Rural Land Strategy

At the Council Meeting on 21 February 2012, Council placed the second draft of the Rural Land Strategy on exhibition and approved an extensive consultation process.

Draft 2 of the Rural Land Strategy has been substantially changed from the original Draft Rural Land Strategy (DRLS) released for consultation in March 2011.  These changes have been made after further research, feedback provided through the original consultation process and by obtaining input from the Agriculture and Agribusiness Advisory Committee.

Key elements

Key elements of the Draft 2 Rural Land Strategy are:

  • the right to build a house on an existing lot of 40 hectares or more is retained;
  • the requirement for a planning permit to build a house on less than 40 hectares remains;
  • lots less than 4 hectares, with no agricultural potential, may receive a permit for a house if they meet certain criteria;
  • lots created by subdivision must be 40 hectares minimum, with lots created after 1 July 2012 having no as-of-right for a house;
  • more than one house on a lot in the Farming Zone may be permitted;
  • excisions to be discouraged, if not prohibited;
  • no new Rural Conservation Zone;
  • Rural Activity Zone in two locations only:
    • Glenrowan along the Warby Ranges to Chick Road, Killawarra; and
    • Oxley to Markwood along the Snow Road;
  • flexibility sought in the Farming Zone to allow expanded accommodation types and other tourism activities associated with agriculture;
  • zoning anomalies around Oxley, Milawa and Everton to be rectified;
  • protection of the significant landscape at Glenrowan Gap and the introduction of limited landscape controls in a 200m strip either side of the main road from Moyhu to Cheshunt;
  • zone changes will not result in rate disadvantage where the agricultural land use does not change; and
  • all planning applications relating to the Farming Zone or Rural Activity Zone will be decided at Council Meetings.

Copies of the Draft 2 Rural Land Strategy

Copies of the Draft 2 Rural Land Strategy can be downloaded (see below), obtained by phoning Council on 5722 0888, or can be collected from the Wangaratta Government Centre, corner Ford and Ovens Streets, Wangaratta

Public information nights

Four public information nights were held in March to provide an overview of the strategy and to respond to questions from the public.  Feedback from the meetings will inform the development of a Social, Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment Report. 

Public submissions

The public submission process is now closed. 

In order to allow community access to submissions and overcome privacy restrictions, notice is hereby given that all submissions made in response to Draft 2 Rural Land Strategy, will be made publicly available. 

View copies of the public submissions related to the Draft 2 Rural Land Strategy

Thank you to everyone who made a submission.

Social, Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment

An independently developed Social, Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment will be undertaken during the consultation process, with a report to be presented to Council. 

Those people interested in speaking personally with the facilitator, Mr Simon Holloway, regarding the Social, Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment should contact Council on (03) 5722 0888 to have their contact details recorded. An appointment with the Mr Holloway will then be organised.

Council will consider submissions and the report before resolving a position on the Draft 2 Rural Land Strategy.

Further information

For further information please contact Council on (03) 5722 0888 and ask for the Rural Land Strategy Help Desk.

Download:

PDFDraft 2 - Rural Land Strategy (5226 KB)

2.PDFDraft 2 - Rural Land Strategy - Background and Issues Paper (544 KB)

PDFDraft 2 - Rural Land Strategy - FAQs (80 KB)