Timeline
April to May 2023 - Community activation
April to September 2023 - Initial community engagement
- Rural Hepburn: Agricultural Land and Rural Settlement Strategy survey held from 13 April to 12 May 2023.
- Township Structure Plan surveys held from 17 May to 2 July 2023.
- Township Structure Planning Community Conversations held between 29 May and 8 June 2023.
- Rural Hepburn: Agricultural Land and Rural Settlement Strategy survey findings released - July 2023.
- Integrated Transport: Transport & Trip Behaviour survey held from 18 September to 22 October 2023.
October to November 2023 - Deeper community engagement - Township Community Panels
- Five Township Community Panels worked on developing a shared vision and six key objectives for their township's draft structure plan.
1 May to 26 June 2024 - Township Structure Plans and Rural Hepburn open for community feedback
- Almost 600 public submissions received, community information sessions across the Shire and Online webinars.
September 2024 - Township Structure Plans and Rural Hepburn adopted by Council (3 September 2024 Council report)
- Council made several changes in response to submissions before adopting final versions of each document.
May 2025 - Future Hepburn implementation plan adopted by Council (27 May 2025 Council report).
- Council decided to enact the settlement strategy framework with farming, environmental and character protections first, before moving to facilitate housing and business expansion changes. Council aims to complete these planning scheme changes by 2028.
Winter 2025- Consultations
- Main town growth changes adopted by Council on 3 September 2024 - namely Clunes industrial and commercial areas, Daylesford residential and industrial areas and Trentham residential consolidation.
Future Consultations – 2026 and beyond
- Future Hepburn Implementation Planning Scheme Amendments
- Draft Hepburn Integrated Transport Strategy