ARARAT SUSTAINABLE GROWTH FUTURE · Chapter 3. Setting a Framework for Growth: Residential Land Use 16 3.1 Introduction 17 3.2 Housing Growth 17 3.3 Residential Land Use 17 Chapter

ARARAT SUSTAINABLE GROWTH FUTURE

FINAL REPORT FEBRUARY 2014

Ararat Sustainable Growth Future Strategy | FINAL REPORT: FEBRUARY 2014 2

© Planisphere 2014.

This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the

Copyright Act 1968.

PROJECT CONTROL

NAME NO. PM APPROVED PD APPROVED DATE

DRAFT FOR COMMENT 1 NO JLR 6 SEP 2013

CONSULTATION DRAFT (V1) 2 KP JLR 8 OCT 2013

CONSULTATION DRAFT (V2) 3 KP JLR 31 OCT 2013

FINAL REPORT (V1) 4 KP JLR 23 JAN 2014

FINAL REPORT (V2) 5 JLR JLR 14 FEB 2014

The Study Team recognises that the State of Victoria has an ancient and proud Aboriginal history and complex ownership

and land stewardship systems stretching back many thousands of years. We would like to acknowledge the Traditional

Owners of this land, and offer our respect to the past and present Elders and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander People.


Chapter 1. Introduction 4

1.1 Purpose 5

1.2 Background 5

1.3 The Study Area 5

1.4 The Study Team 7

1.5 Approach 7

1.6 Consultation 7

Chapter 2. The Rural City in Context 8

2.1 Introduction 9

2.2 Strategic Context 9

2.3 Key Influences 9

2.4 Municipal Profile 11

2.5 Key Drivers of Change 14

Chapter 3. Setting a Framework for Growth: Residential Land Use 16

3.1 Introduction 17

3.2 Housing Growth 17

3.3 Residential Land Use 17

Chapter 4. Setting a Framework for Growth: Non-Residential Land Use 27

4.1 Introduction 28

4.2 Business Confidence Survey 28

4.3 Retail Land Use 29

4.4 Commercial Land Use 32

4.5 Industrial Land Use 33

4.6 Tourism 38

4.7 Critical Considerations 40

Chapter 5. Sustainable Growth Plan 43

5.1 Introduction 44

5.2 Draft Vision 44

5.3 Principles 44

5.4 Directions & Policy Responses 45

5.5 Settlement Hierarchy 46

Chapter 6. Ararat in Future 47

6.1 Introduction 48

6.2 Existing Infrastructure 48

6.3 Settlement Role 48

6.4 Current Strategic Direction 48

6.5 Issues, Opportunities & Constraints 51

6.6 Future Growth Recommendations 53

Chapter 7. Small Towns Strategy 57

Introduction 58

Lake Bolac 59

Willaura 66

Pomonal 72

Moyston 78

Elmhurst 84

Buangor 89

Chapter 8. Implementation 94

8.1 Planning Scheme Implementation Recommendations 95

8.2 Timeline for Implementation 95

Appendices 98

Appendix A: Strategic Context

Appendix B: Ararat SGF Property and Economic Analysis Report, Urban Enterprise (August 2013)

Appendix C: Proposed Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) changes

Table of Contents


Chapter 1. Introduction


1.1 Purpose

Ararat Rural City Council is preparing a Sustainable

Growth Future Strategy (SGF Strategy) to provide an

integrated framework for managing the future growth

and development of the municipality over the next 25

years.

The purpose of the SGF Strategy is:

• Toprepareanintegratedlandusestrategytomanage

the future growth and development of Ararat and

small towns within the municipality; and

• Toprovidehighlevelstrategicdirectiontoinformthe

update of Council’s MSS.

1.2 Background

Ararat Rural City is located approximately 200km north-

west of metropolitan Melbourne. Approximately 4,230

sq kilometres in area, the municipality is home to around

11,183 people (ABS Census 2011), 7,500 of whom reside in

the township of Ararat, with the remainder spread across

a number of smaller townships and rural living areas.

The population is projected to grow to 13,925 residents

over the next 20 years (Victoria in Future 2012). This will

reverse the trend experienced between 1991 to 2006, a

period which saw a decrease in population.

A number of major projects, such as the $300M Ararat

Prison redevelopment, the Western Highway Duplication

and National Broadband Network, have given impetus

to economic development in Ararat and, alongside a

demand for rural living opportunities, are key drivers of

projected population growth.

The anticipated growth and change of the municipality

has highlighted the need to plan for the future of Ararat

Rural City to ensure local needs are met and suitable land,

services and infrastructure are available to meet demand.

Council’s Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) was

last reviewed in 2004 and the opportunity exists to

undertake a major revision to reflect current optimism in

the future growth potential of Ararat Rural City. A recent

policy-neutral rewrite of the MSS and Local Policies

has been undertaken to modernise the MSS structure.

Considerable strategic work has also been undertaken

since the last review and this needs to be drawn together

to inform the updated MSS.

Council has identified several remaining gaps in the

available strategic information, particularly in relation to

the supply of commercial, retail, industrial and residential

land in Ararat and key townships.

This project therefore seeks to review the current MSS,

integrate recent strategic work and address a number of

strategic gaps.

Introduction

Importantly, the Strategy seeks to apply a regional

approach to strategic planning and economic

development across the municipality, including planning

for tourism, business attraction and retail diversity.

The project includes two core components:

• LandSupplyandDemandAnalysis: to understand

the location, demand and capacity of residential,

commercial, retail, and industrial land throughout the

municipality.

• SmallTownsStrategy:to guide the future role,

function, growth and development of the

municipality’s smaller settlements.

A key output of the project will be a set of updated

Framework Plans to sit within the Ararat Planning Scheme

MSS. The updated plans will reflect the analysis, data

and strategic directions identified throughout the SGF

Strategy.

1.3 The Study Area

The study area for the SGF Strategy focuses on the

principal settlement of Ararat and the key population

centres of Willaura, Lake Bolac, Moyston, Pomonal,

Elmhurst and Buangor. (Refer to the Study Area Map on

the following page).

The study area also encompasses the smaller rural

localities of Wickliffe, Streatham, Mininera, Westmere,

Tatyoon, Moroona, Middle Creek, Warrak and Mount

Cole, however a detailed analysis of these smaller rural

settlements has not been undertaken as part of this

project.

It is important to note that although agricultural land plays

a significant role in the identity, landscape and economic

contribution of the municipality, the focus of the SGF

Strategy is on urban and rural living land.

TheStrategyseekstoapplyaregional

approach to strategicplanning

andeconomicdevelopment

acrossthemunicipality.


GrampiansNational Park BUANGORBUANGOR

POMONALPOMONAL

WICKLIFFEWICKLIFFE

WILLAURAWILLAURA

MOYSTONMOYSTON

LAKE BOLACLAKE BOLAC

MAROONAMAROONA

ARARATARARAT

TATYOONTATYOON

MININERAMININERA

STREATHAMSTREATHAM

ELMHURSTELMHURST

WESTMEREWESTMERE

Rural City of Ararat Municipal Boundary

Municipal Centre

Small Town

Rural Village

Rural Locality

Draft Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan (2013) designated future settlement role:

Regional Centre

Small Town

LEGEND

N

Study Area Map

GrampiansNational Park BUANGORBUANGOR

POMONALPOMONAL

WICKLIFFEWICKLIFFE

WILLAURAWILLAURA

MOYSTONMOYSTON

LAKE BOLACLAKE BOLAC

MAROONAMAROONA

ARARATARARAT

TATYOONTATYOON

MININERAMININERA

STREATHAMSTREATHAM

ELMHURSTELMHURST

WESTMEREWESTMERE

Rural City of Ararat Municipal Boundary

Municipal Centre

Small Town

Rural Village

Rural Locality

Draft Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan (2013) designated future settlement role:

Regional Centre

Small Town

LEGEND

N


1.4 The Study Team

Planisphere, in partnership with Urban Enterprise, has been

commissioned by Council to prepare the SGF Strategy. Key

roles of the consultant team have been as follows:

Planisphere: Project Management, Planning & Urban

Design.

UrbanEnterprise:Economic Analysis, Land Demand &

Supply Analysis.

Importantly, the Strategy has been developed in close

collaboration with Council by means of a Project Steering

Group representing a range of council departments

including strategic planning, statutory planning, economic

development, community services and engineering.

1.5 Approach

The project is being undertaken in four stages as outlined in

the process diagram opposite.

The project in currently in Stage 3: Draft Strategy. The

Draft SGF Strategy has been prepared through undertaking

extensive background research and analysis, township

surveys, a land supply and demand analysis, and targeted

consultation with business owners and community

members.

This stage provides an important opportunity for the

community and other key stakeholders to review and

comment on the Draft SGF Strategy. Comments received

will be used to inform preparation of the Final SGF Strategy,

due for completion in December 2013.

1.6 Consultation

The involvement of and consultation with a variety

of stakeholders is a fundamental component of the

preparation of the SGF Strategy. To date the project team

has sought input through the following engagement

opportunities:

SCOPING SUMMIT

A half day Scoping Summit was held on the 28th May at

the Gum San Conference Centre in Ararat. The purpose of

the Scoping Summit was to gain an understanding of the

key issues, opportunities and constraints facing Ararat and

other key settlements throughout the municipality. The

Scoping Summit was attended by a number of Council

officers, government agencies and service providers.

BUSINESS WORKSHOPS

Two business/retail workshops were held on the 27th and

28th of May in Ararat with local businesses, retailers and

developers. The purpose of the workshops was to gain

an understanding of the existing issues, opportunities and

constraints facing local businesses, retailers and developers

within the municipality, particularly Ararat.

BUSINESS CONFIDENCE SURVEY

A Business Confidence Survey was distributed in May and

June 2013 to provide an overview of current business

conditions and confidence within Ararat Rural City. There

were 31 responses from businesses across the municipality.

Full details regarding questions and responses can be

found in the Ararat SGF Property and Economic Analysis

Report (Appendix B) prepared by Urban Enterprise as input

into the SGF Strategy.

A variety of businesses participated in the survey from the

retail, construction, and health and service sectors. The

majority of survey respondents were located in Ararat, while

a few businesses had multiple locations in Ararat, Stawell

and Horsham. Respondent businesses had been operating

for an average of 18 years in Ararat Rural City.

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Three Community Workshops were held over the weekend

of the 1st and 2nd of June, 2013. Workshop 1 (Grampians)

was held at the Moyston Hall, Workshop 2 (Eastern Ranges)

at Warrak Hall, and Workshop 3 (Southern Towns) at

Lake Bolac Hall. The workshops were well attended by

community members and other interested stakeholders.

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Stage 2

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Stage 3

Final Strategy

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Business Workshops

Community Workshops

Community ‘Drop-In’ Sessions

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PROJECT STAGES CONSULTATION


Chapter 2. TheRuralCityinContext


2.1 Introduction

This section sets the context for the study. Ararat Rural

City is influenced by a range of government policies

and regulations, socio-demographic characteristics,

environmental conditions, economic drivers and external

influences or ‘drivers of change’.

2.2 Strategic Context

Various State, Regional and Local policies, plans and data

sources provide the strategic context in which the SGF

Strategy needs to be considered. A detailed summary of

State, Regional and Local Policy is provided in Appendix

A: Strategic Context.

Key strategic documents include:

STATE POLICY

• VictoriaPlanningProvisions

• StatePlanningPolicyFramework

• VictoriainFuture2012:PopulationsProjections

• UrbanDevelopmentProgram(administeredby

the Department of Transport, Planning and Local

Infrastructure)

• ReformedplanningzonesforVictoria(2013)

• Victorian Freight and Logistics Plan (2013)

REGIONAL POLICY

• DraftCentralHighlandsRegionalGrowthPlan(2013)

• CentralHighlandsRegionalStrategicPlan(2010)

• GlenelgHopkinsRegionalCatchmentStrategy(2013-

2019)

• DraftWimmeraRegionalCatchmentStrategy(2013-

2019)

LOCAL POLICY

• LocalPlanningPolicyFramework(includesMSSand

Local Policies)

• Ararat Rural City Council Environmental Sustainability

Strategy 2010-2020

• Ararat Rural City Community Vision 2030

• ResidentialLandReview(2012)

• IndustrialLandReview(2012)

• Stawell – Ararat – Halls Gap Triangle Rural Zone

Review (2012)

• AraratRuralZoneReview(2007)

• AraratRetailStrategy&StreetscapeReport(2007)

• AraratRuralZoneReview:NorthWestPrecinct

(November 2006)

• AraratResidentialLandUseStrategy(2005)

• IndustrialLandUseStrategy(2005)

• AraratEconomicDevelopmentStrategy(2005)

• Ararat Rural City Community Action Plans

2.3 Key Influences

In formulating the Draft SGF Strategy, two important

policy positions, recently released by the State

Government are set to have significant influence on the

future of the municipality:

• RecentreformstotheVictorianplanningzones.

• ReleaseoftheDraft Central Highlands Regional

Growth Plan.

A short overview is provided below with further detail

provided in Appendix A: Strategic Context.

REFORMED PLANNING ZONES (2013)

The Victoria Planning Provisions (VPPs) contain a suite

ofState-standardzonesandoverlaysthatCouncils

are to select from in seeking to achieve their strategic

objectives.

In mid 2013 important reforms were made to the State

Planning Policy Framework and several of Victoria’s

planningzones.Threenewresidentialzones,three

amendedresidentialzones,twonewcommercialzones

andthreeamendedindustrialzoneswereintroducedinto

the Victoria Planning Provisions. More detail can be found

onthenewplanningzoneswithinAppendixA:Strategic

Context.

Whilechangestothecommercialandindustrialzones

have already been introduced into the Ararat Planning

Scheme, Council has 12 months to determine how it will

applythenewresidentialzones.

Reforms have also been made to the Rural Zones. For

the purposes of this study, only the changes to the Rural

Living Zone (RLZ) are relevant.

Theimplicationsofthezonereformsarediscussedin

further detail throughout the SGF Strategy.

DRAFT CENTRAL HIGHLANDS REGIONAL GROWTH PLAN (2013)

The Draft Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan (RGP),

released in June 2013, will be used to guide and inform

land use planning across the Central Highlands Region.

The plan covers the municipalities of Ararat, Ballarat,

Golden Plains, Hepburn, Moorabool and Pyrenees and

identifies opportunities to encourage and accommodate

growth and manage change over the next 30 years.

It sets strategic priorities and infrastructure directions

for the region, identifies where development will be

supported, and highlights regional assets that should be

preserved, maintained and/or developed.

The RGP contains a settlement hierarchy to help

frame development across the region. Designations

within the Central Highlands Region include Ballarat

as a ‘Regional City’, and Ararat and Bacchus Marsh

as ‘Regional Centres’, alongside various Towns, Small

Towns and Rural Settlements. Importantly, Lake Bolac

and Willaura have been identified as Small Towns in the

hierarchy, highlighting their role in the Ararat municipality

in providing access to key services and connection to

sewage.

The plan identifies the Western Highway and Melbourne

to Adelaide railway corridors (via Ararat) as key east-west

transport assets providing links across the region to major

centres. This position is further supported in the State

Government’s Victorian Freight and Logistics Plan (2013)

which identifies Ararat as a key location on the National

Land Transport Network.


Implications for the Strategy

Key factors influencing the SGF Strategy include:

• StatePolicyrequiresCounciltoensurethereisa

sufficient supply of residential land supply to meet

demandoverat-leasta15yearplanninghorizon.Itis

useful to adopt a similar time frame for commercial

and industrial land.

• RecentreformstoVictoria’splanningzoneswillhave

implications for Ararat Rural City by rationalising

commercialzones,introducinganewhierarchyof

residentialzonesandbroadeningtherangeofland

usespermissibleinruralzones.

• TheDraft Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan

(RGP) sets a framework to guide and inform land use

planning across the Central Highlands Region. The

plan sets the strategic priorities and infrastructure

directions for the region.

• The RGP contains a settlement hierarchy to help

frame development across the region and outlines

future development directions and strategies for

several townships. Designations within the Central

Highlands Region include Ballarat as a ‘Regional City’,

and Ararat and Bacchus Marsh as ‘Regional Centres’,

alongside Lake Bolac and Willaura which have been

designated as Small Towns.


2.4 Municipal Profile

THE PEOPLE

Ararat Rural City is currently home to 11,321 people (2012

estimate) with the population projected to grow to 13,925

residents over the next 20 years, a growth rate of 0.7% per

annum (Victoria in Future 2012). The population structure

is expected to change significantly during this time,

comprising a much larger proportion of residents aged 65

years and over, in line with broader national trends of an

‘ageing population’.

Detailed demographic profiling has been prepared as part

of the the Ararat SGF Property and Economic Analysis

Report (Appendix B) and can be sourced via the Ararat

Rural City Community Profile prepared by id. Consulting

and available on the Ararat Rural City Council website.

