Why is the planning scheme important?
The planning scheme affects everyone because it outlines how and where people can develop or use their land in the Hepburn Shire.
Why did Council rewrite the planning scheme?
The Amendment implements the recommendations of the Hepburn Planning Scheme Review 2020 which Council adopted at its meeting held in February 2020. The Review found the need to:
- Ensure that the planning scheme is up to date and addresses key issues that our municipality is experiencing now and in the future
- Align the planning scheme to its key strategies and plans including the Council Plan and the Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan; and
- Identify future strategic work that will continue to reflect the direction of the Shire.
What is in the planning scheme?
The planning scheme includes state, regional and local planning policies, strategies, and provisions set out in a Planning Policy Framework. The planning scheme is effectively a ‘legal toolbox’ that implements the state, regional and local policies, and strategies. The ‘tools’ or provisions include zones, overlays, particular provisions and general provisions.
What does the updated Planning Scheme deliver
The new Hepburn Planning Scheme:
- Delivers an improved basis for decision making on land use and development in the Shire. It is be clearer about what the community’s expectations are, if a permit is required and what Council’s expectations are for applicants. This makes the scheme easier to navigate for the community and reduce confusion and delays.
- Confirms the foundations for further strategic work. A program of further work was identified in the Hepburn Planning Scheme Review 2020 and includes undertaking structure planning work in each of the five main townships, reviewing agriculture land, protecting heritage and biodiversity.
What was the background to the Hepburn Planning Scheme Review?
The Hepburn Planning Scheme was gazetted on 8 June 2000 and replaced the former Daylesford, Creswick and Glenlyon Planning Schemes and parts of the Talbot and Clunes Planning Schemes and Kyneton Planning Scheme.
Section 12B of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 requires a planning authority to review the provisions of its planning scheme every four years and within a year of adopting its Council Plan.
Council undertook planning scheme reviews in 2003, 2008 and 2011 but none were implemented. A previous review in 2011 resulted in Amendment C58 but was abandoned by Council. The scheme has only had minor changes since 2000, mostly because of State-wide (VC) and Group of councils (GC) amendments.
In mid-2019, Council commenced its most recent and thorough review of the Hepburn Planning Scheme to guide future of land use and development within the municipality over coming years.
The review and the planning scheme amendment to implement the Review (Amendment C80hepb) also coincided with a requirement to respond to the new Planning Policy Framework and translate it into a contemporary document based on the existing planning toolbox, known as the Victoria Planning Provisions.