St Arnaud Structure Plan first phase results released
Published on 26 July 2022
Northern Grampians Shire Council in partnership with Mesh Planning (Mesh) has released a preliminary draft and snapshot of the results from the first round of the St Arnaud Structure Plan community consultations conducted earlier this year.
The Structure Plan is a long term land use plan that defines how an area is developed; once adopted by council, the Plan will eventually be implemented into planning law as a planning scheme amendment which will lead to land rezonings and direct other actions in the planning scheme to support growth in St Arnaud.
Community engagement outcomes were based on the five themes established in the St Arnaud Issues and Opportunities paper, released in March 2022:
- Establish St Arnaud’s township boundary and protect its rural surrounds for agricultural uses
- Support and expand St Arnaud’s existing industries, and enhance the town’s role as a regional centre
- Provide a range of housing for St Arnaud’s changing community and to attract new residents and tourists
- Enhance the lifestyle, character and heritage features that make St Arnaud special
- Create a network of pedestrian and cycling paths, and enhance road network capacity for industry expansion
Mesh’s draft Emerging Themes document summarises the issues that relate to these themes. Council’s “What We Heard” July update provides a snapshot of survey results consolidating the community’s feedback. Both documents are available for download from www.ngshire.vic.gov.au/StAStructurePlan or as a print-out by request from customer service at St Arnaud Town Hall. To stay abreast of the Plan’s development, the community is encouraged to get in touch with Dana Foenander, NGSC Strategic Planner on 03 5358 0539 or email dana.foenander@ngshire.vic.gov.au.
Councillor Murray Emerson said he was very impressed with the results from the first phase of community consultation.
“St Arnaud is our shire’s second largest town. Its existing infrastructure and industries not to mention its ideal location between Bendigo and Mildura, means that it is already functioning as a regional centre for certain types of agribusiness,” stated Cr Emerson.
“A Structure Plan is a critical piece of urban planning that will help us ensure that it continues to grow as a hub while also providing many of the requisite features that make it an attractive and functional place to live, visit and work in.
“I encourage anyone who is interested in having a say on land use and the future growth and development of St Arnaud to read the latest updates and to get in touch with our Planning Team to stay in the loop.”
A second round of engagement on the draft will commence in November this year, with the final Structure Plan set to go to Council for endorsement in February 2023.
www.ngshire.vic.gov.au/StAStructurePlan