Shire-wide strategies

Rural Hepburn; an Agricultural Land Study & Rural Settlement Strategy will provide a comprehensive planning and action framework to manage the use and development of private land across the whole shire for the next 30 years.

Our shared challenge is to develop a land use and management strategy that supports and conserves our: agricultural industries, rural tourism; valued landscapes; biodiversity; and sustainable and safe small rural settlements.

Rural Hepburn will set a vision and direction that has a consensus of support to safeguard our rural land in the face of identified change drivers and challenges.

Community engagement commenced in April 2023 with a survey and release of a draft background report. A Community Survey Report was released which outlines the findings from the survey. These can be viewed on the Rural Hepburn project page.

The integrated transport strategy seeks to improve our transport connections both within and externally to our Shire in response to identified community needs now and into the future.

Our challenge to address is how might we create improved connections between our townships, improve active transport participation and opportunities, economic prosperity and environmental sustainability now and into the future.

A background study is being undertaken which will outline what factors need to be explored to improve and enhance transport functionality and connectivity throughout the shire. 

As the project progresses, we will release supporting documents and studies and engagement opportunities on Future Hepburn on Participate Hepburn.