Amendment C81 - Bacchus Marsh Urban Growth Framework (UGF)

Amendment C81 implemented the Bacchus Marsh District UGF 2018, by updating the Municipal Strategic Statement in the Moorabool Planning Scheme. The UGF was prepared in collaboration between Council and the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA).

A Planning Panel was held in May and June 2018 considered submissions received during the exhibition period.

View a copy of the panel report(PDF, 6MB).

Council considered the Planning Panel’s recommendations on 19 September 2018 and resolved to adopt Amendment C81 and the UGF.

Details of the amendment

Amendment C81 affects land in the urban and rural areas of Bacchus Marsh, Darley, Maddingley, and Pentland Hills. It also includes the rural fringe areas of Merrimu, Parwan, Hopetoun Park, Coimadai (part), Long Forest (part) and Rowsley (part).

In addition to implementing the Bacchus Marsh UGF, Amendment C81 also deletes references to outdated strategies and implements relevant elements of the following strategies that have been adopted by Council:

  • Bacchus Marsh Integrated Transport Strategy (2015);
  • Moorabool Industrial Areas Strategy (2015);
  • Moorabool Shire Council Retail Strategy 2041 (2016); and
  • Moorabool Shire Economic Development Strategy (2015).

 

Amendment C81 promotes coordinated, master-planned development of identified areas in and around Bacchus Marsh, by identifying a need to:

  • Contain short to medium term residential development within the existing settlement boundary (infill and greenfield);
  • Prepare for medium to long term residential growth within the investigation areas at Merrimu, Parwan Station and Hopetoun Park (refer to Figure 1);
  • Require precinct structure plans for any urban growth precincts at Merrimu and Parwan Station, and a development plan for any growth precinct at Hopetoun Park, and ensure that such plans provide for appropriate community and social infrastructure, activity centres, schools, integrated transport, reticulated services and local job opportunities;
  • Prepare a precinct structure plan for Parwan Employment Precinct (refer to Figure 1), to address key infrastructure and land use priorities that will deliver value-added and vertically or horizontally integrated agribusiness/industries; and
  • Work with State Government and other relevant servicing authorities towards the servicing of Parwan Employment Precinct, with particular emphasis on the provision of reticulated water and gas.

 

It is important to note that Amendment C81 did not rezone any land.  It provides a strategic framework for determining where future urban growth precincts and employment growth precincts will occur.  A future, separate planning scheme amendment will be required, to identify exact boundaries for these precincts and to rezone land to facilitate master-planned urban development.

Identifying the growth needs and opportunities to 2041 (and beyond) are key elements of the UGF.  Underpinning the UGF is extensive community and agency engagement defining key principles and objectives from protecting the irrigation district through to planning future urban growth precincts and additional local employment.  Extensive background analysis concerning environmental constraints and infrastructure opportunities has been undertaken. Within the UGF there are over-arching principles, identified opportunities for growth and principles for how this can be delivered via the planning system.

Amendment C81 documentation and planning maps can be viewed on the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning website.

The Amendment was gazetted on 6 December 2018.

View the Bacchus Marsh Urban Growth Framework – adopted by Council(PDF, 12MB).

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