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Baw Baw Shire Council makes big improvements to town planning to maximise effect of being one of Victoria's fastest growing regions

Baw Baw Shire Council, one of the fastest growing regions of Victoria, is taking proactive steps to align Planning outcomes with the needs and desires of the local community in the face of unprecedented rates of development.

By news@gippsland - 20th September 2021 - Back to News

Situated on the M1 corridor just 60 minutes from Melbourne, Baw Baw Shire is experiencing extraordinary residential growth. The current estimated population from Baw Baw Shire's demographic resources is approximately 55,000 is forecast to grow by more than 50% by 2041, to nearly 85,000.

The big improvements to town planning are designed to provide community groups, council, investors, business, students and the general public with better outcomes with the needs and desires of the local community

To put that into perspective, most of the growth is expected to occur in Warragul and Drouin where the Precinct Structure Plans are guiding the development of almost 20,000 lots over the next 30 years

Independent review to enhance statutory planning services

Baw Baw Shire Council continuously undertakes service reviews to find ways to become more efficient and to improve the more than 100 services Council provides to the community. Planning is a key service. To address the ever-increasing pressures of rapid growth, Baw Baw Shire Council has self-initiated an independent review of its statutory planning services to evaluate resourcing levels and create a practical action plan aimed at enhancing performance and outcomes.

The review is currently underway and it is being led by Andrew Wegener of Andrew Wegener Consulting. Mr Wegener is an experienced and highly respected consultant, and a former Director at the City of Melbourne and PwC. The review is focused on statutory planning and greenfield site development. It includes benchmarking against similar Councils, a review of internal processes and seeks feedback from internal and external stakeholders.

The review is expected to be completed in early October. The findings of that review will be implemented thereafter.
Council will also consider publishing a summary of key findings and actions.

Community-informed approach to strategic planning

Baw Baw Shire Council is actively engaging with residents to gather their input on guidelines that will protect Baw Baw’s rural character and ensure future developments match the community’s vision for the region.

For example, following extensive community consultation, the council recently adopted the Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) review for Warragul and Drouin. The review recommended that Council should develop neighbourhood character guidelines, clearer requirements for lot sizes, and put a greater emphasis on the preservation of natural environments.

Council is taking steps to implement that review right now. As a direct flow-on, draft Warragul and Drouin Preferred Neighbourhood Design Guidelines have been developed with initial public consultation. They will be put out for further public review and community input for 6 weeks starting Monday 20 September.

Residents are invited to take part

These important community-informed guidelines aim to ensure that developments in new residential neighbourhoods, as well as in-fill residential developments, will reflect the preferred local character as defined directly by the people who live and work here in Baw Baw Shire.

Residents are invited to take part in two facilitated community drop-in sessions, and via an easy online submission process hosted on Council’s website. The consultation will be promoted with advertisements on local radio, in print and on social media to ensure the opportunity reaches as wide an audience as possible. All residents are urged to get involved and make their voices heard.

Planning for better outcomes now and into the future

In addition to the initiatives outlined above, Council is currently driving many other strategic planning projects that will deliver improved outcomes for Baw Baw now and for years to come. They are:

• Drouin Township Design and Development Overlay Amendment
• Flood Mapping Amendment
• Economic Land Use Review
• The Gables Heritage Amendment
• Longwarry Structure Plan

Other strategic planning projects that will deliver improved outcomes for Baw Baw include:

• Planning in the Economic Growth Zone Amendment
• Warragul and Drouin Precinct Structure Plan Review
• Warragul and Drouin Neighbourhood Design Guidelines
• Warragul and Drouin Development Contributions Plan Review
• Yarragon Township Plan
• Yarragon Section 96A Amendment

Chief Executive Officer Mark Dupe said, "As an organisation, we’re always looking for opportunities to improve. That’s why we conduct a continuous program of service reviews: to find efficiencies, to evolve along with changing realities, to find ways to work smarter on behalf of our community."

