May 10th, 2024Draft township plans go out for feedback
The Hepburn Shire Council has endorsed the release of draft Township Structure Plans (for Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford and Hepburn Springs, Glenlyon and Trentham) and Rural Hepburn: Agricultural Land & Rural Settlement Strategy to be open for feedback throughout a six-week community and stakeholder engagement period.
Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said that the Future Hepburn project was the most important project the council would deliver for many years.
“Future Hepburn is a major, once-in-a- generation project. We’ve already heard from the community that they want council to protect and enhance the character of our townships and rural settlements.
The strategic planning controls proposed in these key documents will help us appropriately manage future growth and development,” he said.
“We have already undertaken extensive community consultation to reach this phase of the project, but it’s important that we hear from the community now that we have draft documents.
The draft Township Structure Plans and Rural Hepburn strategy have come about after feedback from 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.
“Input from the community will help inform the final drafts of the five Township Structure Plans and Rural Strategy to be considered for adoption in the coming months.”
Community information sessions will be held at:
Creswick: Friday, May 17, from 5pm to 8pm at the Creswick RSL. The introduction presentation will start at 7pm.
Trentham: Friday, May 24, from 5pm to 8pm at the Trentham Neighbourhood Centre. The introduction presentation will start at 7pm.
Hepburn Springs: Saturday, May 25, from 9am to 12pm at the Bendigo Community Bank building, Hepburn Springs. The introduction presentation will start at 11am.
Glenlyon: Saturday, May 25 from 2pm to 5pm at the Glenlyon Shire Hall. The introduction presentation will start at 4pm.
Clunes: Saturday, June 1, from 9am to 12pm at the Clunes Town Hall. The introduction presentation will start at 11am.
Daylesford: Saturday, June 1, from 2pm to 5pm at the Daylesford Town Hall. The introduction presentation will start at 4pm.
The council’s Community Panels will also come together again to review the drafts and provide feedback. “Our community panels played an important role in providing direction and focus on the vision and objectives which, in turn, guided the development of the strategies and actions,” Cr Hood said.
“We look forward to working with these passionate community members again during this important phase of the project.”
The Local last week received an anonymous email regarding Future Hepburn.
“Please please investigate this. It has not been done with community consultation. What has been drafted is not a reflection of those ‘community engagement panels’ and it is not appropriate that council is using that process as a rationale for its outcome that’s been drafted. Please follow this through.”
Link: www.participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/future-hepburn
What are your thoughts? Email news@tlnews.com.au
Words: Donna Kelly