The key demographic indicators for Ararat Rural City are

as follows:

• Currentpopulationof11,321(2012)withaprojected

average population growth of 0.7% per annum over

the next 20 years

• AnolderageprofilethanregionalVictoriaasawhole,

which is projected to age further in the future

• LowerhouseholdincomethanregionalVictoriaand

higher degree of relative disadvantage

• Declininghouseholdsize

• Projectedincreaseinsingehouseholdsanddecreased

family households

• 25%ofresidentswhomovedawayfromArarat

relocated to Ballarat between 2006 and 2011

• 64%ofallresidentstoleavethemunicipalitybetween

2006 and 2011 are under the age of 39 years

• Themostcommonoccupationtypeofresidents

who left municipality between 2006 and 2011 was

‘professionals’

THE TOWNSHIPS

Ararat is the municipality’s principal settlement,

accommodating approximately three quarters of the local

population. Other population centres include Willaura,

Lake Bolac, Moyston and Pomonal as well as smaller

rural localities including Buangor and Elmhurst. Several

other smaller localities also exist and play an important

role in supporting the municipality and larger settlements;

however these have not been profiled as part of the SGF

Strategy. Smaller localities include Maroona, Tatyoon,

Mininera, Streatham, Westmere and Wickliffe.

A brief overview of each township is as follows. It is

important to note, due to the population boundaries set

by the ABS, the population data that follows relates to the

suburb in which the town is located and therefore takes

into account the immediate surrounding rural area. As a

result, the population numbers relate to a larger area than

just the immediate town area.

Ararat is the principal service centre containing the widest

range and highest level of retail, commercial, community

and recreational facilitates and services; and the highest

population of any settlement. Ararat has been designated

as an important Regional Centre for the Central

Highlands Region. At 2011, the population of Ararat was

approximately 7,500 persons.

Willaura is designated as an important Small Town in

the Draft Central Highlands RGP. The town is home to

around 271 persons and plays an important service role

to the surrounding smaller townships and agricultural

areas. The township is particularly celebrated for its

heritage values.

Lack Bolac has been identified as a growing agricultural

services hub, and is designated as an important Small

Town in the Draft Central Highlands RGP. The township

plays an important service role to surrounding smaller

townships and agricultural areas, and is particularly

celebrated for its significant cultural and environmental

values.

Pomonal is a small township located to the north-west of

the municipality. Nestled at the foothills of the Grampians

National Park, the township offers significant opportunity

for rural residential lifestyle and has experienced

consistent population growth over the last 10 years.

At 2011, the population of Pomonal was around 366

persons.

Moyston, located to the west of Ararat, functions as an

important rural residential ‘commuter’ community with

easy access to employment, shopping, health services

and education in Ararat (15 mins) and Stawell (25 mins).

The natural bush setting of the town makes it an attractive

destination for ‘tree-changers’.

Elmhurst, located to the north-east of Ararat, is a

smaller township set within an attractive rural landscape.

Elmhurst attracts people seeking a rural residential lifestyle

given its affordable housing prices and short commuting

distance from Ararat.

Buangor located to the east of Ararat on the Western

Highway, is a smaller township which serves as an

important gateway to Mount Cole State Forest, Mount

Buangor State Park and Langi Ghiran State Park. The

township’s historic Cobb & Co Changing Station, now

used for community functions and gatherings, provides a

key focus for those travelling along the highway. Buangor

is the closest town in the municipality to Ballarat (50

mins).

The smaller rural localities of Maroona, Tatyoon,

Mininera, Streatham, Westmere, and Wickliffe play an

important role in supporting the municipality and its larger

settlements.

ENVIRONMENT & HERITAGE

Ararat Rural City contains many areas which have

significant natural landscapes and features of

environmental value, including natural wetlands and

waterways, archaeological and historic features. There

are also significant areas of public land hosting native

vegetation and wildlife habitat and small areas such as

narrow reserves along streams, roadsides and railways

and nature reserves. These retain native vegetation,

contribute to nature conservation and are valuable for

migratory and nomadic birds and as wildlife corridors for

small animals.

The municipality contains a number of places of historic,

cultural and aboriginal significance which are important

to the community, including buildings, bridges, trees,

landscapes and environments of National, State and Local

significance.

Water is harvested in upper catchment areas to support

the needs of the Wimmera and Glenelg-Hopkins

catchment areas. Most of the Rural City is within the

Glenelg-Hopkins Catchment with a small area in the

Wimmera Catchment.

HAZARD & RISK

The municipality has several areas of high-risk and

susceptibilitytonaturalhazards,suchasbushfire,

flooding and drought. Climate change and short-term

seasonal climate variability will also present risks to the

municipality’s natural environments and agricultural

systems, along with potential economic diversification

opportunities.

Bushfirehazardisaparticularlysignificantissuefora

number of settlements and areas experiencing rural

residential and tourism expansion. The settlements of

Ararat, Pomonal, Moyston and Buangor are all projected

to grow and all are located within bushfire prone areas of

the municipality. In each case detailed analysis of bushfire

hazardwillberequiredatbothregionalandlocallevels.

This will require the application of planning tools, such

as the Bushfire Management Overlay, Regional Bushfire

Planning Assessments and Bushfire Prone Area provisions.

Close consultation will also be required with the Country

Fire Authority and other key stakeholders.


Contaminated sites may also pose immediate or

longer-term risks to human health and the environment,

depending on the type and extent of the contamination

and how the site will be used in the future. A number

of potentially contaminated sites have been identified

in the municipality although exact locations and extent

ofhazardmustbethesubjectoffurtherdetailed

investigations. Further, after years of traditional farming

practices, there is now some evidence of salination and

erosion in the agricultural areas.

ECONOMIC PROFILE

INDUSTRY PROFILE

The economy of the municipality is predominantly rural

based and supports a diverse range of production. At

present, the relative strengths of Ararat lie in Agriculture,

Public Administration and Safety, Manufacturing,

Construction and Wholesale Trade.

‘Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing’ is the largest industry

of employment in the municipality, employing 16% of

the workforce in 2011; however, and in line with broader

regional trends, this has declined from 23% in 2001.

Despite this trend, agriculture (particularly broad acre

croppingandgrazing)underpinstheeconomicbase

of Ararat Rural City. As such, the rural sector has a

major influence on the wellbeing of the whole of the

municipality.

‘Health Care and Social Assistance’ forms the second

largest industry in the municipality at 14%, followed by

‘Manufacturing’ at 13% and ‘Retail Trade’ and ‘Public

Administration and Safety’ both employing 10% of the

workforce in 2011. ‘Public Administration and Safety’

is much higher in the municipality compared with

Regional Victoria (6%). The sector has grown from 7%

in 2001, reflecting the strong presence of public sector

organisations including the prison and other correctional

facilities in the municipality.

It is important to note, when compared with Regional

Victoria, there is a lower proportion of municipal residents

employed in ‘Professional, Scientific and Technical

Services’ (2% compared with 4%).

FUTURE GROWTH

The local economy has traditionally been based on

prosperous primary production, high quality merino wool

and employment generated by various government

departments and functions. However, as the municipality

continues to grow and change, the diversification

of farming with an increased emphasis on intensive

agriculture, broad acre cropping and horticulture, such as

wine production, is emerging as an important component

of the local economy. The municipality has a temperate

climate and suitable soil structure for grape growing and

as such is seen as an emerging as an area for quality

wines. Growth in horticulture has seen a change in the

municipality’s upper catchment areas from being solely

a source of water to being a commercial consumer of

water as well.

Although many landholders have diversified their

operations and broadened the agricultural base, there

are opportunities to further leverage off this with the

introduction of new enterprises based on the principles

of value adding. The promotion of restaurants and

wineries associated with vineyards for example, offers an

opportunity for expansion and diversification geared at

maximising the long term economic and social benefits

to the region.

Ararat has the potential to increase its prominence as

an important tourism destination. A gateway to the

Grampians National Park and Pyrenees Ranges, the

municipality boasts a number of natural tourist features

and attractions, extensive recreation and leisure facilities

in its towns and numerous successful established tourism

businesses.

The Ararat Prison redevelopment is also expected to

provide a long-term benefit to the economy though

on-going employment, with an estimated 150-200 post-

construction jobs to be generated. Further, the Challicum

Hills Wind Farm and the proposed Ararat Wind Farm are

likely to offer significant contributions to the economy

as greater emphasis is placed on renewable energy

generation.

EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE

ACCESS AND TRANSPORT

Ararat is located on the nationally significant Principal

Freight Network (both road and rail) which provides

important freight access to the Port of Portland, Port of

Geelong and Port of Melbourne for agricultural produce

and other products. This position is further supported in

the State Government’s Victorian Freight and Logistics

Plan (2013) which identifies Ararat as a key location on the

National Land Transport Network.

The municipality is heavily dependent on road transport

as the primary means of freight movement and passenger

travel. The Western Highway, which passes through Ararat

forms part of the National Highway network that links

Melbourne to Adelaide. Mortlake-Ararat Road, Maroona-

Glenthompson Road and the Pyrenees Highway are

important north-south links, providing connection to

the Pyrenees Ranges southern agriculture, and the

Western District (including Dunkeld as an entry point to

the Grampians National Park). This vital transport access

corridor provides a major route for all hay, fodder and

feed grains from the Wimmera to the dairy farmers in the

south, and to the southern ports. Maintenance of this

road corridor is critical to regional linkages and economic

development.

Forthcoming improvements to road infrastructure, via the

Western Highway duplication, is likely to have significant

implications for the municipality with improved travel

times creating opportunities for growth.

A road bypass of Ararat is a future aspiration, as identified

in the State Government’s Victorian Freight and Logistics

Plan, 2013. This Plan sets out a vision for Victoria’s

regional freight network, including the delivery of high

priority highway duplications and bypasses and the

progressive upgrading of the rail network to take an

appropriate share of freight trips. In partnership with

local councils and the Commonwealth Government, the

Government will continue to protect and progressively

develop bypass routes in key freight corridors on the

National Land Transport Network, including Ararat,

Shepparton, Horsham and Beaufort1.

Rail provides a significant but secondary transport option

for both freight and passenger movement. Ararat is the

terminus of the passenger line to Melbourne and the

only town within the municipality where a passenger

service is available. The Overland Great Southern Rail

provides linkages between Melbourne and Adelaide, via

Ararat. Smaller townships are dependent of V/Line coach

services for long-haul passenger movements.

Within Ararat itself, a network of three local buses (Ararat

West, Ararat South and Ararat North) provide good

coverage and regular services from Monday through

to Saturday. All routes converge at the bus interchange

located at Ararat Station, which intersects with all town

bus services and V/Line coaches and trains. This is an

important attribute of Ararat’s role in the settlement

hierarchy as a regional/municipal centre.

The frequency and extent of these services will become

increasingly important as the population ages. Taxis are

also available and several have disability access to cater

for less mobile residents.

Ararat Aerodrome, located 5 kilometres east of the town,

provides an important regional base for gliding and light

aircraft.

1 Victoria - The Freight State, The Victorian Freight and Logistics Plan, 2013


Footpath and bicycle infrastructure exist throughout

the Ararat Township, however several of the smaller

townships have limited facilities as a reflection of their

rural village character.

WATER, ENERGY AND UTILITIES

The majority of the towns in the municipality are serviced

by Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GMW Water).

Domestic water is sourced from nearby rivers and creeks

and reticulated for most towns. The reticulated water

supplies to the towns are considered adequate to meet

future demand. The smaller townships have private water

supplies. The key concerns are to maintain the quality of

the water in the catchments, the need to control effluent

and pesticide flows in the waterways, levels of colour and

turbidity and the need for effective disinfection.

The only towns in the municipality that have reticulated

sewerage systems are Ararat, Willaura and Lake Bolac.

The reticulated sewerage systems have the capacity to

service projected industrial, commercial and residential

demand (discussed in Section 4). The other smaller

townships are generally not large enough to make

reticulated sewerage economically viable.

Rainfall, soil type and the topography contribute to some

drainage problems throughout the municipality. While

most of the larger towns have reticulated drainage

systems, low lying, flood prone and poorly drained areas

around the towns pose some constraints to further

development. In rural areas the drainage of agricultural

land can significantly affect natural drainage patterns

which can cause the loss of wetland habitats with impacts

on flora and fauna.

The provision of infrastructure, particularly reticulated

sewerage and land capability are the most significant

constraints on urban development.

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Ararat Rural City has a number of cultural, recreation and

sporting facilities, and associated clubs, unique to the

region. Examples include the Ararat Regional Art Gallery,

Chalambar Golf Course, horse and harness racing, an

indoor pool, lawn bowls, croquet lawns, several sporting

fields and various shooting clubs.

Ararat is also well served by a full complement of state-

of-the-art medical facilities, including a birthing suite

and labour delivery room, accident and emergency,

dialysis treatment facilities, operating theatre, day

procedure centre and palliative care services, following

redevelopment of the Hospital in late 2004. This

is alongside local health services such as general

practitioners, dentists and various support services, as well

as aged-care facilities which not only play an important

role in the local community but likely to support a

significant proportion of the projected population.

In terms of education, several pre, primary and secondary

school options exist across the municipality, reducing

the need for local residents to seek early-years education

outside of the municipal boundary. Tertiary education

opportunities within Ararat Rural City are limited. It

is important to note that the NMIT Ararat campus is

currently very limited with no courses offered. It does

however, have an operating vineyard and winery and

there is potential to capitalise on this and the historic

values of the Aradale site. Ballarat University’s Ararat

campus provides a range of options for tertiary education

as well as a number of night time adult learning options.



• AraratRuralCityiscurrentlyhometo11,183people

and projected to grow to 13,925 residents over the

next 20 years, a growth rate of 0.7% per annum.

• Agriculture(particularlybroadacrecroppingand

grazing)underpinstheeconomicbaseofAraratRural

City.

• The population is ageing, with the municipality

expected to comprise a much larger proportion of

residentsaged65yearsandsmallerhouseholdsizesin

the future.

• Townshiprolesandgrowthdriversvarysignificantly,

with some towns well positioned to cater for

residential and employment growth, while other towns

and regions are more service or tourism and lifestyle

oriented.

• Environmentalandheritagevaluescontributeto

township and landscape character, influence the roles

and growth potential of towns, and require ongoing

protection.

• Ararat has excellent links to Melbourne, Ballarat,

Adelaide, Geelong and Portland, and is strategically

located on the nationally significant Principal Freight

Network (rail and road). Maintenance of key transport

corridors is critical to the economic development of

the region.

• Naturalandhuman-inducedhazardsstrongly

influence township growth potential. Bushfire and

flood risks are particularly significant. The protection

of human life is an overriding strategic objective of the

State Planning Policy, Clause 15.06 - Bushfire.

• Physicalandsocialinfrastructureprovisionvaries

across the municipality. Only three towns have access

to reticulated sewerage. Infrastructure availability will

influence the growth potential of towns and their

capacity to meet the needs of an ageing population.

• Urbangrowth,rurallifestyledevelopmentandtourism

will need to be carefully managed to avoid agricultural

land use conflicts and land fragmentation.

• Tertiary education opportunities within the municipality

are limited.


2.5 Key Drivers of Change

As with any strategy seeking to plan for an extended

period of time, several factors are likely to influence

the future growth and development of the municipality

over the next 25 years. These factors, termed ‘drivers of

change’, have been identified through a review of existing

trends, data analysis, further research and targeted

consultation.

POPULATION GROWTH

Between the 2001 and 2011 censuses, the Rural City

of Ararat experienced a minor decrease in population.

However, in the last reporting period 2011-2012 there

was a slight increase, and Victoria in Future 2012 (VIF)

projections are for modest growth over the next 20

years at 0.7% per annum, towards an expected municipal

population of 13,925 persons in 2031.

Steady population growth will support greater confidence

in investment and development and consolidate the

position of Ararat Rural City as a regional centre for trade

and business.

DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE

VIF population projections show that the Ararat

population is expected to age significantly. This is a

trend occurring across regional Victoria, but is particularly

strong in Ararat Rural City where the proportion of

residents aged over 65 years is expected to increase by

4% by 2031 while at the same time the population of

working age residents (20-65 years) will decrease.

The increase in the proportion of retirees in Ararat Rural

City, reflecting the trend throughout Victoria, presents

an opportunity for the municipality to position itself as

a destination for ‘tree-change’ retirees. There is already

some evidence of this occurring in the townships of

Pomonal and Moyston which are in close proximity to the

Grampians. The quality of the healthcare system in Ararat

Rural City will also help draw retirees to the area.

The decrease in the working population of Ararat Rural

City could somewhat constrain local economic growth.

A current issue is the proportion of young population who

leave Ararat to study in Ballarat and Melbourne and do

not return due to a lack of employment opportunities for

qualified professionals. Demographic analysis shows that

64% of those who left Ararat Rural City in the most recent

inter-census period (2006-2011) were aged under 39

years. In order to attract and retain a working population,

it is important that new opportunities for skilled labour

and economic development of skilled sectors are

identified.

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

Broad-acre agriculture has changed significantly across

regional Victoria over the past decade for a number

of reasons, including drought, generational change,

and farm aggregation. Agriculture remains the biggest

employment sector in the municipality; however over the

past decade employment within the industry has declined

from 23% to 16% as a proportion of overall employment.

