Our Draft Future Plan for Growth
Council is currently preparing a plan to set the overall direction for how our Shire should grow to 2050 and beyond, called the Growing Places Strategy (GPS). We’re getting on the front foot to carefully plan for increasing growth pressure (learn more in the ‘background’ below).
We’ve commissioned a range of independent studies and research to help inform the GPS. We’ve used this background research, strongly guided by the key objectives of the Community Vision 2040, to develop a draft ‘future growth scenario’ that shows where housing and population growth could occur.
Watch this short video for an overview of the draft plan, or alternatively you can read more in the fact sheet: Draft Growing Places Strategy.
This draft GPS identifies five key Potential Growth Locations, as well as other smaller areas of change, and the conditions required to support that growth sustainably.
- Growth is already planned for in Bannockburn;
- It focusses new growth in Meredith, Lethbridge and Teesdale; and
- Cambrian Hill and Stonehaven are identified as future growth opportunities only if the necessary infrastructure becomes available.
The GPS provides certainty for the future, and at the same time, it’s flexible and can adapt over time as circumstances and preconditions change to achieve well-planned, thoughtfully sequenced growth.
Background: Population growth and why we need to plan
Melbourne’s population is now larger, and growing faster, than Sydney’s. By 2033 it’s predicted that Melbourne will have an estimated 6.1 million people.
The Victorian Government has said that Melbourne’s suburbs and Victoria’s regional cities will provide most of the new homes people need to live in because they have existing services and infrastructure to support it. But every Council must plan for growth.
We commissioned an independent report into how much housing we may need to provide in Golden Plains.
The report showed that due to our location between Geelong and Ballarat, and because we are within the 100km of metropolitan Melbourne, we have a unique opportunity to secure more benefits for our community by accommodating some flow on growth into our Shire. These benefits align with many aspirations of our Community Vision 2040, like more investment in services and infrastructure, a stronger local workforce, and new businesses and entertainment options.
The report also showed that we could experience stronger growth pressure than what the State Government predicts. This means we should have plans in place to make sure it goes in the right locations, to avoid less favourable outcomes. Find out more in our fact sheet: Growth in Our Region.
Consultation update - August 2024
Council endorsed the Draft Growing Places Strategy at its meeting on 27 August 2024 for further community and stakeholder engagement following the Council Election in October.
The full draft of the Growing Places Strategy (GPS) is now complete and available to view on request. Importantly, this is a draft Strategy, no final decisions have been made and we will be seeking further feedback from the community after the Council Election.
Following further community consultation, the GPS will then be presented to the new Council for consideration before any final decisions are made. Stay up to date by regularly visiting this page, and we encourage you to join our mailing list for the latest updates by emailing [email protected].
How you can be involved
We know there may be questions about this draft strategy, and we will be answering questions and taking feedback from November 2024 until early 2025.
To learn about the draft future growth scenario, you can:
- Read a copy of the Informing Document: Growing Places 2051 which summarises all the background research and the draft future growth scenario.
- Find out more detail about the background research by reviewing the technical reports and studies in full – see the Strategic Planning Projects section on our website.
- Review our fact sheets which explain Growth in Our Region and what this means for us, and Our Draft Future Plan for Growth and how this has been informed.
In the meantime, you can learn more about the draft future growth scenario by:
- Review the latest Growing Places FAQs
- Email your question or request to join the mailing list at [email protected]
- Call us on 5220 7111
To provide formal feedback about other important factors we should consider or investigate you can:
- Email [email protected]
- Write to: Strategic Planning, Golden Plains Shire Council, PO Box 111, Bannockburn 3111
What’s Next?
Developing the Growing Places Strategy will take time and involves many different steps, and then implementing the GPS is a long-term process and will not happen for some years.
We have considered your feedback on the draft growth scenario in a full draft of the Growing Places Strategy.
You will have another opportunity to review the full Draft GPS and provide feedback following the Council Election, before Council considers the plan for endorsement.
Once endorsed, the GPS will need to be integrated into our Planning Scheme (or ‘rule book’ about how land can be used) through a Planning Scheme Amendment. You can find out more about all the steps in our fact sheet: Growth in Our Region and stay informed via this page.
Timeline
- 2021/22: Background research
- Mid-2023: Developing and testing a future growth scenario
- 2024: Preparing and consulting on a draft GPS and action plan
- 2025: Adopting a final GPS
- 2025: Preparing and consulting on a Planning Scheme Amendment to incorporate the GPS into the Golden Plains Planning Scheme (the ‘rule book’)
- 2025: Submitting the Planning Scheme Amendment to the Minister for Planning for final approval.