Council holds key to dreams
Nearing resolution: South Gippsland Shire Council’s acting planning manager, Paul Stampton, and director of development services, Phil Stone, with Shelley McGuinness of RMCG consultants, show off the draft strategy.
DREAMS could become reality if South Gippsland Shire Council changes planning rules that have thrown futures into disarray.
More people could enjoy a country lifestyle and farmers could subdivide land to raise capital or retire if council introduces new planning guidelines.
However the proposed changes – contained in council’s draft Rural Land Use Strategy – only allow tourism and housing in certain rural areas, and even then, only if associated with farming.
About 235 lots would be eligible for a planning permit under 40ha and hundreds more above 40ha in Farming Zones, plus more in the new Rural Activity Zones.
Council’s director of development services, Phil Stone, believed the community would view the draft strategy positively.
“It makes clear the agricultural direction of the shire in preserving the approximately $1 billion annual farming base of the shire, whilst allowing rural residential dwellings in the Farming Zone,” he said.
“This is more than any other planning scheme in the state, so I believe it provides a good balance between attracting lifestyle residential developments and preserving agricultural land. I would encourage the community to take a look at the strategy and make a submission should they wish.”
Council will tonight (Wednesday) decide whether to place the draft strategy on public exhibition. The strategy would replace – but essentially incorporate – the current C51 rules.
Rural Activity Zones would be introduced to enable more development for tourism and rural living in steep, typically poor farming land.
The new Rural Activity Zones will be divided into two sections: one for tourism and two for mixed use.
The strategy proposes zone one precincts at Loch, Kardella, Koonwarra, Waratah North, Mirboo North, Waratah North, Yanakie and Foster North, and zone two precincts between Poowong East and Trida, and also Dollar-Gunyah-Toora North.
Both zones would permit housing.
The strategy will give stability to planning regulations within the shire after a turbulent few years.
Former Victorian Planning Minister Justin Madden removed council’s power to approve houses in the Farming Zone with the introduction of the C48 planning scheme amendment.
Last year, council introduced the C51 amendment, which gave greater scope for dwellings and subdivisions in rural areas but still with restrictions.
The draft strategy emphasised the value of agriculture to South Gippsland, with about one third of jobs in the municipality tied to farming.
The strategy recommends council develop a Housing and Settlement Strategy before converting more rural land to Rural Living Zone to provide more lifestyle blocks.
The strategy stated there is already “a large supply of land zoned for rural living as well as a vast supply of small lots in the Farming Zone”.
Subject land would include the Crown townships of Agnes, Jumbunna, Mirboo, Darlimurla, Hoddle and Outtrim; the Crown settlements of Kardella and Grip Road; and the cluster subdivisions of Korumburra South, Yanakie and Whitelaw, plus others.
“Generally, small lot excisions (with or without houses) are inappropriate in rural areas…Excisions have contributed to rural land being lost to hobby farming or rural residential uses,” the strategy stated.
The draft strategy was the subject of questions to council at last Wednesday’s public presentation sessions at Mirboo North.
Wild Dog Valley man Don Hill asked if getting a permit for a dwelling to accompany grazing under 80 acres in Rural Activity Zones would be easier. Yes, under the Rural Activity Zone 2, council’s acting planning manager Paul Stampton said.
Ron Brown of Turtons Creek wanted to know why his area was not mentioned under the Dollar tourism precinct. He was told precinct boundaries were yet to be finalised.
The strategy will be on exhibition for six weeks if approved by council. Public comment would then be considered and council would apply to the Minister for Planning for a ministerial amendment. If the minister agreed, the strategy would be gazetted. If not, council would pursue an amendment.
The strategy was produced by consultants RMCG in conjunction with council.
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