On the other hand, the diversification of farming, with

an increased emphasis on intensive agriculture and

horticulture, is emerging as an important component of

the local economy. For example, there is a significant

move to cropping in southern areas with a number of

grain storage and trading facilities being established.

As landholders continue to diversify their operations

and broaden the Region’s agricultural base, there are

opportunities to support this change and new value

adding opportunities. An important case in point is the

growth in wine tourism by promoting cellar door facilities,

restaurants and cafés.

Any continued decline of agriculture will present

challenges to the municipality’s economy which relies

on the sector as major source of direct and indirect

employment.

CLIMATE CHANGE

The challenge of adapting to the potential impacts

of climate change and managing exposure to natural

hazards,suchasbushfire,floodinganddrought

remains a key challenge for the municipality. Council

have committed to leading the way in preparing the

community for the projected impacts of climate change.

The mission statement in the Ararat Rural City Council

Environmental Sustainability Strategy (ESS) 2010-2020

states that Council “recognise that climate change will

have a significant impact on our people, our culture, our

economy and our environment, and we strive to promote

the opportunities which will be created and embrace

a new age of green economics and truly sustainable

development”. As such, Council are committed to to

developing comprehensive strategies to prepare the

community for the projected impacts of climate change.

(Refer to page 41 for more detail).

GROWTH SECTORS

Demographic and economic shifts will provide

opportunities for new industries and areas of economic

growth. It is important that Ararat Rural City uses its

comparative advantages in order to benefit from these

changes.

HEALTH

The health sector in Ararat Rural City is a major employer

and is held in high regard in the wider region. With the

continued ageing of Victoria’s population increasing

demand for health services, as well as major public

investments in the sector (e.g. National Disability

Support Scheme), the municipality is well positioned to

consolidate its position as a regional centre for health

services. Anecdotally, it is noted that many users of the

Ararat hospital reside in other municipalities, and are

attracted by the high standard of facilities and shorter

waiting lists.

MANUFACTURING

Manufacturing in Ararat Rural City has remained strong

over the past decade employing approximately 13% of the

population. During the same period employment in the

manufacturing sector across Victoria has declined by an

average of 2.1%. Although the future of manufacturing

in Victoria remains uncertain due to macro-economic

shifts, the opportunity to expand specialist and advanced

manufacturing has been identified as an important future

direction for the sector.

TOURISM

Tourism is an important contributor to the economy of

the municipality and the surrounding region with visitation

rates remaining relatively consistent over the past decade,

notwithstanding several peaks and troughs.

Ararat Rural City is well positioned as the gateway to the

Grampians National Park, one of Victoria’s premier nature-

based tourist attractions, and must continue to leverage

from this to attract visitation and derive tourism benefits.

MAJOR PROJECTS

Historically, growth and decline in the Ararat region has

been linked to periods of investment and disinvestment.

The current period is one of positive investment which

will provide a foundation for the projected population

growth. Recent and proposed major investments in the

region are summarised below.

ARARAT PRISON REDEVELOPMENT

The Ararat Prison redevelopment announced in 2010 is a

$394 million project and has provided a major investment

impetus to the area. The project, known as the Hopkins

Correctional Centre, is being delivered through a Private-

Public-Partnership. It is expected to be completed by

2014.


The prison redevelopment has provided an initial stimulus

to the Ararat economy during the construction phase. An

influx of trade workers has placed upward pressure on the

local property rental market. The prison is expected to

provide a long-term benefit to the economy by providing

an estimated 150-200 ongoing jobs.

Economic impact modelling provided by Council shows

that the project will generate a direct input of $24 million

to the local economy with an additional $17 million

in flow-on effects (total output of $41 million). The

expected 150-200 jobs are projected to generate an

additional 71 jobs through consumption multipliers in

other sectors such as retail and healthcare.

To further supplement this project the State Government

has recently announced a further $3 million expansion of

the Corella Place facility adjacent to the prison.

WESTERN HIGHWAY DUPLICATION

The Western Highway (A8) is being progressively

upgraded as a four-lane divided highway between Ballarat

and Buangor, with further plans to extend all the way

to Stawell. It is expected that the highway upgrades will

decrease travelling times between Ararat and Ballarat by

approximately 10-15 minutes.

The decreasing travel times in the region may position

Ararat and smaller townships such as Buangor as

affordable or lifestyle residential locations for commuters

travelling to work in other towns such as Ballarat.

ARARAT BYPASS

A road bypass of Ararat is a future aspiration, as identified

in the State Government’s Victorian Freight and Logistics

Plan, 2013. There is some concern among business and

retailers that a bypass may have a negative impact on the

town centre by decreasing the amount of passing traffic

and visitors.

In 2012 the NSW Government’s Roads and Maritime

Services undertook an Economic Impact Evaluation of

Town Bypasses study for small towns. They found that

there can be negative economic impacts in the short-

term, especially within the first year, through a loss in retail

trading from passing traffic. However, over the longer-

term there are many economic benefits. A highway

bypass generally brings about positive land use and land

value changes with new land use activity generated along

the bypass route and an improvement in environmental

amenity in the town centre.

The strategic location of Ararat, being over one hour

from the nearest major regional centre, means it will still

remain a convenient location for visitors to stop on the

way to the Grampians. In order to minimise the potential

negative short-term economic impacts of a bypass, it is

important that Council is proactive in planning for the

transition.

ARARAT WIND FARM

The proposed Ararat Wind Farm is due to begin

construction in late 2013 and be completed by 2016.

The wind farm will comprise 75 turbines which at full

operation are expected to generate enough electricity to

power up to 123,000 average Victorian households per

annum. The project will deliver significant environmental

and economic benefits to the region worth up to $450

million in investment.

Once construction of the wind farm begins it is estimated

that approximately 200 people will be employed for

the 24 month construction phase with an estimated

ongoing 10-15 jobs associated with the operation and

maintenance of the turbines.

NATIONAL BROADBAND NETWORK

The National Broadband Network (NBN) will provide

high-speed broadband access to all Australian homes

and businesses, improving access and communications

across regional areas. Ararat Rural City and the

surrounding region, known as the broader “Horsham

Cluster”, has been chosen as one of the first areas in

Victoria to receive the NBN Fixed Wireless service1.

Planning Approval has been granted for NBN towers to

provide wireless connection across the municipality.

OTHER PROJECTS

Other projects which will impact on the local economy

include:

• Therecentreintroductionofpassengerrailwhich

provides three services a day to the Melbourne CBD

• DevelopmentoftheAraratSecondaryCollegeTrade

Training Centre

• AlexanderOvalRecreationCommunityFacility($3.5

million investment by Council)

• Theproposedexpansionoftheabattoirwhich

is currently the subject of a feasibility study and

supported by State Government (expected to generate

200 new jobs)

• StateGovernment’s$3millionexpansionofArarat’s

specialist facility, Corella Place.

The proposed expansion of the abattoir and correctional

facilities, which combined have the potential to generate

up to 300 jobs, will have a significant impact on the

local economy. Economic impact modelling provided

by Council estimates that the combined impact of

the projects will have a total economic output of $195

million to the local economy including a flow on effect

of 197 additional jobs. If these projects and associated

employment growth are realised, they may have a

significant influence on land demand in the municipality.

In the land supply/demand analyses provided in this

report, a high growth scenario has been considered

which would most likely accommodate the majority of

growth generated by these major projects.

1 Fixed Wireless is like a fixed broadband service, but delivered over the air instead of through a fibre optic cable.



• Demographicandeconomicshiftswillprovide

opportunities for new industries and areas of

economic growth. It is important that Ararat Rural

City use its comparative advantages, in health,

manufacturing and tourism, in order to benefit from

these changes.

• Steadypopulationgrowthwillallowforgreater

confidence in investment and development and

consolidate the position of Ararat Rural City as a

regional centre for trade and business.

• Inordertoattractandretainaworkingpopulation,it

is important that new opportunities for skilled labour

and economic development of skilled sectors are

identified.

• Thediversificationoffarming,withanincreased

emphasis on intensive agriculture and horticulture,

is emerging as an important component of the local

economy.

• Anydeclineinagriculturewillpresentchallengesto

the municipality’s economy which relies on the sector

as major direct and indirect employer.

• Ararat has excellent links to Melbourne, Ballarat,

Adelaide, Geelong and Portland and is strategically

located on the nationally significant Principal Freight

Network (rail and road).

• Historically,growthanddeclineintheAraratregion

has been associated with periods of investment and

disinvestment. The current period is one of significant

investment. Several committed and proposed major

projects are likely to bring new opportunities to the

region.


Chapter 3. SettingaFrameworkforGrowth:

ResidentialLandUse


3.1 Introduction

This section profiles residential land supply and demand

for the municipality. It highlights issues and opportunities

and proposes directions for future growth.

3.2 Housing Growth

At the time of the 2011 census the total number of

dwellings (including unoccupied dwellings) across the

municipality was 5,192. This represented an increase of

88 dwellings since 2006 and 212 dwellings since 2001,

an average increase of 21 dwellings per year over the

decade.

The substantial majority of dwellings in the municipality

are separate houses (93%) with only 4% being flat, unit or

apartment type dwellings (ABS 2011).

TheaveragehouseholdsizeinAraratRuralCityis2.44,

which is smaller than the regional Victorian average (2.48).

AccordingtoVIFprojections,averagehouseholdsizein

Ararat is expected to decrease in the future, falling to 2.28

in 2031.

The largest category of households in Ararat Rural City is

‘couple family without children’ (33%) followed by ‘single

person households’ (30%). According to VIF projections,

‘couple family households with children’ will decrease

from 25% in 2011 to 21% in 2031, and over the same

period single person households will increase by 3%.

Ararat Rural City is projected to grow to 13,925 residents

over the next 20 years (VIF 2012), accommodating a

much larger proportion of ‘retirees’ and aged residents.

Dwelling growth projections were not prepared for

individual townships due to the variable nature of demand

at the local level, and the significant land supply available

in townships to accommodate future growth. It is

expected that the majority of dwelling growth will occur

in the principal settlement of Ararat.

3.3 Residential Land Use

The following assessment of residential land supply

and demand for the municipality has been distilled

from a variety of sources, including the 2012 Spatial

Economics Residential Land Review for Ararat Rural

City, Building Commission Data, the ABS, VIF 2012

population projections and the Victorian Government’s

Guide to Property Values quarterly report. Data analysis

was supported by targeted consultation with several

developers and real estate agents.

For a detailed overview of sources, findings and

assumptions used, refer to the Ararat SGF Property and

Economic Analysis Report (Appendix B) prepared by

Urban Enterprise as input into the Draft SGF Strategy.

RESIDENTIAL SUPPLY

Residential supply has been analysed using the 2012

Spatial Economics Residential Land Review for Ararat

Rural City.

RESIDENTIAL ZONED LAND

Themunicipalityhasaround3,592.7haoflandzoned

for residential purposes, including a mix of residential,

township,mixeduseandrurallivingzones.

The Ararat Township is the only settlement in the

municipality where the Residential 1 Zone (R1Z) has been

applied, with around 568ha of R1Z land located within the

township boundary. This is supported by around 50ha of

Low Density Residential Zone (LDRZ) land located at the

township’s eastern entrance. There are also three small

pockets of Mixed Use Zone (MUZ) land, to the north and

north-east of the township.

Several other townships are covered by the Township

Zone (TZ) which supports residential uses alongside a

range of commercial, industrial and other uses suitable

for small towns.

Around 2,267ha of Rural Living Zone (RLZ) land exists

on the outskirts of Ararat, Moyston and Pomonal. The

currentaveragelotsizeofthislandisapproximately3.5ha.

RECENT REZONING AND SUBDIVISION

Amendment C19 was approved in January 2013 and

rezoned164haofformerFarmingZone(FZ)landatthe

eastern entrance of Ararat around Green Hill Lake to R1Z

(114ha)andLDRZ(50ha).Thepurposeoftherezoning

was to expand residential supply in order to cater for

the estimated 150-200 jobs which will be generated

by the Ararat Prison Redevelopment. It is estimated

that the potential dwelling yield for the growth area is

approximately 500 dwellings. This has been included in

the supply assessment above.

Evans Park is a recently subdivided residential

development on the Western Highway, north west of

Ararat town centre. The development offers 76 lots

atrangeofsizeswiththeStage1lotreleaseranging

from 323sqm to 814sqm. The site is currently under

construction.

EXISTING RESIDENTIAL SUPPLY

At present (excluding minor infill land) there is a residential

supply of approximately 1,689 lots across the municipality.

This is comprised of:

• 593zonedbroadhectare/majorinfilllots(35%of

supply)

• 104vacantruralresidentiallots(6%ofsupply)

• 992designatedfutureresidentiallots(59%ofsupply).


Ararat: Existing Residential Zones

MAR

GARET STREET

BARKLY STREET

HIGH STREET

HARGREAVES STREET

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kilometres

Residential 1 Zone

Low Density Residential Zone

Rural Living Zone

Mixed Use Zone

LEGEND


Settlement Broad hectare/

Major

Rural

Residential

(RLZ)

Future

Unzoned

Total Lots

Ararat 464 36 992 1492

Buangor - - - -

Elmhurst 2 - - 2

Lake Bolac 13 - - 13

Moyston 2 42 - 44

Pomonal - 26 - 26

Willaura 112 - - 112

Ararat Rural City 593 104 992 1689

Source:Spatial Economics Residential Land Review 2012

*Note:RuralResidentialsupplyreferstovacant(asat2009)LDRZandRLZzoned

allotments.

TABLE1:VACANTLOTSBYSUPPLYTYPE,2012

MinorInfillLotSize Number of Lots % of Vacant

Lots

< 500sqm 2 1%

500 - 800sqm 28 16%

800 - 1,200sqm 40 24%

1,200 - 2,000sqm 22 13%

2,000 - 5,000sqm 47 28%

5,000 - 10,000sqm 31 18%

Total 170 100%


TABLE2:MINORINFILLSUPPLYLOTSBYSIZE,2012

The majority of vacant lots across the municipality are within the Ararat

Township (88%). Of the smaller towns, Willaura has the highest lot

capacity (112 vacant lots). Moyston has 44 vacant lots followed by

Pomonal (26 lots) and Lake Bolac (13 lots). Table 1 below highlights the

vacant lot capacity for the select townships.

In December 2009, a parcel by parcel assessment was

undertaken to identify minor infill supply. A total of 170 minor

infill lots were identified . Of these identified lots, 100 were

larger than 1,200sqm (refer to Table 2).

The majority of infill supply is located in the Ararat Township

(79 lots), followed by Lake Bolac (31 lots), and Willaura (13

lots).

MinorInfillLotSize Number of Lots

(Municipal wide)

Number of Lots

(Ararat Township)

Broad hectare/Major

(2012)

593 464

Minor infill (2009) 170 79

Rural Residential (RLZ)

(2012)

104 36

FutureUnzoned(2012) 992 992

Total 1,859 1,571


TABLE3:RESIDENTIALLANDSUPPLY,2012

By combining the minor infill supply and residential land

supply, there is an estimated total residential supply of 1,859

lots across the municipality, 85% of which is located in the

township of Ararat (1,571 lots) (refer to Table 3).


RESIDENTIAL DEMAND

Residential demand has been analysed using property

market trends, historical dwelling growth data and

supplemented by consultation findings.

COST AND TENURE

The 2012 median price for a house in the Ararat Township

was $168,000, while the median unit price was $237,599

and the vacant land block price was $90,000. House

prices grew strongly from 2002 to 2010, rising from

$80,500 to $175,000. However, in recent years prices

have dropped in-line with trends experienced across

regional Victoria.

In comparison to other localities, the average median

house prices in Ararat Rural City are significantly lower.

The median house price in Ballarat LGA, for example, is

over $100,000 higher than in the Rural City.

Over the past decade there has been a reduction in the

proportion of residents who own their property outright,

from 55% in 2001 to 44% in 2011. At the same time, the

proportion of residents whose property has a mortgage

has increased from 21% in 2001 to 28% in 2011. The

proportion of renters has increased slightly from 2001-

2011. Consultation with real estate agents suggests

that in the last two years rental properties prices have

increased significantly to cater for construction workers

for the prison redevelopment.

DWELLING GROWTH

As stated earlier, the municipality has seen an increase of

88 dwellings since 2006 and 212 dwellings since 2001, an

average dwelling increase of 21 per year for the decade to

2011.

There has been relatively low lot construction across the

municipality since 2006 (around 30 lots) with around

166 residential building approvals issued from 2008-2013

(demand for around 21-30 lots per annum). Building

approval activity for the first half of 2013 has also been

relatively low with only 2 net new dwellings approved

at the time of writing. Over the past 5 years, 76% of

all dwelling approvals in the municipality have been in

the Ararat Township. Table 4 highlights net dwellings

approvals in the municipality by year from 2008-2013,

Table5presentsthisanalysisbyzone.

DWELLING DEMAND

Demand projections, which take into account future

population growth, range between 30 - 53 new dwellings

per annum over the next 20 years. It is expected that

the majority of these dwellings will be constructed in the

Ararat Township.

Further detail on demand projections, including

assumptions used, is provided in Appendix B: Ararat SGF

Property and Economic Analysis Report.

