Please note: this is an archived news article release

This article was published on Tuesday, 17 November, 2020. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Additional community consultation on 2050 Plan

The Victorian Planning Authority (VPA), in partnership with Council, prepared the Shepparton and Mooroopna 2050: Regional City Growth Plan (the Growth Plan) to inform and guide the sustainable development of Shepparton and Mooroopna over the next 30 years.

The Growth Plan outlines key principles and strategic objectives to address issues such as liveability, land supply, urban renewal, infrastructure, transport and water consumption.

The Growth Plan identifies new residential and industrial framework plans for the Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kialla urban areas that will guide all urban development up to 2050. The framework plans will be used to prepare future, more detailed, local and structure plans, which will guide all future rezoning requests and assist Council in advocating for funding to deliver infrastructure required to support the sustainable growth of Shepparton and Mooroopna.

Community feedback has always been at the forefront of the preparation of the Growth Plan. In 2018, Council and the VPA undertook targeted community consultation with key stakeholders in the community and referral agencies to ensure that all issues were addressed by the Growth Plan. This also included engagement with Primary School students. All of this feedback informed the preparation of an Issues and Opportunities Paper. Wider community consultation on the Issues and Opportunities Paper occurred in February and March 2019 with another round of community consultation on the Draft Growth Plan taking place in September and October 2019.

Additional consultation was also undertaken in early-2020 to address concerns expressed in submissions received from landowners in Grahamvale, Orrvale and Shepparton East. Further targeted submissions from these landowners assisted in informing the Shepparton East Agricultural Land Use Options Study that sought to address these concerns

At the Ordinary Council Meeting held on 18 August 2020, Council resolved to defer the adoption of the Growth Plan for six months to allow time for extended consultation with the Greater Shepparton community.

This additional consultation period commenced on Monday, 16 November 2020, and will conclude on Thursday, 24 December 2020.

Greater Shepparton City Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Harriott, said “the Growth Plan will be the premier land-use planning document for Council for Shepparton, Mooroopna and Kialla, and it is intended to guide all development in these areas up to 2050.”

“The Growth Plan sets the vision for Shepparton and Mooroopna to be a thriving regional city that supports the social and economic wellbeing of residents and businesses, and embraces our natural environment. The Growth Plan sets out the steps required to achieve this vision sustainably up to the year 2050.”

“Council invites all members of the community across Greater Shepparton to engage with Council officers to find out how the Growth Plan affects them. Council will consider all submissions received to the Growth Plan in early-2021.”

The following dates are available to meet with Council officers, via telephone or via video conference for a 20 minute session, to discuss the Growth Plan:

Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Friday, 20 November 2020
Tuesday, 24 November 2020
Thursday, 26 November 2020
Monday, 30 November 2020
Wednesday, 2 December 2020
Other days may be included and will be promoted online

Bookings can be made via telephone by calling Council’s Building, Planning and Compliance Department on (03) 5832 9700.

Further information on the Growth Plan can be found online here.

Submissions can be made in the following ways:

Via email to Council; or
By post to Greater Shepparton City Council, Locked Bag 1000, Shepparton VIC 3632.

Council will consider the final Growth Plan at the Ordinary Council Meeting to be held in February 2021. If the Growth Plan is adopted by Council, a planning scheme amendment will be prepared to implement the findings of the Growth Plan into the Greater Shepparton Planning Scheme where it will guide development across Shepparton and Mooroopna up to 2050. Any planning scheme amendment is expected take 12-18 months to complete. Further consultation will occur as part of this process.