Colac Otway takes next step to planning for Colac’s future growth
March 21, 2019
Colac Otway Shire Council has considered submissions to the draft Colac 2050 Growth Plan and responded by making additional changes which provide more opportunities for diverse residential development in the future.
A Special Council Meeting was held yesterday to allow people to speak to their written submissions to both the Growth Plan and the Colac Stormwater Development Strategy, and to enable Council to consider the issues raised through the community consultation process.
The draft 2050 Growth Plan provides a strategic framework to identify areas suitable for residential development over the next 30 years, and was prepared in conjunction with the draft Stormwater Development Strategy to guide future planning in areas across Colac.
Council also prepared Amendment C97, which will make the 2050 Growth Plan a statutory document in Colac Otway’s Planning Scheme, the documents went on public exhibition for six weeks last year, with the Planning Minister’s authorisation.
Following extensive community consultation including establishment of a Citizens’ Jury, Council received 40 submissions from 35 submitters to the draft 2050 Growth Plan and 11 submissions from 10 submitters to the Stormwater Development Strategy.
Six people spoke to their submissions on the Growth Plan and one person, representing Trinity College Colac, spoke to the Stormwater Strategy.
Colac Otway Shire Council CEO Peter Brown said after considering the submissions and making changes to the draft Growth Plan in response, Council would refer submissions to an independent panel appointed by the Planning Minister, as the next stage in the planning process.
“Land bordered by Pound Road, Cants Road, Sinclair Street South and Neale Street will be included as low-density residential under the revised Colac 2050 Growth Plan framework rather than the proposed general residential,” Mr Brown said.
“The draft Growth Plan also now identifies the land bordered by Colac-Lavers Hill Road, Friends Road, Forest Street South and the exhibited urban boundary to be included as low density residential and within the urban boundary.
“The accompanying draft Colac 2050 Growth Framework Plan has been refined, wording has been strengthened and other township boundaries have been changed to offer a diversity of land and address issues raised in submissions.
“These changes will be considered by the Panel and Council will make its final decision on the Growth Plan and amendment after receiving the Panel’s recommendations,” he said.
“Council has also made minor changes to the Stormwater Development Strategy which aims to address flooding and stormwater issues raised by submitters.“
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