Ararat Pomonal Elmhurst Lake Bolac Moyston Other Total

2008 8 - - -1 1 - 8

2009 29 3 1 3 1 37

2010 32 6 1 - 1 2 42

2011 23 3 - 1 - 3 30

2012 18 3 - 1 2 2 26

2013* - 1 - -1 - 2 2

Total 110 16 1 1 7 10 145

Source:Urban Enterprise 2013

* Note: Part of year.

TABLE4:DWELLINGAPPROVALSBYYEAR,2008-2013

Settlement R1Z RLZ B1Z FZ TZ/FZ Total

Ararat 97 25 1 3 - 126

Pomonal - 7 - 9 - 16

Moyston - 7 - 2 - 9

Other - - - - 15 15

Total 97 39 - 14 15 166

%ofZone 58% 23% 1% 8% 9% 100%


* Note: Taken from July 2008 - July 2013, Net Dwelling Approvals are new dwelling approvals minus

demolition approvals.

TABLE5:DWELLINGAPPROVALSBYZONE,2008-2013


FUTURE LAND REQUIREMENTS

Future land requirements can be calculated by matching

demand projections with the current supply of residential

land.

Two scenarios have been prepared based on the

historical and projected demand rates for the whole

municipality and the Ararat Township, as follows:

Business as Usual Scenario: using an extrapolation of

historical dwelling approvals per annum.

Growth Scenario: calculates dwellings required to support

population growth projected by VIF 2012.

BUSINESS AS USUAL SCENARIO

Municipality

The Business as Usual Scenario is based on the historical

dwelling growth rate and adopts an overall demand level

of 29 dwellings per annum. Of the 29 dwellings, there is

expected to be demand for 7 dwellings (rounded) in the

ruralresidentialzones(RLZandLDRZ).

With the large supply of R1Z lots now available around

Green Hill Lake there is sufficient supply of conventional

residential lots to support in excess of 25 years demand.

Rural residential has a lower level of supply, but also has

sufficient stock to support in 18-20 years demand.

AraratTownship

The historical dwelling growth rate for the township is 22

dwellings per year. Of the 22 dwellings, there is expected

to be demand for 5 dwellings (rounded) in rural residential

zones.

Under the business as usual scenario, there is sufficient

supply of conventional lots but only 12-15 years supply of

rural residential lots.

GROWTH SCENARIO

Municipality

The growth scenario assumes that dwelling demand will

grow according to VIF 2012 projections and adopts a

future dwelling demand level of 50 dwellings per annum.

Of the 50 dwellings, there is expected to be demand for

12 dwellings (rounded) in the RLZ (24%).

In the growth scenario, there are sufficient conventional

residential lots to support in excess of 25 years of

demand, but only 10-12 years supply of rural residential

lots - the majority of which is in rural townships outside of

the township of Ararat.

AraratTownship

The analysis of historical planning permit activity indicates

that 76% of all new dwelling approvals for the municipality

have been in the township of Ararat. Therefore, to project

dwelling demand for the township, a rate of 76% is

applied to the projected municipal dwelling demand (50

lots), to derive a dwelling demand rate of 38 lots per year.

Of the 38 lots, there is expected to be demand for 9 rural

residential lots (rounded).

Under the growth scenario there is sufficient supply

of conventional residential lots to support in excess of

25 years of demand, but only 7-8 years supply of rural

residential lots.

Theonlyresidentialsectorthatmayrequirefurtherzoned

land within the forecast period is rural residential.


SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE

GWM Water has indicated that the condition and capacity

of existing water and sewerage infrastructure is not a

constraint to growth in the R1Z, with the exception of the

newlyzonedGreenHillLakedevelopment.

The Green Hill Lake development will require new water

mains and a new sewer pump station. The cost of

delivering the infrastructure is expected to be fully funded

by the beneficiaries through a combination of up front

capital investment and ongoing service charges.

The moderate level of growth expected in Ararat is not

likely to have a significant impact on existing transport

infrastructure/ services. It is considered that future

residential development within Ararat, as well as the

smaller towns, will help to optimise utilisation of existing

transport services, providing opportunities to improve the

frequency of services and expansion of routes over time

as patronage increases. Council is undertaking a review of

the municipalities ‘Disability Access and Inclusion Plan’ in

2014.

REFORMED RESIDENTIAL ZONES

At present the Residential 1 and Mixed Use Zones are the

onlyresidentialzonesusedwithinthemunicipality.The

Residential1Zoneistheprimaryresidentialzoneapplied

in Ararat, with the Mixed Use Zone applied to isolated

locations.

In the smaller settlements the Township Zone is

applied in built up areas and the Rural Living Zone in

the rural residential hinterlands. The Township Zone

can accommodate a broader range of land uses that

the Residential 1 Zone and is suitable for these types of

settlements, particularly where the absence of sewerage

acts as a constraint to development intensity.

Threenewresidentialzoneshavebeenintroduced–

the Residential Growth Zone (RGZ), General Residential

Zone (GRZ) and Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ).

Council has until mid 2014 to determine how it will

apply them. A ‘business as usual’ scenario would see the

General Residential Zone replace the Residential 1 Zone.

Thenewzonesareintendedtoprovidecleardirection

to residents and developers about where change is likely

to occur. They are most relevant in locations where

significant population growth is anticipated and the

emphasis is on managing change.

In recent years growth rates in Ararat have had

only a modest impact on existing residential areas.

Projected growth is expected to be steady and impacts

manageable. As outlined in this strategy, infill and smaller

housing developments should actually be encouraged

in order to provide greater choice within the housing

market, update the existing housing stock and promote

more efficient use of infrastructure.

As such, development pressure is unlikely to be so great

as to warrant the application of the Neighbourhood

Residential Zone unless there are precincts of particularly

consistent character that Council seeks to protect. If

these areas coincide with heritage precincts there will be

noneedtorezonetheland.

On the other hand, the projected growth rate is unlikely

to warrant the application of the Residential Growth Zone

either.Thiszoneisintendedforcentralactivityareas

where apartment-style development is anticipated.

OutsideArarat,theresidentialzonesneedonlybe

considered in settlements with reticulated sewerage,

namely Willaura and Lake Bolac. Given the desirability of

supporting investment in these locations the flexibility

of the Township Zone is likely to be preferable to the

applicationofaresidentialzone.Councilmaywishto

reconsider this if either of the settlements experiences a

spike in development. Population projections suggest that

moderate growth is more likely.


SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT

RESIDENTIAL SUPPLY

The residential supply analysis for Ararat Rural City

indicates:

• There is relatively low opportunity for minor infill for

both the municipality (170 lots) and town of Ararat (79

lots);

• Infill lots include many larger lots which have

subdivision potential (100 lots larger than 1,200sqm);

and

• Recentrezoning(AmendmentC19)hascreated

a large supply of new R1Z and LDRZ land for the

municipality.

RESIDENTIAL DEMAND

Analysis of residential demand in Ararat Rural City

indicates:

• Residential property prices in Ararat Rural City remain

lower than the nearby regional centres of Stawell,

Horsham and Ballarat, but have grown by a similar

rate over the past decade. In recent years (2010-2012)

there has been very little growth in residential housing

prices.

• Demand for rental properties has increased

significantly in recent years.

• Historical demand for dwellings varies from 21-30 lots

per annum based on building approvals and census

data. Demand in recent years has been relatively low

coinciding with a drop in residential property prices.

• The R1Z accounted for 53% and the RLZ accounted

for 23% of all dwelling approvals in the past five years.

• Demand projections, which take into account future

population growth, range between 30 - 53 new

dwellings per annum over the next 20 years. The

majority of this growth is likely to occur in the Ararat

Township.

CAPACITY

Combining the analysis above, it is concluded that:

• The municipality as a whole has an existing supply

of residential land sufficient to cater for projected

demand for the next 20-25 years.

• The majority of dwelling demand is expected to

occuronArarat.Withtherecentrezoningoflandat

Green Hill Lake there is a sufficient supply of land to

accommodate even a high growth scenario.

• The supply of rural residential land across the

municipality has capacity to accommodate 10-20

years of growth.

• In Ararat itself, the supply of rural residential land is

more constrained, with capacity to accommodate

only 7-15 years’ demand.


ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES

A number of issues and opportunities regarding residential

supply and demand have been identified for the

municipality.

ISSUES

LowDemand

Consultation with real estate agents and developers

indicates that demand for residential land is currently

low. This is reflected in the relatively slow building

permit activity for the first six months of 2013. Lack of

population growth over the past decade has resulted in

a low volume property market. Further, despite recent

rezoningsubstantiallyincreasingresidentialsupply

levels, demand for housing remains low as does the

consumption of available lots.

DevelopmentCosts

A common issue among builders and developers is

the high cost of development relative to land values.

This is perceived to occur for a number of reasons

including a shortage of skilled tradesmen in Ararat Rural

City increasing the costs of building and infrastructure,

particularly when developing unserviced lots.

LandSupplyComposition

Analysis of residential land supply indicates that existing

lot supply is robust; however the future supply is mainly in

broad hectare and major infill lots with a low number of

minor infill (170 lots in 2009). This means that future infill

development is dependent on subdivision which may be

currently constrained by high infrastructure costs and low

land values.

SewerUpgrades

There is adequate sewer and water infrastructure capacity

to service growth on existing R1Z land with the exception

oftherecentlyrezonedGreenHillLakeprecinct.

However, as the cost of the extension of infrastructure

to new areas is expected to be fully funded by the

beneficiaries, through a combination of up-front capital

investment and ongoing fees, these costs are causing

upward pressure on lot construction prices. This may act

as a constraint to delivery and availability of new lots to

the market.

EnvironmentalConstraints&NaturalHazards

There are a number of environmental constraints and

naturalhazards,particularlysignificantbushfirerisk,that

must be considered when planning for the future of

Ararat and the municipalities small towns.

OPPORTUNITIES

GrowthMarkets

The ageing population across Victoria represents an

opportunity to capture a greater proportion of the

retirement market. The Rural City of Ararat is well

positioned to attract ‘tree-change’ retirees due to its

proximity to the Grampians and Pyrenees regions and the

quality of existing health infrastructure.

A large proportion of recent home buyers in the

municipality have been first-home buyers. Relatively

affordable housing available in Ararat Rural City is a

comparative advantage in attracting first home-buyers

who may by priced out of the market in other locations.

Further, with the duplication of the Western Highway

reducing travel times in the region, there are also new

opportunities in attracting commuting residents to the

municipality (e.g. people currently working/living in

Ballarat).

GreenfieldOpportunities

With the exception of vegetation and slope constraints to

the west of the municipality, Ararat Rural City has relatively

few geographic constraints for growth. The Green Hill

LakerezoningandEvansParksubdivisionpresentsan

opportunity for new development and attraction of new

residents. The challenge for the municipality, in particular

the Ararat township itself, is to regulate urban growth in

conjunction with population growth to ensure the market

is not over-supplied, and to integrate new growth areas

with the town in order to avoid the negative impacts of

sprawl and population dispersion.

ShiftinHousingDemand

Demographic shifts towards an ageing population,

smaller households, and increased single households

will require a greater diversity in housing stock. Greater

demand for smaller one and two bedroom houses

isexpectedtoaccommodatethe‘downsizer’,‘first

homebuyer’ and ‘lone person household’ markets.

The current housing stock in Ararat Rural City is

homogeneous with a limited supply of unit/apartment

dwellings and one and two bedroom houses. Greater

diversity in housing stock should be encouraged within

the Ararat Township, especially in close proximity to the

town centre and services, particularly healthcare and

retail.


DEVELOPMENT DIRECTIONS

UrbanConsolidation

Urban consolidation in Ararat Rural City has been limited

in the past, most likely due to low land values and the

ready availability of Greenfield sites. However, future

demand for smaller housing types and recent rises in

unit prices may provide the catalyst to increase housing

provision within close proximity to the Ararat town

centre. Given the projected ageing of the population,

development of smaller one and two bedroom houses

within close proximity to services should be encouraged.

A key opportunity to deliver smaller housing types exists

through development of large vacant and under-utilised

lots within the current urban centre. As of 2009, Spatial

Economics (2012) identified 170 vacant infill lots across

themunicipality,with100ofthesesizedbetween

1,200sqm and 10,000sqm. Spatial Economics points

out that most of these allotments have potential to yield

multiple lots post subdivision and consolidation should be

encouraged especially in areas within close proximity to

existing infrastructure.

Areas in close proximity to the hospital precinct

may provide an appropriate location for further infill

development. A recent medium density development on

the corner of Basham and Lowe Road indicates demand

for medium density housing in the area and provides an

example of potential density and design opportunities.

The 2005 Ararat Residential Land Use Strategy

recommended utilising the existing rear laneways to

access lots with subdivision potential. This may provide

an effective method of increasing infill over the long-

term; however, current property prices may still be

insufficient to support large-scale re-subdivision.

FormerPrestigeFactory

The vacant former Prestige factory site is located adjacent

to the hospital within the MUZ and contains a disused

building. It is a large site, approximately 4.6ha in area.

The site is strategically located close to the Ararat Hospital

which is expected to grow as a focal point for the town

and a major local employer. It is adjacent to the new

medium density development on Basham Road.

The most significant constraints to the redevelopment

of the site are the cost of demolition of the building and

decontamination of the land. The site is also constrained

by an old cemetery which is located on the site. Any

future development may need to incorporate parkland or

similar.

ConventionalResidentialGrowth

There is currently a sufficient supply of R1Z land and there

isnoimmediaterequirementtorezonefurtherlandinthe

short-term. However, long-term opportunities to expand

the existing town may exist in a northerly direction, where

there are limited environmental constraints and ready

access to the future bypass.

In the short-medium term, a focus should be maintained

on:

• consolidating development within the existing urban

zones,

• optimising utilisation of existing infrastructure, and

• negotiating ways to deliver key service infrastructure

to Greenfield areas in a co-ordinated manner that

spreads infrastructure costs across future beneficiaries

and reduces lot prices to buyers.

RuralResidentialLotSupply

Thereissufficientruralresidentialzonedlandacrossthe

municipality to accommodate demand for 18-20 years

under the ‘business as usual’ scenario. Supply is much

more constrained in Ararat itself, which is estimated to

have between 7-15 years supply based on the ‘Business

as Usual’ and ‘Growth’ scenarios. It is considered likely

that the actual supply is at the upper end of this range. As

such, there does not appear to be a critical under-supply

orimmediateneedtorezonefurtherlandatthisstage.

Rural residential land is a key demand sector given the

attractiveness of lower density, lifestyle properties and

anecdotal evidence that this residential property type

will continue to experience relatively strong demand in

comparison with standard density residential lots. The

Green Hill development includes a significant portion

of the R1Z land which is required to be developed

to a minimum subdivision area of 4,000sqm (under

Development Plan Overlay, Schedule 2). Such a large

subdivision lot pattern is likely to appeal to the same

rural residential market as the rural living and low density

residentialzonesattheperipheryoftheAraratTownship

and could potentially absorb part of the rural residential

demand. In addition, there is also opportunity for further

subdivision of a number of large lots in the RLZ. This

further underlines the likelihood of supply being closer to

15 years than 7 years for rural residential lots.

However, to avoid a circumstance of under-supply in the

near future, and satisfy planning scheme requirements,

expansion of rural living land should be considered. A

site suitability analysis should be undertaken which

accounts for environmental and bushfire constraints, and

the efficient and sequenced delivery of infrastructure.

Possible areas for investigation are:

• Land identified in the Central Highlands Region

Infrastructure Study (2013) as east of Heath Street,

north of the Western Highway and McLellan Street.

The area is currently unserviced but is adjacent to

therecentlyrezonedGreenHillEstate.Theabilityto

sequence development and infrastructure extensions

from the Green Hill Estate make it the preferred

location for any expansion of the LDRZ.

• Land identified in the Ararat Residential Land Use

Strategy 2005 as ‘RLZ South’, which is south of Ararat

Racecourse and west of Geelong Road. The Strategy

concedes that this area is subject to significant

‘waterlogging’ and is currently unserviced. This may

be considered a long-term option.

• Land identified in the Ararat Residential Land Use

Strategy 2005 as ‘RLZ North’ which is located to the

north of the township between the railway line and the

Western Highway. Although the strategy identifies this

area as the preferred location for rural living expansion,

there may be significant bushfire constraints as the

western portion of the land identified (between

Lambert Street and Beveridge Street) falls within the

Bushfire Management Overlay.




• Housing growth has averaged 21 dwellings per year

over the decade to 2011. Two growth scenarios have

been developed. One based on this historical rate

of growth, the other on a higher rate stimulated by

recent and proposed major investment.

• The housing market is dominated by separate

houses. Greater diversity is likely to be required to

accommodate expected growth in the population of

olderresidentsandsmallerhouseholdsizes.

• Existingundevelopedresidentiallyzonedland

(includingtherecentGreenHillLakerezoning)and

infill opportunities will provide sufficient supply

to accommodate 20-25 years growth across the

municipality under both scenarios.

• Ararathassufficientresidentiallyzonedlandto

meet anticipated growth; however this will require

infrastructure augmentation to facilitate development.