Working on behalf of our community

Chief Executive Officer Mark Dupe also said, "It is hard to overstate the rate of growth we’re experiencing in Baw Baw Shire. I live in Drouin. I get it. Even amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19, the volume of planning applications received by our planning team last year was a 5-year high. We’re talking hundreds and hundreds of applications, each of which warrants proper assessment and oversight from start to finish."

"Our planning team is at the coalface, working on behalf of our community and they’re doing a tremendous job with the extraordinary workload they’re tasked with. There is no doubt the growth we’re seeing here is challenging. But we’re embracing that challenge by taking proactive steps: by listening to our community, by entering into dialogue with developers, by undertaking objective independent reviews of our services."

"It is by acting on what we find out from those processes – and we are committed to doing so – that we will deliver ever-improving outcomes for our community."

For more information about any of the projects above or about Council’s continuous dedication to service improvement, please visit the Baw Baw Shire Council website or contact Council directly on 1300 229 229 or at bawbaw@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au. For media enquiries, please contact communications@bawbawshire.vic.gov.au.

Pictures from Baw Baw Shire Council YouTube channel.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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• Young people in East Gippsland wanted to apply for free leadership program - Youth Ambassador Program
  East Gippsland Shire Council is looking for people aged 12 to 25 to join the Youth Ambassador Program.
• Federal 'Building Better Regions Fund' invests $9.9M in Leongatha, Korumburra, Toora, Koo Wee Rup, Cowes and Woolamai Beach
  Project funding that would create jobs for locals and will support the economic and social recovery of the region.
• Some of Australia’s most popular newspapers now available online through Wellington Shire libraries
  People can read the newspapers from any library or at home with a library card.
• Anglicare Victoria continues to supporting young people in Latrobe Valley stay away from crime via Youth Crime Prevention Grants program
  Through the Andrews Labor Government Youth Crime Prevention Grants program (YCPG), Anglicare Victoria has been awarded $350,000 to continue helping young people find pathways away from offending.
• West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation becomes not-for-profit organisation in Bass Coast Shire
  Council working with West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation on the proposed transition to ensure the required governance changes do not affect the important service and to meet the needs and expectations of the growing community.
• Students in regional Victoria such as Gippsland should not have to endure more weeks locked out of the classroom
  Students in regional Victoria should not have to endure more weeks locked out of the classroom.
• Regional Victoria out of sixth lockdown but we cannot keep living like this
  Call for the government to roll out the rapid antigen test to protect the people as well as the businesses in Victoria.
• Nationals alternative roadmap for Victoria and Gippsland to reopen, rebuild and recover out of COVID restrictions delivers certainty and positivity
  Victorians are looking for an iron-clad guarantee on the road to reopen, rebuild and recover.
• Four local artists are facilitating FREE creative workshops with 'Big Art Small Halls' program
  Come and enjoy with local artist to facilitate free creative workshops for the whole month of June.
• No food on the shelves for Victoria if Andrews Labor Government fails fix food supply chain workforce shortages
  Industry has warned there’ll be "no food on the shelves" if the Andrews Labor Government fails to act to fix workforce shortages that risk bringing Victoria’s food supply chain to a grinding halt.
• Draft South Gippsland Economic Development and Visitor Economy Strategies, Amendment C126 and development plan application on public exhibition
  Council is inviting you to send your feedback about the South Gippsland planning scheme and development.
• Place making projects for Nilma North, Tanjil Bren and Tetoora Road to start development
  Council has endorsed the 2021/22 Placemaking Program to benefit the smaller townships of Nilma North, Tanjil Bren and Tetoora Road.
• Gippslanders are owed an explanation for Victorian Government backing imported timber over the local product says Darren Chester
  Call for a review with the government decision in importing timber instead of using Victoria’s good quality timber.
