The City of Greater Bendigo has prepared a Planning Scheme Amendment to include the Strathfieldsaye Urban Design Framework in the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme.
The framework was produced with the help of the Strathfieldsaye community over two years and sets the direction for the development of the town centre and town entrances.
Director Strategy and Growth Bernie O'Sullivan said the community had previously contributed valuable input to the framework and that the process to add the framework to the planning scheme provided another opportunity for the community to give feedback.
"The framework was adopted in 2017, but for it to be implemented, we need to add it to the Planning Scheme in the form of rezoning, new overlays and policy" Mr O'Sullivan said.
"Strathfieldsaye's population is expected to grow to approximately 13,000 by 2036 and this Planning Scheme Amendment will ensure that the town develops in the way the community wants.
"This amendment will implement the framework and some actions not previously implemented from the Strathfieldsaye Township Plan, completed in 2012, and some from the recently adopted Greater Bendigo Public Space Plan.
"It takes objectives from these planning documents and puts them into one Local Area Plan for Strathfieldsaye, which will make it easier for the community to understand the overall plan for the town and for the City planners to make consistent decisions about development into the future."
The amendment also proposes new Design and Development Overlays to provide guidance for development in the town centre, adjoining residential areas and town entrances to protect character and achieve other outcomes identified as important by the community. Other Design and Development Overlays will help to better plan for on-site wastewater systems and development on private properties adjoining the Greater Bendigo National Park.
Rezonings recommended by the Urban Design Framework that are included in the amendment are:
- Commercial 1 Zone land on the south side of Wellington Street to become Mixed Use Zone to provide more flexibility and encourage an office and residential mix
- Land owned by the Anglican Church in Wellington Street and Coliban Water in Tannery Lane to General Residential as this land is no longer required for its original purposes.
The amendment also proposes rezoning 17 parcels of council owned land that was identified in the Greater Bendigo Public Space Plan to Public Park and Recreation Zone to reflect the existing and intended use of the land as public space.
A drop-in information session is being held on Thursday June 13, from 4pm to 7pm at Strathfieldsaye Club Court, 42 Club Court Strathfieldsaye.
