April 28th, 2022Planning at Creswick
Hepburn Shire Council is embarking on a ambitious strategic planning program that will span across the Shire. Creswick is the first township in a series of five nominated within the planning program to develop a structure plan. This comes after the review and adoption of a new planning scheme in during 2020-2021, and which was approved by the Minister for Planning in February this year.
Mayor, Cr Tim Drylie, noted that Creswick will be the first township in the shire to go through the structure plan development.
“During the engagement we held for the Community Vision and Council Plan liveability was nominated as a high priority. Strong planning controls in place to retain the character, liveability, and lifestyles that the community values were priorities. At the time, feedback indicated a strong concern for the preservation of farmland, sustainable development supported by appropriate infrastructure, and recognition of the important link between history and the area’s identity,” said Cr Drylie.
A Structure Plan guides the development of a township and expresses the desired outlook for the future of a town. It plans how things like new buildings, parks and infrastructure should develop over time.
The Creswick Structure Plan will manage residential growth, provide for employment, land and community infrastructure to 2042, while protecting and enhancing its unique historic character.
“The Structure Plan will ensure that we have the right mix of residential and commercial activities within Creswick. It will clarify the town’s capacity for growth in terms of height and scale of development, streetscapes and public space improvements, and the town boundaries,” said Cr Drylie.
The Creswick Structure Plan key themes are:
- Housing, including affordable housing
- Indigenous Heritage
- Heritage
- Transport
- Biodiversity
- Bushfire risk
- Agriculture
- Sustainability
- Economic Growth
The objectives of the Structure Plan are to:
- To manage growth and facilitate change within the existing define township boundaries
- To review township boundaries and to identify new areas for residential growth and employment land
- To provide a coordinated program for infrastructure delivery including transport, community infrastructure and the public realm
- To identify the need for any future land use and built form development guidelines to enable streamlined and timely decision making
- To acknowledge the need for affordable housing and to identify suitable sites
Council will be engaging with the community about their vision for Creswick through community sessions in early May and feedback collected via an online survey. For more information at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/structure-plans.