• Preferred locations for infill development should be

identified to optimise access to retail, services and

infrastructure.

• Mechanisms to assist in facilitating infrastructure

augmentation may need to be explored to ensure that

costs do not create a barrier to supply.

• There is sufficient rural residential land across the

municipality to meet anticipated demand for the next

10-20 years based on the two scenarios. Supply is

more constrained in Ararat, however is likely to be at

the upper end of the estimates.

• Long term future options for further rural residential

rezoninginproximitytoAraratshouldbeidentified.


Chapter 4. SettingaFrameworkforGrowth:

Non-ResidentialLandUse


4.1 Introduction

This section profiles retail, commercial (i.e. non-retail)

and industrial land use in Ararat Rural City and provides

an assessment of supply and demand. The main drivers

of non-residential growth, future land requirements and

strategic directions for growth are also discussed. The

analysis presented in this section has been supplemented

by a targeted consultation program which included

workshops with the community, local businesses, retailers

and the property sector.

4.2 Business Confidence Survey

The Ararat Rural City Business Confidence Survey,

distributed in May and June 2013, sought to gain an

insight and overview of current business conditions and

confidence. Of the distributed surveys, 31 responses

were received from a range of retail, construction

and health and service sector businesses across the

municipality.

The majority of respondent businesses were located in

the Ararat Township, while a few businesses had multiple

locations in Ararat, Stawell and Horsham.

Full details regarding questions and responses can be

found in Appendix B: Ararat SGF Property and Economic

Analysis Report.

A summary of key findings is as follows:

• Respondentbusinesseshadbeenoperatingforan

average of 18 years in Ararat Rural City.

• Theaverageemploymentperbusinesswas4full

time staff, 3 part-time staff and 2 casual staff, with the

majority indicating that employment would remain at

the current level for the next 3 to 12 months.

• Anaverageof59%ofbusinessincomeisgenerated

from patronage from Ararat Township with around

12% from Stawell and surrounds and 10% from other

regional Victorian localities (including Ballarat).

• Themajorityofbusinessrespondentsreportedthat

they met their budget expectations/targets in the last

12 months (59%), however 28% of businesses reported

they did not meet their targets.

• Themajorityofbusinesses(52%)expecttheirbusiness

income to remain the same over the next 12 months.

A high proportion of respondents expect their business

income to increase over the next 12 months (45%).

• Surveyrespondentsgenerallyreportedlocaleconomic

conditions to be in a stronger position when

compared to state and national economic conditions.

• Overheadsandutilitycostswerereportedasthe

biggest business constraint (24% of respondents),

followed by competition pressures (16%), availability

of skilled workers (16%), the price of supplies (11%),

declining demand (9%) and planning regulations (9%).

• Theoverallperceptionofthepotentialimpactofthe

Western Hwy duplication and proposed bypass is that

there may be some reduction in stopover visitation to

Ararat, but the impact is likely to be minimal.

• Respondentsindicatedthatmorefoodcatering

businesses were needed (e.g.. restaurants, cafés) in the

municipality, particularly those with longer and more

regular opening times.

• Reductionofratesandotherconcessions,stronger

Council/Business engagement and emphasis on using

and promoting local services, were identified as key

areas that Council could assist in improving business

conditions within the municipality.


4.3 Retail Land Use

This section profiles retail land use in the municipality.

The main drivers of retail growth are discussed alongside

supply and demand assessment and implications for the

SGF Strategy.

Further detail regarding the supply and demand

assessment, including method and assumptions,

is provided in Appendix B: Ararat SGF Property and

Economic Analysis Report.

RETAIL DRIVERS

The dynamics of the retail centres in regional Victorian

settings can vary significantly from those of their

metropolitan counterparts. In many ways, regional towns

are more dependent on the success of their retail sectors

than metropolitan centres. This is particularly true for

convenience-based retail and smaller townships.

CATCHMENT AREAS

Regional Centres typically draw their trade from a broad

catchment area, including a variety of residential settings

such as large towns, smaller townships and rural areas.

ESCAPE EXPENDITURE

Regional areas typically experience high levels of escape

expenditure, particularly where the catchment areas are

located in close proximity to major regional centres (such

as Ballarat Regional City) for education, employment,

recreation and entertainment. This is particularly evident

in the discretionary retail sectors of bulky goods, apparel,

homewares and leisure.

Convenience-based retail, including supermarkets, retail

services (i.e. hairdressers) and food catering (i.e. cafés

and take away food) generally exhibit comparable escape

expenditure levels to major regional and metropolitan

centres. Opportunity to reduce escape expenditure in

this sector is driven by providing a diversity and adequate

supply of local retail offer.

VISITOR EXPENDITURE

Tourism and visitor expenditure can provide an important

market for local retailers in regional areas. Located

strategically on the Grampians tourist route, visitor

expenditure is expected to be higher in Ararat Rural City

than some other regional areas.

RETAIL ANCHORS

The economic role of centres in regional areas is often

highly dependent on the existence and success of the

major retail anchors. Not all regional centres have full-line

supermarkets or larger format retailers, such as discount

department stores and bulky goods retailers, meaning

that those towns which do (such as Ararat) often serve a

wide catchment area.

ONLINE RETAILING

Consideration needs to be given to the competitive

pressure faced by local businesses from online shopping.

Ararat Rural City Council’s Economic Development Unit is

currently offering training to local businesses in the region

to assist businesses to grow and prosper, both online and

offline.

RETAIL SUPPLY

RETAIL OFFER AND CATCHMENT

The major retailers in the Ararat municipality include three

supermarkets: Woolworths, Aldi and IGA, several “big-

box” retailers: including Target Country, a newly opened

Harvey Norman, and Mitre 10.

The turnover of the retail sector in Ararat Rural City

is estimated at $106 million per annum and Ballarat

Regional City is seen as the major competitor for higher-

order retail shopping.

The majority of retail floorspace is located in the Ararat

Township where Barkly Street serves as the spine of

the retail core. It is a linear strip made up of mostly

independent retailers, discount stores (i.e. Reject Shop,

Dimmeys) business services, and food and drink premises.

The newly opened Aldi draws shoppers from a wide

region (including Stawell) and the Ararat Township also

benefits from its location along the Grampians tourist

route with many travellers stopping for supplies.

The figure below shows the location of business

zonedlandintheAraratTownshipandhighlightsthe

commercial core.

RETAIL FLOORSPACE AND VACANCY

To inform the study Urban Enterprise undertook a

floorspace audit of the Ararat Township.

There is a total of 22,894sqm retail floorspace across 86

retailers in the township of Ararat. Food, Liquor, Groceries

was the largest category with 8,710sqm, followed by

Apparel, Homewares and Leisure with 6,291sqm.

Data from Council’s rates database relating to vacancy

was analysed. There are 23 vacant lots in Ararat’s

businesszoneswithatotallandareaof19,536sqm

(1.95ha).

RETAIL DEMAND

The municipality has a total annual retail spending

capacity of $131.8 million. Of this, it is estimated that 67%

($87.9 million) is spent in the Ararat Township and 33%

escapes to other retail locations such as Ballarat.

Future retail floorspace requirements can be calculated

by combining population forecasts with future per capita

spending capacity of the catchment. Demand is likely

to be influenced by population growth, increased retail

spending per capita and increased retention of retail

spending.

Three demand scenarios have been prepared for low,

medium and high growth based on varying projections

for growth in retail spending per capita and future

retention rates.

• LowGrowthScenario:demand for an additional

3,689sqm of retail floorspace by 2031.

• MediumGrowthScenario:demand for an additional

6,291sqm of retail floorspace by 2031.

• HighGrowthScenario: demand for an additional

7,174sqm of retail floorspace.

RETAIL SECTOR GAPS

The retail supply analysis undertaken for this study

indicates that the retail environment in Ararat Rural City

is adequate in meeting the immediate needs of the local

population. The retail sectors of Food, Liquor, Groceries,

Food Catering, and Retail Services have relatively low

rates escape expenditure meaning that the majority of

residents do not need to travel outside of the catchment

for these offerings.

The retail sectors which have the highest amount of

escape expenditure are Apparel, Homewares and Leisure

and Bulky Goods. This is common for smaller regional

centres which do not have the concentration of retailers

to allow for comparison shopping. Increased diversity of

offer in the Apparel, Homewares and Leisure and Bulky

Goods sectors is likely to reduce escape expenditure.


Ararat: Existing Retail/ Commercial Zones

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Green Hill LakeGreen Hill Lake




• Regional Centres often draw their retail trade from a

broad catchment area with success usually dependent

on the existence and success of major retail anchors.

• The turnover of the retail sector in Ararat Rural City

is estimated at $106 million per annum and Ballarat

Regional City is seen as the major competitor for

higher-order retail shopping.

• The majority of retail floorspace (approx 22,894sqm) is

located in the Ararat Township. Major retailers include

three supermarkets: Woolworths, Aldi and IGA, several

“big-box” retailers: including Target Country, a newly

opened Harvey Norman, and Mitre 10.

• An analysis of retail supply indicates that the retail

environment in Ararat Rural City is adequate in

meeting the immediate needs of the local population.

Convenience-based retail has a relatively low rate

of escape expenditure meaning that the majority

of residents do not need to travel outside of the

catchment for these offerings.

• The retail sectors which have the highest amount

of escape expenditure are Apparel, Homewares and

Leisure and Bulky Goods, however this is common for

smaller regional centres.

• Tourism and visitor expenditure can provide an

important market for local retailers in regional areas,

particularly for Ararat which is located strategically on

the Grampians tourist route.


4.4 Commercial Land Use

This section profiles commercial land use in the

municipality. The main drivers of commercial land

demand are identified using employment and building

approvals data.





COMMERCIAL SUPPLY

The majority of commercial activity in Ararat Rural City

occurs in the Ararat town centre, within the B1Z. There

are approximately 27 commercial businesses and a total

of 4,983sqm of commercial floorspace.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING ACTIVITY

Building permit data from the past 5 years (2008-2013)

for the municipality has been analysed in order to identify

the historical trends for new commercial buildings and

investments.

The data shows that there has been a relatively low level

of investment in commercial buildings in the past 5 years.

Demand for office space is driven primarily by public

administration with very little demand from professional

services.

COMMERCIAL DEMAND

Future commercial floorspace demand was projected

using employment forecasts and industry benchmarks of

land use consumption rates per employee by industry.

Demand for an additional 676sqm of commercial office

space is expected by 2031. The majority of floorspace

demand will come from the ‘Public Administration and

Safety’ sector (53%) via the prison redevelopment.

GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES

Commercial activity in Ararat is relatively low with limited

demand for professional services and commercial land

uses. As a result, opportunities for growth are likely to

come from technological and infrastructure investments,

or through identified major projects.

Historically, economic growth in the municipality has

been closely linked with periods of public investment. As

Ararat Township is over a one hour drive from other major

towns, there may be an opportunity to position itself as a

regional centre suitable for government services. Future

investigation of opportunities should be undertaken

following completion of the prison redevelopment.

The future NBN network is seen as means for regional

areas to attract a higher proportion of technology and

media businesses. This, along with improvements to

the surrounding highway and rail infrastructure, can help

position the municipality as a potential location for ‘tree-

change’ professionals and small business.



• The majority of commercial activity in Ararat Rural City

occurs in the Ararat town centre.

• Data shows that there has been a relatively low level of

investment in commercial buildings in the past 5 years.

• Demand for an additional 676sqm of commercial

office space is expected by 2031. The majority

of floorspace demand will come from the ‘Public

Administration and Safety’ sector (53%) via the prison

redevelopment.

• Commercial activity in Ararat is relatively low with

minimal demand for professional services and

commercial land uses. As a result, opportunities for

growth are likely to come from technological and

infrastructure investments, or through identified major

projects.


4.5 Industrial Land Use

This section profiles industrial land use in the municipality.

Key drivers of industrial land demand are reviewed

alongside supply and demand assessment to understand

future land requirements for the municipality.





INDUSTRIAL DRIVERS

Future demand for industrial land will be driven by a

number of factors.

ORGANIC GROWTH

Organic growth, driven by population increase, will

increase the customer base for local services which

require industrial land (e.g. Automotive Repairs,

Construction etc.), as well as the employment base for

industrial businesses.

STRATEGIC BUSINESS ATTRACTION

The ability to attract large industrial businesses relates

to a municipality’s competitive advantages, such as

location, transport infrastructure (road and rail), and

industry strengths. The location of Ararat on the Western

Highway between Adelaide and Melbourne with good

road infrastructure and rail access, places the town

in a relatively strong position to attract large industrial

businesses or freight transfer/storage opportunities. The

municipality provides important access to the Port of

Portland, Port of Geelong and Port of Melbourne for

agricultural produce as highlighted in the Draft Central

Highlands RGP and recently released Victorian Freight

and Logistics Plan .

However, the strong competing supply of industrial land

in Ballarat, the low employment base, and fragmented

nature of industrial land, presently reduces the

attractiveness of Ararat for large new businesses. This is a

key issue that must be addressed.

PUBLIC INVESTMENT

Public investments can act as a major driver for industrial

activity. The proposed Western Highway duplication and

Ararat Bypass will improve travelling times in the region

(decreasing travelling time to Ballarat by 10-15 minutes)

and consolidate the position of Ararat as a regional centre

for business and trade.

MACRO-ECONOMIC TRENDS

There have been a number of structural changes in

the heavy and light industrial sectors in the last two

decades in Victoria. These changes include the focus

on higher value products and specialisations, emphasis

on co-location and clustering of industry, and changes

to development patterns. An important trend has been

the relocation of heavy industrial, low value added

manufacturing, and labour intensive processes away from

Australia.

For the municipality to ensure it remains competitive with

other regional industrial centres in attracting major users,

it is important that these macro-economic trends are

understood and addressed.

INDUSTRY SPECIALISATION

In order to examine likely demand for industrial land,

it is useful to understand the particular strengths and

specialisations of the municipality.

‘Shearing Services’ and ‘Sheep Farming’ are strong

agricultural industries employing a combined total of

263 employees. ‘Beef Cattle Farming’ and ‘Other Grain

Growing’ also have a strong presence in the municipality.

In respect to manufacturing, ‘Machinery and Equipment

Manufacturing’ is the dominant sub-industry which

employs 318 employees. This is largely concentrated

in two main businesses (Gason and Ames). Although

‘Food Product Manufacturing’ employs fewer workers

by proportion than regional Victoria, it still has a large

presence in Ararat Rural City employing 189 workers.

‘Construction Services’ and ‘Land Development and Site

Preparation Services’ are the dominant construction

sub industries in the municipality. The strength of ‘Non-

residential Building Construction’ is most likely associated

with the prison redevelopment project.


INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY

Allindustrialzonedlandinthemunicipalityislocated

withintheAraratTownship.Twozonessupportthe

majority of industrial activity, the Industrial 1 Zone (IN1Z)

and Industrial 3 Zone (IN3Z), with a small amount

of activity, mostly smaller agricultural services, also

occurring in the MUZ and B3Z. Lake Bolac also has a

smallindustrialestate(currentlyzonedTZ)locatedtothe

North East of the town. Additional industrial activities,

particularly those related to the agricultural sector, occur

throughout the municipality’s rural areas. Recent changes

to the Farming Zone (FZ) will broaden the range of land

uses that may be permitted in agricultural areas.

An analysis of industrial land supply levels in Ararat Rural

City has been prepared using the Spatial Economics

Industrial Land Review (undertaken in December 2012)

complemented by desktop analysis to provide an

assessment of industrial land consumption by industry

type.

The figure below shows the location of industrial land

in the Ararat Township highlighting the fragmentation

of industrial land, with industrial clusters scattered

throughoutthetownship.Eachareaofindustrialzoned

land is identified as a Cluster and summarised in Table

6. A full breakdown of the businesses in each Cluster



Key findings are as follows:

• There is a total available supply of 67ha of industrial

zonedlandinArarat.Ofthe67haavailable,34ha

is on one site reserved for future alternative energy

generation, leaving 33ha available for industrial

development in and around the township of Ararat.

• Of the 33ha of vacant industrial land in the township

of Ararat, 32ha of vacant land is IN1Z and only 1.3ha of

vacant land is IN3Z.

• There are a total of 29 vacant industrial allotments. Of

these, 21 allotments are less than 1ha in area and only

8 vacant allotments are over 1ha.

• The largest industry sectors in Ararat by land

consumption are food products (one large abattoir),

manufacturing, and construction.

Zone Cluster Zone

Area (ha)

Zoned

Land (ha)

Consumed

Land (ha)

Number

of Vacant

Lots

Sizeof

Vacant Lots

(ha)

IN1Z 1 31.98 26.45 14.49 2 11.96

2 6.12 6.1 5.6 2 0.5

3 21.48 10.8 3.48 19 7.32

4 0.67 0.21 0.21 0 0

5 16.4 13.22 8.72 1 4.5

6 3.73 2.9 2.9 0 0

7 25.44 15.9 8.3 2 7.6

8* 33.93 33.93 0 1 33.93

Total 139.75 109.51 43.7 27 65.81

IN3Z 9 15.1 7.56 7.56 0 0

10 1.32 1.32 1.32 0 0

11 4.1 3.1 1.77 2 1.33

Total 20.52 11.98 10.65 2 1.33

Total 160.27 121.49 54.35 29 67.14


* Note: Includes 34ha future alternative energy site and should not be considered as

supply.

