Following adoption by Council at its December meeting, the Teesdale Structure Plan and accompanying Planning Scheme Amendment C92gpla (Amendment C92gpla) will now be sent to the Victorian Minister for Planning for final approval.
The Teesdale Structure Plan is a strategic planning document that will guide the future growth of Teesdale. The document and Amendment C92gpla to incorporate the plan into the Golden Plains Shire Planning Scheme builds on the existing 1997 Teesdale Structure Plan by:
- formalising a growth area to the north-east of the town, initially identified in 1997;
- encouraging residential infill development and commercial development;
- identifying a number of infrastructure and other projects beneficial to Teesdale that are not already considered in existing Council Strategies; and
- not proposing any new growth areas outside the existing settlement boundary or any new commercial areas.
Council received feedback from 198 residents and stakeholders during the initial engagement on the plan in late 2019, and the draft plan was endorsed by Council in April 2020. From November 2020 to January 2021, the Teesdale Structure Plan and Amendment C92gpla were on public exhibition, and received 23 submissions from community members, developers and agencies. Council made some minor changes following this process and requested the Minister for Planning appoint an independent Planning Panel to resolve the outstanding objections.
The independent Planning Panel held an online Planning Panel Hearing to consider outstanding objections to Amendment C92gpla in June 2021. Following the panel’s report, Council made two further changes to the amendment and Teesdale Structure Plan, including a change in terminology for the “North East Growth Precinct” to “Future Growth Investigation Area” and to detail the requirements for the growth investigation, however, disagreed with the Panel’s recommendation for Amendment C92gpla to be abandoned until further analysis work was undertaken.
Mayor Cr Gavin Gamble says over the last two years Council has taken feedback on board and the Teesdale Structure Plan was now ready to send to the Minister for Planning for final approval.
“The Planning Scheme Amendment to implement the Teesdale Structure Plan has gone through a rigorous and public exhibition and planning panel process, that has involved community members, government agencies and developers.
“Council has made minor changes to the Plan and Amendment over the last two years in response to the feedback received. While not all submissions could be resolved, Council is confident the adopted amendment will successfully guide the long-term growth of Teesdale into the future.
“Now that Council has adopted the planning scheme amendment it will go to the Minister for Planning for final approval.”
Following the adoption by Council, Amendment C92gpla will now be sent to the Victorian Minister for Planning to approve or reject. Should the Minister approve the amendment, it will be formally incorporated into the Golden Plains Shire Planning Scheme.