options

Apply Design and Development Overlay 27Remove Development Plan Overlay 26

2 Transitional Town Centre: Encourages medium density residential and mixed use developments

Apply Design and Development Overlay 28Rezone from Commercial 1 to Mixed Use

3 Transitional Residential: Transition between Transitional Town Centre precinct and General Residential

Character and design objectives in the Local Area Plan (LAP)

4 Town Entrances: Protects the visual amenity along the town’s arterial road network using setbacks and vegetation

Apply Design and Development Overlay 29

5 General Residential: Supports conventional residential lots with protection of spacious character through design and vegetation

Character and design objectives in the LAP Apply Design and Development Overlay 6 to land adjoining the National Park

6 Large Lot/Low Density Residential: Large semi-rural lots, often with native vegetation cover, low scale buildings and no reticulated sewerage

Apply Design and Development Overlay 24 to land zoned General Residential

7 New Development Areas: As described in the Development Plan Overlay Schedule 26 and the Strathfieldsaye Township Plan

Remove Development Plan Overlay 26 from some already developed land

P Park Some zoning corrections

PU Other public uses Some zoning corrections

S Schools

Shared paths

Strathfieldsaye Local Area Plan

Project stepsThe amendment is expected to take a year to complete, with the steps being:

• The Planning Scheme Amendment is on public exhibition for one month.

• Submissions will be considered by Council by September 2019. The Council must either decide to change the amendment in response to a submission, refer the submission to an independent panel appointed by the Minister for Planning, or abandon the amendment or part of it.

• All those who have made a submission will be notified of Council’s decision.

• An independent Planning Panel hearing will be held to consider any outstanding submissions in late 2019. Submitters will be invited to attend and present.

• The Panel Report will be considered and a final decision made by the Council on the amendment in early 2020.

• The amendment will then be submitted to the Minister for Planning for approval.

Further informationPlanning scheme amendment documents, maps and background information are available for viewing at:

• www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/Services/Building-and-Planning/Planning-scheme-amendments

• The City’s Statutory Planning office, 15 Hopetoun Street, Bendigo

Have your saySubmissions to the amendment must be received by Monday July 1, 2019.

Submissions must be in writing and include:

• Your name and address

• The grounds on which the amendment is supported or opposed and any supporting evidence

• If opposed, what changes you would like made to the amendment (if any)

Submissions are public documents and can be submitted by:

• Emailing to psamendments@bendigo.vic.gov.au

• Posting to City of Greater Bendigo’s Statutory Planning Unit, PO Box 733, Bendigo, 3552

For all further enquiries contactCity of Greater Bendigo Statutory Planning Unit15 Hopetoun Street, Bendigop. 5434 6355e. psamendments@bendigo.vic.gov.au

Public Information SessionYou are invited to an information session at:

• Strathfieldsaye Club Court Pavilion, 42 Club Court, between 4pm and 7pm on Thursday June 13, 2019