TABLE6:INDUSTRIALLANDSUPPLYBYCLUSTER

•


Ararat: Existing Industrial Zones

BARKLY STREET

HIGH STREET

HARGREAVES STREET


CEM

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QU

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STR

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CAMPBELL ST

REET

WESTERN HIGHWAY

DOBIE ROAD

GORRIN CATTLE Y

WAR

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TKIN

RO

AD

WA R

RA YAD IN RO

AD

ANNYS LANE

BEV

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I DG

E S

TREE

T

LAMBER

T STR

EET

VINC

ENT

STRE

ET

ICKINSON ROAD

BELL

I NGH

AMS

HILL

ROA

D

BRITTANIA MINE ROAD

D

GE

OR

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RO

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GRANO STREET

0 1 2

kilometres

Industrial 1 Zone

Industrial 3 Zone

LEGEND

CLUSTER 1

CLUSTER 2

CLUSTER 3

CLUSTER 9

CLUSTER 6

CLUSTER 10

CLUSTER 4

CLUSTER 5

CLUSTER 8

CLUSTER 7

CLUSTER 11


BUILDING & SUBDIVISION APPROVALS

From 2006 to 2011 there was a total of 12 industrial

building approvals with a total value of $3.1 million

(average $522,000 per annum). Of these approvals, 7

were for warehouse construction, and the remaining 5 for

factory construction. There were no industrial approvals

between 2009 and 2011.

From July 2006 to December 2012 there were a total

of 17 industrial land subdivisions in the municipality of

Ararat. The majority of subdivisions resulted in industrial

allotments of less than 0.5ha in area.

There were 4 industrial development sites sold between

2007 and 2011 in Ararat. In 2010, the average price per

square metre for industrial land in the municipality was

approximately $112.

INDUSTRIAL DEMAND

Projections for future industrial land demand have been

prepared for three scenarios:

• HistoricalGrowthScenario: using the rate of industrial

land consumption of the past 5 years, it is expected

there would be enough demand for an additional

9.4ha of industrial land by 2031 (0.47ha per annum).

• OrganicGrowthScenario:projected organic growth

is relatively low due to Ararat’s low population growth,

ageing population and minimal growth in skilled

worker numbers, resulting in demand for 3.7ha of

industrial land by 2031 (0.19ha per annum).

• HighGrowthScenario: assumes that Ararat will attract

a number of major industrial users over the next 20

years. This would generate an extra 100 industrial jobs

on top of organic growth and increase demand for

5.9ha of industrial land by 2031 (0.30ha per annum).

FUTURE LAND REQUIREMENTS

The number of years supply is measured by dividing the

area of available supply by the average annual rate of

industrial land demand. It is important to note that the

34ha future Renewable Energy Park site (Cluster 8) has

not been included in this analysis due it is designation as a

specialist use.

The various assessments of industrial land demand

project a consumption rate of between 0.2 and 0.5ha

per annum over the next 20 years. At the upper end,

the available land supply comfortably has the capacity to

accommodate this demand over the next 20 years.

ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES

ISSUES

VacantLotSizeandConfiguration

It is important in planning for future industrial growth to

provideavarietyoflotsizestocaterfordifferentindustrial

types.

Although there are a number of larger industrially

zonedvacantsitesinArarat,somesitesmaybeheld

for expansion of existing businesses, and others have

significant constraints (access and vegetation) and may

not be developable without significant investment. It is

important that there is a sufficient supply of large strategic

sites available to prospective large businesses which may

seek locate in the town.

The current supply of small lots (less than 1ha) is

considered adequate to meet the needs of current and

future service industry businesses.

FragmentationofLand

Industrial land in Ararat is scattered in small clusters

throughout the town. This fragmentation of industrial

land has resulted in uncertainty over the role and function

of each industrial precinct with none having a clear

function within a clearly defined industrial land hierarchy.

CaledonianCourtSubdivision

Caledonian Court is a recent industrial subdivision

comprising 12 lots which are fully serviced with water,

power, sewage, and telecommunications. Although the

development has been on the market for over two years

most of the sites remain vacant. This demonstrates that

demand for this type of land is low at current market

prices.

OPPORTUNITIES

FutureUnzonedIndustrialLand

The current identified future industrial area in South

East Ararat provides a long term opportunity for future

industrial land supply. The area provides a number of

advantages; being adjacent to existing industrial areas,

requiring minimal expansion of water and sewerage

networks, and with access to the railway line. It provides

an opportunity to consolidate future industrial land to

the south east of the town and address the issue of

fragmentation of industrial clusters.

ProposedBypass

The possible alignment of the Ararat Bypass (currently to

the north of the town centre) may drive greater demand

for growth to the north of the town. Areas within close

proximity to the future Bypass, which have access to

the highway, will be an attractive location for industrial

activity.

In the event that the northern alignment of the Bypass

is confirmed, a land suitability assessment should be

undertaken to determine the appropriateness of the area

for industrial development.

It is important to note that the current industrial growth

area in south-east Ararat should still be viewed as the

preferred location for future industrial supply.

IndustrialPrecincts

Future consolidation of industrial land should seek to

create industrial precincts with clearly defined roles,

for example light industrial or specialist precincts. The

current fragmentation of industrial land in the municipality

prevents opportunities for efficiency gains through

agglomeration and economies of scale, as well as

knowledge sharing.




• Allindustrialzonedlandinthemunicipalityislocated

within the Ararat Township. Lake Bolac also has a

smallindustrialestate(currentlyzonedTZ)locatedto

the north-east of the town.

• The largest industry sectors in Ararat by land

consumption are food products (one large abattoir),

manufacturing, and construction.

• There is a total available supply of 67ha of industrial

zonedlandinArarat.Ofthe67haavailable,34ha

is on one site reserved for future alternative energy

generation, leaving 33ha available for industrial

development in and around the township of Ararat.

• At present, industrial land is scattered in small clusters

throughout the Ararat Township. This fragmentation

has resulted in uncertainty over the role and function

of each industrial precinct.

• An assessment of industrial land demand (based on

historical, organic and high growth scenarios) suggests

that available land supply comfortably has the capacity

to accommodate this demand over the next 20 years.

• For Ararat, future demand for industrial land will

be driven by a combination of factors including

organic growth, strategic business attraction, public

investment and macro-economic trends. Public

investments in particular can act as a major driver for

industrial activity, with the proposed Western Highway

duplication and Ararat Bypass set to improve travelling

times in the region.

• The current industrial growth area in south east Ararat

is still considered the preferred location for future

industrial supply in the municipality.

• Consideration must be given to ensuring the efficient

movement of freight vehicles (i.e. how access is

provided to the Western Highway and Mortlake-Ararat

Road) and minimising the potential impact of freight

movements on residential amenity.


4.6 Tourism

The following tourism opportunities have been developed

through a combination of previous recommendations,

including those made by the Stawell – Ararat – Halls Gap

Triangle Rural Zone Review (2012), as well as data taken

from the National Visitors Survey and the International

Visitors Survey. This section outlines some broad

strategic directions and opportunities for tourism in the

municipality.

Grampians Tourism is currently undertaking a Destination

Management Plan and Product Gap Analysis process

which will provide a more detailed analysis for tourism

opportunities in the region.

OPPORTUNITIES & STRATEGIES

NATURE BASED TOURISM

Ararat’s proximity to the Grampians National Park has

resulted in nature-based tourism growing considerably.

Tourism Victoria’s Regional Marketing and Development

Plan 2011-2012 for the Grampians recommends the

development of infrastructure such as walking and

bicycle trails to capitalise on the region’s natural assets.

Ararat is in a unique position to leverage nature based

tourism from the Grampians National Park. Strategies

identified in previous studies include:

• Promote nature based tourism in the Ararat Region,

including leveraging Ararat and other small towns as

key locations for Grampians National Park tourism.

• Undertake a product gap analysis, including

accommodation, activities and amenities to identify

areas in which investment is needed to enhance

nature based tourism in the Ararat Region as well as

identifying ancillary uses to compliment nature based

tourism.

• Identify priority projects and marketing initiatives to

support increased visitation and private investment.

WINERIES

Ararat region is home to numerous wineries. There are

twenty-four wineries in the region, generally clustered

around Ararat and Great Western. The majority of these

have cellar door operations. Strategies identified in

previous studies include:

• Undertake a wineries assessment and promote inter

regional relationships to establish a regional marketing

strategy for the promotion of wine experiences and

product on offer.

• Promote the establishment of a wineries touring route,

focusing on wineries with cellar door operations and

wine unique to the Ararat region.

ACCOMMODATION

Data from the National Visitors Survey indicates that over

the ten year period from 2003 to 2012, a high proportion

of domestic overnight visitors to the Ararat region were

staying at a friend’s or relatives property, followed by a

standard hotel or motor inn and camping/caravan parks.

A previous assessment of visitor accommodation in

the Ararat and the Eastern Grampians indicates a gap

in relation to large accommodation establishments.

This accommodation type caters to the coach group,

conference, meetings and conventions and education

group markets. Strategies identified in previous studies

include:

• Undertake a detailed accommodation gap analysis

(this can be undertaken in relation to previous

strategies) to indicate gaps in accommodation types,

locations and in relation to key tourism products/

experiences.

• Encourage and support development which addresses

the identified gaps in the accommodation offering in

Ararat.

EATERIES

Eateries can enhance the visitor experience by providing

a complimentary service to other tourism products and

enhance the overall visitor experience and continued

viability of tourism product. The Business Confidence

Survey highlighted the need for Ararat in particular to

enhance the type and location of eateries on offer.

Strategies identified in previous studies include:

• Encourage and support the establishment of cafés

and/or restaurants within or adjacent to existing

townships to support economic activity and access to

services in the settlements.

• Promote consistent opening hours for existing

businesses, especially during holiday periods and

promote the pursuance of quality service across the

region to cater for visitors.

ADVENTURE BASED TOURISM

Leveraging from Ararat’s position relative to the

Grampians National Park, there is potential for the

promotion of adventure based tourism that may appeal

to broad or specific activity based markets. Strategies

identified in previous studies include:

• Encourage the establishment of adventure tourism

operations within the Ararat Region, to complement

the region’s product strength and improve tourist

offering and yield.

• Investigate the development of an off-road bike track/

bicycle trail and associated supporting infrastructure

(e.g. water stations, shade, rubbish bins) linking the key

townships and attractions within the region.


SELECT TOWNSHIPS TOURISM OFFER

ARARAT

Ararat has a rich legacy of historic buildings that reflect

its diverse cultural heritage. It is unique in that the

discovery of gold by Chinese miners in 1857 led to the

establishment and growth of the township. The Gum

Sam Chinese Heritage Centre, designed in the traditional

style of southern Chinese architecture, celebrates Ararat’s

Chinese heritage. Other significant heritage attractions

include the Langi Morgala Museum, J-Ward Gaol, and art

deco architecture visible on the main shopping strip.

Ararat Township is positioned as a gateway to the

Grampians. The scenic route from Ararat through to the

Grampians can be promoted by using better signage and

increasing the visibility from the highway.

The township would also benefit from longer stopovers

by visitors, enabling expenditure to be increased. This can

be achieved by promoting and enhancing the heritage

of the town including the building façades. Investment

in cafés and restaurants can generate longer stopover

visitors, providing vistas to the town’s heritage elements.

There is ample visitor accommodation in Ararat Township

which experiences relatively low vacancy rates; however

accommodation stock is largely 3 star motels with

little provision for other market segments, such as

backpackers, professionals or high end visitors.

There are numerous wineries in the Ararat region. Winery

tourism could be uplifted by promoting the wineries

in the Ararat Township. This can be achieved through

a marketing campaign, advertising in local cafés and

restaurants or by having a cellar door type operation in

town for particular winery/wineries.

POMONAL

Pomonal is strategically located at the foothills of the

Grampians. It has some high end accommodation,

including luxury retreat cottages and villas.

The settlement is also uniquely located a similar distance

from both Ararat and Stawell, providing the possibility

to capture overnight visitors looking for more high end,

retreat style accommodation.

Pomonal is located close to Lake Fyans, providing the

opportunity to service visitors looking for water based

activities, such as boating and fishing, as well as providing

accommodation for this market.

MOYSTON

Moyston is also located near the foothills of the

Grampians, however less opportunity for tourism growth

exists. The more open and less vegetated setting of

Moyston may be perceived to present a less appealing

visitor and lifestyle location compared with Pomonal.

There may be some opportunity to provide

accommodation that caters to the link between Ararat

and the Grampians.

LAKE BOLAC

The township of Lake Bolac is advantageously located

near the edge of Lake Bolac itself at the intersection

of the Glenelg and Pyrenees Highways. This promotes

visitation during the summer months to undertake water

based activities and during March for the duck shooting

season. However, in times of drought Lake Bolac has

suffered reduced visitation due to a lack of water.

The township also has a golf course, which is beneficial in

promoting activity based tourism.

The annual Lake Bolac Eel Festival held in late March is a

community music and arts festival which was inspired by

the fact that Lake Bolac was a traditional gathering place

for the indigenous population. The festival attracts over

1,000 people and is a significant event on the tourism

calendar for the region.



• Ararat’s proximity to the Grampians National Park has

resulted in nature-based tourism growing considerably.

The municipality is in a unique position to capitalise on

its surrounding natural assets.

• The municipality has a rich legacy of historic buildings

that reflect its diverse cultural heritage. Ararat is

the only township in Australia to be founded by the

Chinese.

• There are numerous wineries in the Ararat region

and wine tourism has been identified as a growing

opportunity.

• Previous assessment of visitor accommodation in the

region has identified a gap in accommodation options,

particularly in higher quality establishments and budget

accommodation providers.

• The townships of Ararat, Pomonal, Moyston and

Lake Bolac have been identified as key settlements to

support tourism growth.

• The forthcoming Destination Management Plan and

Product Gap Analysis being undertaken by Grampians

Tourism will provide an opportunity to strategically

address some of the tourism issues and gaps identified

in the region.


4.7 Critical Considerations

An analysis of supply and demand drivers and

opportunities, as well as future directions for the

municipality, cannot be completed without an

assessment of several critical factors which will

influence future growth. These critical considerations

include infrastructure (including current and expected

provision), environmental features or constraints, and the

assessmentofhazardsandrisk.

INFRASTRUCTURE

This section explores current capacity and future

requirements of infrastructure and services. Information

has been sourced from discussions with Council staff and

key utility providers, and supplemented by findings from

the Central Highlands Region Infrastructure Study (2013)

prepared by Paroissien Grant and Associates Pty Ltd (PGA)

Consulting Engineers and Surveyors as input into the

Draft Central Highlands RGP.

ACCESS AND TRANSPORT

Transport in the municipality is heavily focused around

the Western Highway and the rail corridor linking Ararat to

metropolitan Melbourne. Rail and road networks service

both freight and passenger requirements and are crucial

to the local economy. The Mortlake-Ararat Road also

plays an important role as a key north-south transport and

tourist route.

Ararat is located on the nationally significant Principal

Freight Network (both road and rail) which provides

important freight access to the Port of Portland, Port of

Geelong and Port of Melbourne for agricultural produce

and other products. As such, Ararat and other small towns

provide a vital role in supporting and servicing these

important freight links.

Region-wide and inter-regional transport systems

and infrastructure are considered in the Draft Central

Highlands RGP and recently released Victorian Freight

and Logistics Plan which identifies Ararat as a key location

on the National Land Transport Network. However,

local transport between townships and internal access

opportunities must be addressed at a municipal level.

Urban design and place-based integration of transport

with land use is the role of local government and a critical

facilitator in supporting growth. Consideration must

be given to ensuring the efficient movement of freight

vehicles and minimising the potential impact of freight

movements on residential amenity.

Further analysis of the impact of freight on municipal

roads and the future impact of major road projects, such

as the Western Highway duplication and potential Ararat

Bypass should be undertaken in the short to medium

term, including an analysis of the benefits that these

major road projects will provide to the amenity, livability

and attractiveness of these townships, through the

reduction in heavy vehicle traffic.

Active lifestyles should be promoted through continuous

streetscape improvements and expansion of the

pedestrian and cycle path network. A new study titled

‘Ararat On The Move’ is being undertaken by Ararat Rural

City Council in 2014 to identify further opportunities to

encourage walking, cycling and sustainable transport

behaviours.

The Ararat Retail Strategy & Streetscape Report

(2007), prepared by Village Well in 2007, highlights the

importance of creating pedestrian friendly environments

to support retail vibrancy and active lifestyles.

WATER, ENERGY AND UTILITIES

WaterSupply

The availability of water in Ararat is dependent on rainfall

within the catchment. As such climate change is likely to

remain a key challenge for the municipality. During the

recent drought period from 1997 to 2008, Stage 4 water

restrictions were imposed on the entire service area of

GWM Water until 2009. Another similar drought period

could result in the reintroduction of water restrictions that

affect outdoor and recreational use.