• Phillip island gets $144,000 in federal funding for new safety upgrades and improvements to roads
  New road safety upgrades and improvements will be delivered in Monash thanks to funding from the Australian Government.
• Feedback needed from local residents on what is to be done with former Yarragon Primary School site in Yolo Street
  Council is seeking community feedback on the Draft Masterplan for the site at 3-5 Rollo Street, Yarragon (formally Yarragon Primary School).
• Upcoming Warragul and Drouin design guidelines community consultation sessions to be moved online
  Council seeking the community's feedback for the Warragul and Drouin design guidelines.
• Community invited to online briefing on Warragul and Drouin preferred neighbourhood character design guidelines
  Online open community briefing will be held by the council to present councillors and the community with the draft design guidelines that are proposed to define overall township character and inform planning for future developments.
• Vexatious court claims closes timber coupe for training Victorian essential service personnel at TAFE Gippsland
  Timber coupe being used by TAFE Gippsland for training Victorian essential service personnel has been targeted by vexatious court claims resulting in its closure.
• Latrobe Regional Airport looking to take-off under plan that sets out a long-term framework for development
  Council seeking expansion development opportunities for Latrobe Regional Airport that will help them support and grow the aviation operations.
• Snowy River railway trestle bridge will boost tourism for East Gippsland
  Council working and supporting the locals in the restoration of the trestle bridge that will give long-term benefits for the community.
• East Gippslanders dismayed by bushfire recovery grants program
  Council disappointment on the recovery grants for bush fire damages, requesting urgent review on bush fire recovery funding allocation for Gippsland.
• Access and inclusion on the agenda for Bass Coast
  Council held an access and inclusion forum to help shape the development of a new disability action plan.
• Applications to non-residents undertaking fire preparedness now have COVID travel restrictions exemptions
  Non-residential owners of properties in the Wellington Shire can now apply for an exemption from Covid-19 travel restrictions for the purposes of undertaking fire prevention works.
• Shooting clubs across Gippsland to benefit from Victorian government’s 'Shooting Sports Facilities Program'
  Shooting clubs across Eastern Victoria are celebrating after securing funding to upgrade their facilities.
• Morwell Parklands Preschool gets $500,000 grant from Victorian state government 'Building Blocks' program
  The Victorian Government is making sure young children have access to the best kinder facilities with hundreds of projects to upgrade and improve learning environments while supporting local jobs across Victoria.
• Robert Burns of Churchill promotes Latrobe City for 20 years as volunteer at local visitor information centre
  Latrobe City Council has commemorated the contribution of a volunteer who has given 20 years of service.
• Latrobe City to continue to operate the Moe and Yallourn North outdoor pools
  Latrobe City Council will continue to operate the Moe and Yallourn North Outdoor Pools following a review of the 2020/21 season.
• Andrews Labor Government must increase funding so Victorian school students get mental health support they need
  Labor needs to fund additional mental health support for the primary schools to give the young people the mental health support they need.
• TAFE Gippsland gets $4 million upgrade from ‘TAFE Asset Maintenance Fund’ to cater for growing enrolments at Warragul Campus
  Warragul students will soon move into new state-of-the-art facilities at TAFE Gippsland, funded by the Andrews Labor Government.
• Federal funding boost to upgrade Traralgon-Maffra road across Latrobe City and Wellington Shire
  Major upgrades for road improvements and driver's safety.
• Federal funding boost to upgrade Traralgon-Maffra road across Latrobe City and Wellington Shire
  Major upgrades for road improvements and driver's safety.
• Federal program of regional grants like Building Better Regions Fund need overhaul
  The Federal Government should overhaul its regional grants funding programs which are failing to deliver fair outcomes for communities like Gippsland, according to local MP Darren Chester.
• Liberal Nationals support move to deliver hundreds of extra workers for Victoria’s under-resourced mental health workforce
  Government needs to boost mental health support through simple reforms to get them through the lockdowns.
• Latrobe City reminding businesses they can still access help from being affected by COVID-19 pandemic
  Programs that could help local business owners in improving their businesses.