Council has secured $315,751 from the Victorian Government to undertake the Golden Plains Settlement Strategy.
Of the 27 successful projects funded under the Victorian Planning Authority’s Streamlining for Growth program, Golden Plains Shire secured the largest grant, which will support Council to provide a clear direction for growth in the municipality for the next 15 years.
The Golden Plains Settlement Strategy (GPSS) will respond to an identified need for an integrated long-term plan to manage growth and development across the municipality. The GPSS has three main objectives: to identify settlement areas suitable for development, determining the appropriate level of growth across the Shire, and the density of growth in those locations where it is supported.
The GPSS will provide a planning framework for the location and type of development and direct growth in those locations where there is the greatest opportunity to maximise benefit from existing infrastructure and the environment. It will be developed in alignment with Council’s recent strategic plan including the Northern Settlement Strategy (NSS) which will inform the GPSS, as it extends this important strategic planning work across the whole Shire.
In 2021, the Bannockburn Growth Plan (Growth Plan) was incorporated into the Golden Plains Planning Scheme, following approval by the Minister for Planning. The Growth Plan will guide the sustainable growth of Bannockburn to the year 2050, catering for 18,000 new residents. The VPA, the Victorian Government’s specialist authority for land use and infrastructure planning in growing urban areas across the state, prepared the Growth Plan in consultation with Council, government agencies and the community.
The Streamlining for Growth program will allocate more than $3.2 million to local councils facing population growth pressures or land shortages. This year, the program was focused on projects that will support Victoria’s economic recovery and address land supply shortages in regional Victoria and Melbourne’s growth areas.
The GPSS will be developed in 2022 with opportunities for all residents and communities to have input into the strategy. To stay informed on the GSS, read the Gazette and Council’s website, follow Council on social media or sign up to the Community Engagement Register and e-Gazette.
Mayor Cr Gavin Gamble says Council welcomed the grant to deliver the Golden Plains Settlement Strategy.
“Population growth is a critical issue for Council and we know it’s a very important issue for our Golden Plains Shire residents. Community engagement on the Golden Plains Shire Community Vision 2040 captured concerns about growth, reflected by the commitment to make Liveability one of the four pillars of the community’s 20-year vision and a theme of the Council Plan 2021-2025.
“As a peri-urban municipality, Council takes seriously our role of strategic planning to best support our enviable lifestyle in Golden Plains while welcoming new residents to our communities. The Golden Plains Settlement Strategy is the plan we need for our whole Shire and we thank the Victorian Planning Authority for partnering with Council to support this planning project.”