Water security is an important issue for future economic

growth. Supply restrictions and constraints can have a

negative impact on business confidence, commercial

investment and population growth. The sustainable

and safe use of recycled water should continue to

be encouraged in line with the recommendations of

Council’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2010-

2020.

WaterTreatmentPlant(Potable)

Discussions with GWM Water indicate that the Ararat

water treatment plant has sufficient capacity to

accommodate anticipated growth. It is possible to expand

or upgrade the reticulated water distribution system to

meet the growth needs when and where required, except

for commercial or industrial developments involving

intensive water use. Some upgrading of distribution

mainstoincreasesizemayberequireddependingon

demand.

Major development to the north and east of Ararat would

require a servicing strategy to assess needs, staging and

impacts on the existing network.

Sewerage

Consultation with GWM Water highlighted that the

sewerage system in Ararat has some capacity issues.

Previous studies have revealed that some of the

sewer trunk mains require augmentation. The ageing

wastewater treatment plant will also need upgrades in the

near future. There are no major constraints in servicing

infill or contiguous residential growth within the R1Z areas

except the Green Hill Lake development.

Extension of reticulated sewerage infrastructure to service

the Green Hill Lake development and any other future

residentialzonesbeyondthecurrentR1Zmayrequire

new enabling infrastructure such as new pump stations

and rising mains, duplication of gravity mains or even a

new treatment plant. Indicative costs will depend on the

location and extent of service required, however this type

of trunk or enabling infrastructure is costly and would

require a substantial number of new lots constructed

in order to spread the costs and support development

viability.

Power

The Central Highlands Region Infrastructure Study (2013)

found that existing electricity infrastructure has sufficient

capacity to accommodate demand generated by new


urban development in most of the region’s settlements.

Larger settlements generally have greater network

capacityduetothepresenceofazonesub-stationsand

higher voltage feeder lines.

Gas

The availability of reliable and cost effective energy is

critical for business, particularly for energy intensive types

of industry. Economic development may be constrained

by a lack of access to reticulated natural gas, as is the

case in some pockets of industrial land within Ararat.

Network expansion should be considered in further detail

in the short to medium term

Telecommunications

The rollout of the National Broadband Network will

be important to enhance the connectivity of the

region. Land use and infrastructure planning for the

municipality should seek to take advantage of enhanced

telecommunications.

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Social infrastructure planning is important for building

strong and healthy communities. The liveability of Ararat

and its small towns is founded in its natural features,

history, streetscape, recreational facilities and health

services, and it is essential that these are strengthened

and developed to support and encourage growth.

As the region grows, it will be necessary to make best

use of existing infrastructure capacity and ensure new

infrastructure and services are strategically planned and

developed in a timely manner.

ENVIRONMENT & HERITAGE

The municipality and surrounds features rich and diverse

environmental, landscape and heritage assets. As

recognised by the Draft Central Highlands RGP, these

assets are critical to the region’s economy, attractiveness

and liveability. Key assets include:

• Native grasslands

• Extensive water catchments

• National and state parks and state forests, including

the Grampians, Mount Buangor and Mount Cole

• Wetlands, rivers and lakes.

These assets shape the region’s biodiversity and natural

systems by providing important habitat for flora and

fauna and must be considered when assessing future

development proposals, particularly in the rural areas.

NATURAL AND HUMAN-INDUCED HAZARDS

There will be continued demand for urban and rural

residential development in the region, especially in areas

of high amenity and natural value with good quality

access to metropolitan Melbourne. Balancing these

pressuresalongwiththenaturalhazardsassociatedwith

these areas, such as bushfires, flooding and drought,

is a key challenge for the municipality and must be

considered through detailed localised planning into the

future.

FLOODING

Some of the townships in the Ararat municipality are

particularly susceptible to flood risk (e.g. Hopkins River,

Mt Cole Creek, Mt William Creek, Wimmera River). The

riskspresentedtolandusefromfloodinghazardsmust

be considered in strategic and statutory planning decision

making. These decisions should be based on the best

qualityinformationonfloodinghazardstominimisethe

risk to life, property, infrastructure and environmental

assets. In this regard, accurate flood mapping is critical.

There is a need for flood investigation studies to be

undertaken and implemented for key settlements.

BUSHFIRE

The Central Highlands region is characterised by

significantbushfirehazardareasthatintersectwith

settlements and areas that are experiencing rural

residential and tourism expansion. The Grampians and

surrounding areas have been affected by two major

bushfires within the last decade.

Regionalandlocalisedplanningconsiderbushfirehazard

in detail, with the assistance of planning tools, such as the

Bushfire Management Overlay, Regional Bushfire Planning

Assessments and Bushfire Prone Areas, as well as input

from key stakeholders such as the Country Fire Authority.

Some of the settlements identified for focused growth

occurinareaswithbushfirehazard,forexample

Pomonal, Moyston Buangor and Ararat. Localised

planningdecisionsmustconsiderthesehazardsinmore

detail.

When addressing bushfire risk, community resilience to

bushfire will be strengthened by:

• Prioritising the protection of human life over other

policy considerations when planning to create or

expand settlement at risk from bushfire

• Applying a precautionary approach to planning and

decision making when assessing the risk to life,

property and community infrastructure from bushfire

• Taking advantage of existing settlement patterns where

new development will not expose the community to

increased risk from bushfire.

• Support growth where bushfire risk can be managed

and community infrastructure and resilience is

provided.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change and short-term seasonal climate

variability will present risks to the municipality’s natural

environments and agricultural systems, along with

potential economic diversification opportunities. Risks

include an increase in the frequency and severity of

natural events, such as bushfires, storms, flooding, and

drought. The increased risk of bushfire is especially

relevant to the Grampians region and is likely to have

implications for the tourism industry and cultural heritage

assets.

Nevertheless, climate variation may create opportunities

through the diversification of agricultural production and

the creation of new industries within the region.

More information is needed on the likely impacts of

climate change on specific industries across the region

and the opportunities that may arise from these changes.

This will assist with strategic land use planning, including

considerationofanypotentialincreaseinnaturalhazards

to settlements and the future refinement of and planning

for economic development opportunities within the

region.

Some agencies, such as the Catchment Management

Authorities (CMA), are developing climate change

adaptation plans and carbon action plans.

CONTAMINATED LAND

Contaminated sites may pose immediate or longer-term

risks to human health and the environment, depending

on the type and extent of the contamination and the

proposed future use.

Little is known about the extent of land contamination

within the municipality, although some sites have been

identified in the Ararat Township (e.g. the former Prestige

Factory), Willaura and Lake Bolac. The potential for

contamination will need to be considered as sites are

developed (either through urban expansion or infill),

particularly for sensitive uses such as residential.




• Urban design and the integration of transport and land

use planning are important roles of local government

and are critical to supporting population growth and

economic investment.

• The creation of pedestrian friendly environments will

support retail vibrancy and improve local transport

options to promote connectedness, accessibility and

support an ageing population.

• Further analysis of the impact of freight on municipal

roads and future impact of major road projects (e.g..

Ararat Bypass, Western Highway duplication) should be

undertaken in the short to medium term.

• Water security is an important issue for future

economic growth. Water supply constraints can

have a negative impact on business confidence,

commercial investment and population growth.

• The Ararat Wastewater Treatment Plant has sufficient

capacity to accommodate anticipated growth. It

is possible to expand or upgrade the reticulated

water distribution system to meet the growth needs

when and where required, except for commercial or

industrial developments involving intensive water use.

• The capacity of the existing sewerage infrastructure

is not a constraint to future residential growth within

currentlyzonedR1Zareas,withtheexceptionofthe

recentlyzonedGreenHillLakedevelopment.

• Extension of sewerage beyond the existing developed

area (e.g. to the Green Hill Lake Precinct) may require

costly new infrastructure such as new pump stations

and rising mains, duplication of gravity mains or even a

new treatment plant.

• The rollout of the National Broadband Network will

be important to enhance the connectivity of the

region. Land use and infrastructure planning for

the municipality should seek to take advantage of

enhanced telecommunications.

• Social infrastructure planning is important for building

strong and healthy communities. As the region

grows, it will be necessary to make best use of existing

infrastructure capacity and ensure new infrastructure

and services are strategically planned and developed

in a timely manner.

• There will be continued demand for urban and rural

residential development in the region, in areas of high

amenity and natural value with good quality access to

metropolitan Melbourne. Balancing these pressures

alongwiththenaturalhazardsassociatedwiththese

areas, such as bushfires, flooding and drought, is a key

challenge for the municipality.

• The potential for contamination will need to be

considered as brownfield sites are developed (either

through urban expansion or infill), particularly for

sensitive uses such as residential.


Chapter 5.SustainableGrowthPlan


5.1 Introduction

This section outlines a Sustainable Growth Plan for

the municipality. It provides a vision and principles for

growth, strategic directions and proposes a settlement

hierarchy.

5.2 Draft Vision

AraratRuralCitywillofferahighqualitylifestyleanddiverseeconomythatsupportlongtermsustainablepopulationgrowth,economicprosperityandwellbeing.

Theoutstandingnatural,landscapeandculturalheritageassetsonoffer,combinedwithexcellenteducation,healthandcommunityservices,willattractspecialistworkers,retirees,‘treechangers’,andcommuters.

Itsstrategiclocationonnationalhighwayandrailfreightnetworks,andgatewayrolefortheGrampianstourismandwineregion,willprovideafoundationforgrowthinsectorsasdiverseasagriculture,manufacturing,transport,renewableenergy,tourismandaccommodation.

Araratwillcontinuetoserveasamajorregionalservicehubandaccommodatethemajorityofresidentialandbusinessgrowth.LakeBolacandWillaurawillcontinuetoactasmunicipalservicecentresduetheirexistingphysicalandsocialinfrastructure,includingreticulatedsewerage.

GrowthwillalsobeencouragedinMoyston,PomonalandElmhurstreflectingtheirproximitytoArarat,naturalassetsandabilitytoofferahighqualityruralresidentiallifestyle.

Othersettlementsinthenetworkwillexperienceorganicgrowthconsistentwiththeirenvironmentalcapacityandabilitytomitigatehazards,includingbushfire.

5.3 Principles

GROWTH FRAMEWORK PRINCIPLES

• ReinforcetheprimaryroleofAraratasthekeybusiness,serviceandlifestyleandtourismcentreforthemunicipalityandthewesternpartoftheCentralHighlandsRegion.

• SupportacohesiverelationshipbetweenAraratandStawellintheprovisionofservices,housingandemployment.

• Supportthesustainablegrowthandincrementalchangeofsmalltownsandruralsettlements.

• Diversifythelocaleconomy,particularlythroughlocalindustriesandbusiness.

• Strengthenliveabilityandcharacter.

• Protectandenhanceenvironmentalandlandscapevalues.

• Optimiseaccesstoexistinginfrastructureandservices.

• Directsettlementgrowthanddevelopmenttolocationsoflowernaturalhazardrisk(i.e.bushfireandflood)andcarefullyconsiderdevelopmentinlocationswherethereisasignificantriskthatcannotbe avoided.

• Minimiseriskstolife,propertyandbuiltassets.


5.4 Directions & Policy Responses

RESIDENTIAL

• Supportthedevelopmentofdiversehousingtypes

(including 1-2 bedroom dwellings) in close proximity

to retail, community infrastructure and public transport

nodes.

• Encourageinfilldevelopmentwithintownship

boundaries identified in adopted Framework Plans.

• Supportresidentialdevelopmentinareasservicedby

reticulated water and sewerage.

• Encouragetheincorporationofuniversaland

environmental sustainable design principles into new

residential development.

• ContinuetoapplytheTownshipZoneinsmaller

settlements where land use flexibility is desirable and

projected growth is limited.

RURAL-RESIDENTIAL

• Planforruralresidentialandlowdensityresidential

development in an integrated manner through

settlement planning that takes into account land

capability,naturalassetsandhazards,locational

suitability, existing and likely future land demand/

supply and the efficient provision of services and

infrastructure.

• Ensure residential growth occurs in areas where it will

not impact on agricultural viability of the land, and

supports the organic growth of Ararat.

• Encourage the use of land, particularly underutilised

or transitional land, for urban agriculture/ community

garden projects.

• LimittherezoningofadditionallandtoRuralLiving

Zone in the short term, except for the purpose of

addressingzoneanomaliesortownshipinterface

issues.

NON-RESIDENTIAL

RETAIL

• ReinforcetheroleoftheAraratTownshipasthe

key retail centre of the Rural City and support

consolidation of the retail/commercial core.

• Encouragetheprovisionofretaildevelopmentin

accordance with adopted settlement Framework

Plans.

COMMERCIAL

• Encouragetheestablishmentofnewbusinessesina

manner that supports the settlement hierarchy.

• Ensurecommerciallandsupplyissufficienttoallow

for 15 years of organic growth at the historical growth

scenario as a minimum.

• Providecommerciallandsupplyinareassurrounding

the commercial core of existing town centres and

transport nodes.

INDUSTRIAL

• Provideindustrialandemploymentopportunitiesto

support population growth and reduce reliance on

commuting.

• Reinforce the role of the Ararat Township as the major

industrial centre of the Rural City given the existing

land supply, proximity to population and commercial

centres, and the presence of major industries and

businesses.

• Ensuresufficientindustriallandisavailablefor

expansion of agricultural support and value-add

industries.

• Ensureindustriallandsupplyissufficienttoallowfor

15 years of organic growth at the moderate growth

scenario as a minimum.

• Direct industrial development to areas that have good

access to arterial roads to support efficient movement

and to minimise the potential impact of freight

vehicles on residential amenity.

• Discouragetheencroachmentofsensitivelanduses

in close proximity to industrial uses particularly where

industrial noise, odour, lighting and truck movements

may cause amenity concerns.

TOURISM

• Supportthewesterntownshipsasthegatewaytothe

Grampians National Park.

• Encourageandpromotethedevelopmentofthelocal

tourism sector.

• Supportthedevelopmentoftourisminfrastructure

and accommodation capable of attracting year round

visitation in appropriate locations.

• Strengthentourismlinkswithadjoiningmunicipalities.

• Promote the establishment of farmer’s markets and

the purchasing of local food and other products.

INFRASTRUCTURE

• Directresidentialandnon-residentialgrowthto

settlements serviced by reticulated water and

sewerage.

• Ensurethatnewdevelopmentinsettlementswith

reticulated infrastructure constraints does not result

in the overburden existing services, or adverse

environmental impacts.

• Advocateforandfacilitatetheprovisionof

infrastructure required to support the development

of business and industry, including water,

telecommunications, energy and waste systems.

• Requirenewruralresidentialandlowdensity

residential developments to connect to reticulated

sewerage systems.

• Continuetopursuefurtherrenewableenergyand

related industry opportunities.

• Encourage the sustainable and safe use of recycled

water.

• Direct residential and non-residential growth to

locations where appropriate transport infrastructure

and services are available.

• Consider the transportation needs of an ageing

population including recognition of the need for

innovative and cost-efficient responses where demand

is relatively low.

• Continue to promote walkability and encourage

active lifestyles through continuous streetscape

improvements and expansion of the pedestrian and

cycle path network.


5.5 Settlement Hierarchy

The following settlement hierarchy has been prepared

to reflect the strategic growth priorities to be applied at a

municipal level to the towns and settlements of the Rural

City of Ararat.

The hierarchy has been informed by the Draft Central

Highlands Regional Growth Strategy, which designates

Ararat as a ‘Regional Centre’ and Willaura and Lake Bolac

as important ‘Small Towns’. These two small towns are

important from a regional perspective because of the

availability of reticulated sewerage.

TOWNSHIP ROLE TYPICAL UTILITIES & SERVICES SETTLEMENT

MUNICIPAL CENTRES

Municipal Centres are the dominant residential, commercial and retail nodes

within municipalities. They support large and diverse populations, housed in

a variety of dwelling types including specialist forms. They provide access to

all levels of education as well as a range of health, recreational and cultural

opportunities. Municipal Centres are connected to all essential utility services and

are serviced by public transport, possessing strong relationships with surrounding

settlements of all types.

UTILITIES:

Reticulated Water

Sewerage

Electricity

Gas

SERVICES:

Post Office, Ambulance, Police Station, CFA, Medical facilities,

Local government offices, Accommodation, Primary / secondary /

tertiary education

Ararat

SMALL TOWNS

Small Towns provide access to a limited range essential education and health

services for a rural hinterland and contain a small retail centre. They may be

connected to both reticulated water and sewer services and usually have strong

relationships with larger settlements nearby.

UTILITIES:

Reticulated Water

Sewerage

Electricity

SERVICES:

Post Office, General Store, CFA, Police Station, Primary School

Lake Bolac

Willaura

RURAL VILLAGES

Rural Villages support small populations and provide a focal point for the

surrounding rural community. Access to services such as education and retail are

available and connections to reticulated water vary.

