A way ahead for land use and urban design in shire’s east

PORT Franklin, Toora, Welshpool, Port Welshpool, Mt Best, Agnes, Hedley – there will soon be a guide for land use and urban design in these towns and localities in the east of South Gippsland Shire.

There has already been extensive community consultation over the Eastern District Urban Design Frameworks, which focuses on the physical aspects of the towns and localities, their images and identities, guiding land use and urban design and supporting community plans.

So extensive has the community consultation been, and so numerous the changes made, as a result of a wealth of feedback, to the March and August 2011 versions of the project document, there is now a September 2011 version. It is this document that Council agreed, at its meeting last Wednesday, to place on public exhibition for 28 days from next Monday.

“We encourage residents and interested parties to take another look at the Frameworks document and provide us with any further comment before it is finalised,” said Strategic Planning Officer Fiona Mottram. “It may also be of interest to tourism operators, those who fish and socialise in the area and others who anticipate using the eastern section of the Great Southern Rail Trail when it is completed.

All of the 47 submissions regarding the earlier versions were individually assessed, and many submission requests and objections were accommodated in full or in part in the September 2011 document. A number of requests were not supported, as they failed to provide net community benefit or because their timing was premature. For example, it was felt that requests for rezoning to Townships Zone, if granted, would result in a significant land over-supply.

Among the changes proposed for the September 2011 document are:

• different land rezoning proposals;
• indication of additional areas for growth in some locations and less intensive development in others;
• altered delineation of town boundaries,
• greater support for tourism,
• increased recognition of potential port developments;
• modified heritage investigation proposals; and
• more emphasis on collaborative partnerships with community organisations and relevant government agencies.

The document can be viewed on www.southgippsland.vic.gov.au and at Foster Library, South Coast Mobile Library, Foster Post Office, Port Welshpool General Store, Toora Post Office, Welshpool Post Office and the Welshpool Rural Transaction Centre.

Submissions are due by Wednesday 7 December and should be addressed to Eastern District Urban Design Frameworks re-exhibition, South Gippsland Shire Council, Private Bag 4, Leongatha, Victoria, 3953 or [email protected]

It is anticipated that Council will consider adoption of a final version of the Frameworks in early 2012. For further information, please phone 03 5662 9200.

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