UTILITIES:

Electricity

Reticulated Water (in some cases)

SERVICES:

General Store, CFA, Primary School, Accommodation

Buangor

Elmhurst

Moyston

Pomonal

RURAL LOCALITY

A Rural Locality comprises a cluster of housing located on smaller than average

ruralsizedallotmentswithinnon-urbanzones.Reticulatedwaterand/orsewer

are generally not available. Limited services are located within the settlement itself

; these may be limited to a pub or small general store.

UTILITIES:

Electricity

SERVICES:

General Store

Maroona

Mininera

Streatham

Tatyoon

Westmere

Wickliffe


Chapter 6.AraratinFuture


6.1 Introduction

Ararat is the largest settlement in the Rural City of Ararat,

with a population of approximately 7,500. It is located

205km north-west of Melbourne and approximately

100km from Ballarat. The majority of the municipality’s

population resides within Ararat, which acts as the main

residential, service and business centre in the municipality.

Ararat is located between the Grampians Ranges and the

Pyrenees Ranges, in close proximity to the Ararat Hills

Regional Park, Mt Langi Ghiran and Mt Cole.

6.2 Existing Infrastructure

UTILITIES

• Water

• Sewerage

• NaturalGas

COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE & FACILITIES

Ararat provides a full range of regional shopping, health,

community, education and recreation facilities. Ararat

is well serviced by intercity transport, including train

connections to Ballarat, Adelaide and Melbourne and

coach services to regional towns (Ouyen, Warracknabeal,

Stawell, Halls Gap, Horsham, Dimboola, Nhill, Dunkeld

and Warrnambool). Within Ararat itself, a network of

three local buses (Ararat West, Ararat South and Ararat

North) provides good coverage and regular services

from Monday through to Saturday. All V/Line and local

bus services converge at Ararat Railway Station. This is

an important attribute of Ararat’s role in the settlement

hierarchy as a regional/municipal centre.

6.3 Settlement Role

Ararat has been identified as a MunicipalCentre.

Municipal Centres are the dominant residential,

commercial and retail nodes within municipalities. They

support large and diverse populations, housed in a variety

of dwelling types including specialist forms. They provide

access to all levels of education as well as a range of

health, recreational and cultural opportunities. Municipal

Centres are connected to all essential utility services

and are serviced by public transport, possessing strong

relationships with surrounding settlements of all types.

6.4 Current Strategic Direction

The Ararat Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) seeks

to encourage Ararat to develop as the major residential,

service and business centre in the municipality.

Specific strategies include:

• Directnewdevelopmenttogrowthareastothenorth-

west and north of the town.

• Provideopportunitiesforrurallivingtotheeastand

north of the town.

• Provideforarangeofresidential,commercial,

industrial and other land uses that complement the

former Aradale site.

• EnsurethatdevelopmentaroundGreenHillLakeis

sympathetic to the natural environment.

Furthermore, the MSS seeks to promote and enhance

Ararat as a key location for additional manufacturing and

industrial establishments.

The existing Ararat Framework Plans (Outer City, and

Inner City) are shown on the following pages.

Ararat


Ararat: Existing Framework Plan (Outer City)


Ararat: Existing Framework Plan (Inner City)


6.5 Issues, Opportunities & Constraints

The following issues, opportunities and constraints have

been identified through consultation with the community

and key stakeholders, and supplemented by additional

research. Existing constraints, in particular overlay

controls, are illustrated in the existing constraints map that

follows.

ISSUES

• Ararathasdifficultyattractingnewbusinesses,

particularly larger operations, due to competition from

nearby regional centres (i.e. Ballarat, Horsham).

• Anageingpopulationandlimitedmigrationtothe

region are driving a shortage of skilled workers.

• ItiscommonforyoungpeopletoleaveAraratto

attend university in Ballarat or Melbourne and not

return due to a lack of opportunities for qualified

professionals.

• CommercialactivityinAraratisrelativelylowwith

minimal demand for professional services and

commercial land uses.

• ExtensiveareasofArarat(particularlytothesouth

and west of the town) are bushfire prone and subject

to the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO). Fire

authorities have assessed Ararat as having an ‘extreme’

fire risk.

• Climatechangeremainsakeychallengeforthe

municipality. The availability of water in Ararat is

dependent on rainfall in the catchment. Water security

is an important issue for future economic growth.

• TheseweragesysteminArarathassomecapacity

issues. Previous studies have revealed that some of the

sewer trunk mains require augmentation. The ageing

wastewater treatment plant will also need upgrades

in the near future. These are not major constraints in

enabling infill or contiguous residential growth within

the R1Z areas except the Green Hill Lake development.

Extension of sewerage outside this area may require

costly new infrastructure such as new pump stations

and rising mains, duplication of gravity mains or even

a new treatment plant. Indicative costs will depend on

the location and extent of service required.

• Industriallandisscatteredthroughoutsmallclusters

around the town. This fragmentation drives

uncertainty over the role and function of each

particular industrial area and results in an absence of a

clearly defined industrial land hierarchy.

• HeavyvehicletrafficwithinAraratcanhaveanegative

effect the amenity of the township.

• Theexistingrailwaylevelcrossingislocatedonthe

major highway, contributing to delays and heavy traffic

within the township.

OPPORTUNITIES

• The proximity and interdependent relationship

between Stawell and Ararat mean that they can

provide a wide range of services, jobs and housing for

each other. Planning should consider these centres

collectively as a significant focus for population,

employment and investment in this sub-region1.

• It is envisaged that the majority of residential growth

across the municipality will be located in the township

of Ararat. There is an abundance of available lots in the

townshipwiththerecentrezoning(AmendmentC19)

and infill opportunities.

• The moderate level of growth expected in Ararat

is not likely to have a significant impact on existing

transport infrastructure and services. It is considered

that future residential development within Ararat,

as well as the smaller towns, will help to optimise

utilisation of existing transport services, providing

opportunities to improve the frequency of services and

expansion of routes over time as patronage increases

and new residential areas are established. Council

is to undertake a review of its ‘Disability Access and

Inclusion Plan’ in 2014.

1 Draft Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan, 2013

• ThefutureNBNnetwork,alongwithimprovements

to the surrounding highway and rail infrastructure,

position Ararat as a potential location for ‘tree-change’

professionals and small business.

• Opportunitytoleverageoffexistingservicesandsocial

infrastructure (e.g. health, education, recreation) to

attract future growth and employment.

• TheaspirationforafuturebypassofAraratmaydrive

greater demand for industrial growth, particularly to

the north of the township.

• Inplanningforthehighestgrowthscenario,thereare

sufficient conventional residential lots to support in

excess of 25 years of demand, and sufficient supply of

rural residential lots to support 17 years of demand.

• TheformerPrestigeFactory,behindthehospital

provides a possible strategic development site.

However, there may be asbestos decontamination

issues associated with the site.

• The former Aradale site provides a significant strategic

development opportunity.

• Opportunitytocontinuetoutilisewastewaterasa

resource.

• Expansionoffreightincludingapossiblenewfreight

centre in close proximity the future Ararat Bypass.

• Opportunity exists to explore the potential for more

residential/commercial development around the

railway station.

VALUES & CONSTRAINTS

There are a number of environmental and heritage

values and constraints that need to be considered when

planning for the future of Ararat. These are illustrated on

the map on the following page and include:

• Extensiveareastothenorth-westofArarataresubject

to the Wildfire Management Overlay (WMO) and

draft Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO). A portion

of land to the north-east (around Flint Hill Reserve)

is also affected by the draft Bushfire Management

Overlay (BMO). These are areas that have the highest

bushfire risk and are likely to be particularly exposed

to the impact of bushfire. The suitability of new

development in these areas must be fully considered

before it proceeds, and appropriate bushfire protection

measures will be required.

• Severallotswithinthetownshiparecoveredbya

Heritage Overlay (HO). The purpose of the HO is to

conserve and enhance heritage places of natural or

cultural significance.

• TheVegetationProtectionOverlay(Schedule1)covers

significant areas of land to the north-west of the

township, as well as a small portion of land to the east.

The purpose of VPO1 is to protect areas of significant

remnant vegetation.

• TheVegetationProtectionOverlay(Schedule2)

applies to some main roads leading into Ararat. The

purpose of VPO2 is to protect areas of significant

remnant vegetation located along roadsides.

• TheGreenHillLakeiscoveredbyanEnvironmental

Significance Overlay (Schedule 2). The purpose of

ESO2 is to protect watercourses, water-bodies and

wetlands from inappropriate development and to

ensure that that they are retained as a natural asset.

• Somelotswithinthetownship(suchastheformer

prestige factory site) are covered by an Environmental

Audit Overlay (EAO). The purpose of the EAO is to

ensure that potentially contaminated land is suitable

for a use which could be significantly adversely

affected by any contamination.

• Anumberofareasontheoutskirtsofthetownship

of Ararat have been identified as ‘Areas of Cultural

Heritage Sensitivity’. These areas include landforms

and waterways/ waterbodies that are regarded as

likely to contain sites of Aboriginal cultural heritage

significance.

Ararat


Ararat: Values & Constraints Map

MAR

GARET STREET

BARKLY STREET

HIGH STREET

HARGREAVES STREET


CEM

ETE

RY L

ANE

QU

EEN

STR

EET

CAMPBELL ST

REET

WESTERN HIGHWAY

DOBIE ROAD

GORRIN CATTLE Y

WAR

RAYA

TKIN

RO

AD

WA R

RA YAD IN RO

AD

ANNYS LANE

BEV

ER

I DG

E S

TREE

T

LAMBER

T STR

EET

PRIN

CES

STR

EET

VINC

ENT

STRE

ET

MAU

DE

STR

EET

ICKINSON ROAD

BELL

I NGH

AMS

HILL

ROA

D

BRITTANIA MINE ROAD

GO

RD

ON

STR

E ET

D

GE

OR

GE

RO

AD

GRANO STREET

0 1 2

kilometres

N

Planning Scheme Overlays

LEGEND

Watercourses

Waterbodies

Contours

Draft Bushfire Management Overlay

Heritage Overlay

Vegetation Protection Overlay

Wildfire Management Overlay

Environmental Significance Overlay

Environmental Audit Overlay

Other Values/ Constraints

Areas of Cultural Heritage Sensitivity

AraratRacecourse

AraratRacecourse


Alexandra Gardens Park


HospitalHospital

TownHall

TownHall

Aradale/ Aradale Golf Course


PrisonPrison

AbattoirAbattoir

WaterTreatment Plant


Reservoir Reservoir

Renewable Energy ParkRenewable

Energy Park

AerodromeAerodrome


6.6 Future Growth Recommendations

This section provides recommendations for how to

manage, support and encourage sustainable growth in

the Ararat Township. Some of these recommendations

are strategic, for example the need for future

investigations or other advocacy work, and others

are more applied, for example recommending the

rezoningofaparticularareaofland.Wherepossible,

recommendations are illustrated spatially on the

Proposed Framework Plans on pages 55 & 56.

TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY

• DefineatownshipboundaryforAraratthatreflectsthe

current extent of the township and allows for future

growth as identified by the Ararat Sustainable Growth

Future Strategy (2013).

RETAIL/COMMERCIAL CORE

• Focussmallscaleretail/commercialactivitytothe

west of the township along Barkly Street (between

Vincent Street and View Point Road), to strengthen

the retail/commercial core and support future growth

opportunities.

• Encourageredevelopmentandoccupancyof

shop-front and shop-top uses within the existing

Commercial 1 Zone (Business 1 Zone), particularly

between Vincent Street and View Point Road.

• Encouragefuturesmallscaleretail/commercialactivity

to locate within the retail/commercial core focus area,

in close proximity to anchor retailers.

• Investigate the potential opportunity to provide more

residential/commercial development around the

railway station.

TOWNSHIP RESIDENTIAL

• Encourageresidentialconsolidationwithinandin

close proximity to the retail/commercial core (as

identified on the Framework Plan), hospital and anchor

retailers.

• Seektodiversifytherangeofhousingchoices

available in Ararat through the provision of medium

density and affordable housing opportunities.

• InvestigatetheapplicationoftheNeighbourhood

Residential Zone to areas with strong neighbourhood

character values that are not within the Heritage

Overlay.

• Investigate the application of the Neighbourhood

Residential Zone to areas with environmental

significance, particularly to the west of Ararat.

RURAL RESIDENTIAL

• Providefurtherruralresidentialopportunitiestothe

north and north-west of the township in the long

term, subject to the final alignment of the Western

Highway Ararat Bypass. Residential development

should only proceed once the route of the bypass

has been determined, and suitable suitable buffers

should be provided to minimise the impact of

the bypass on residents. The suitability of new

residential development in these areas must be fully

consideredbeforeanyrezoningproceeds,including

anassessmentofenvironmentalassetsandhazards;

mainly native vegetation, cultural heritage, topography,

flood, and bushfire risk. Future development should

be directed outside the Bushfire Management Overlay

(BMO) area in the first instance.

• Ensure rural residential growth occurs in areas

where it will not impact on the viability of productive

agricultural land, and minimises potential land use

conflict.

• Rezoneparcelsoflandlocatedtothesouth-westof

the township (along Vincent Street and Bellinghams

Hill Road) from Farming Zone to Rural Living Zone (or

to Residential 1 Zone if sewerage is available).

• RezonetheportionoflandbetweenAradaleGolf

Course and Green Hill Lake (between Warrak Road

and McLellan Street) to Rural Living Zone in the short

to medium term.

• Ensure that residential development around Green Hill

Lake is sympathetic to the natural environment.

BULKY GOODS

• Locatelargeformatretailingtotheeastofthe

township, outside of the retail/commercial core.

• RezonetheexistingCommercial1Zone(Business2

Zone) situated along the Western Highway and Barkly

Street (to the east of Princes Street) to Commercial

2 Zone; taking into account considerations such as

adjoining sensitive land uses and heritage buildings.

• RezonethesmalltriangleofResidential1zonedland

bounded by Baird and Wilson Street to Commercial

2 Zone, to provide further opportunity for large

format retailing on the periphery of the town centre;

taking into account considerations such as adjoining

sensitive land uses and heritage buildings.

INDUSTRIAL

• Ensurethatasufficientsupplyoflargeindustrial

development sites remains available in order to

attract prospective large businesses to the area in the

medium to long term.

• Concentrateindustrialgrowthtothesouth-eastofthe

town centre, between the railway line and Jacksons

CreekRoad/GordonStreet.Considerrezoning

existing Farming Zoned land to Industrial 1 Zone in the

short to medium term. Ensure appropriate access is

providedtothearterialroadnetworkpriortorezoning,

including undertaking a review of the capacity of

Gordon Street.

• Encourage the relocation and consolidation of existing

industrial uses within Ararat to the area identified for

futureIndustrial1rezoningtothesouth-east.

• Ensure suitable buffers are provided around the

abattoir and other industrial land uses to protect their

ongoing operations, and manage potential land use

conflict.

• Investigateindustrialgrowthtothenorth(inclose

proximity to the Western Highway Ararat Bypass and

Pyrenees Highway) in the longer term, following

take-up of existing industrial land in Ararat. The exact

location of future industrial land will be subject to the

final alignment of the Western Highway Ararat Bypass

and a land suitability assessment.

• Continue to pursue further renewable energy and

related industry opportunities.

TOURISM


tourism sector, supporting Ararat’s position as a key

location on the route to the Grampians National Park

and the Pyrenees Ranges.



• Allow for accommodation businesses to be

developed within, or close to, the retail/commercial

core. Existing buildings such as the former Nectar

Ambrosio restaurant (157 Barkly Street) and the B1Z

along the Western Highway east of the town centre

could provide appropriate locations for a budget

accommodation provider.

• Seektostrengthentourismlinkswithadjoining

municipalities.

• Continue to undertake measures to actively promote

tourism in Ararat following construction of the

Western Highway Bypass.

Ararat



• Ensure the future growth of Ararat makes best use of

existing infrastructure assets, services and facilities.

• Continue to support and enhance existing community

facilities and community groups, clubs and

associations as key assets of Ararat.

• Improve commuter facilities at the railway station

(e.g. long-term secure car parking, bicycle parking,

refreshment and retail opportunities).

• Advocateforimprovedcoverageandfrequencyof

accessible intercity transport services to Ballarat and

Melbourne as patronage increases over time.

• Advocateforimprovedfrequencyoflocalbusservices

and the expansion of routes (particularly to the east) as

new residential areas are established.

• Supportthedevelopmentoffacilitiesandservicesthat

allow for ageing in place.

• Identify appropriate locations for the establishment

of ‘community hubs’ within Ararat to encourage the

co-location and consolidation of existing stand alone

community services and facilities.

RECREATION & LEISURE

• ContinuetorecogniseAlexandraGardensParkand

Alexandra Oval as a key recreational asset for the

township.

• Createahighquality,connected,accessibleshared

path network to attract people of all ages to walk and

cycle as a healthier alternative to car travel.

• Improve bicycle infrastructure and amenities including

the provision of on-road bicycle lanes, bicycle racks,

storage lockers and change/shower facilities at key

locations such as the railway station.

STREETSCAPE & ENVIRONMENT

• Recognise and promote the significance of the Ararat

Hills, as identified in the South West Victoria Landscape

Assessment Study (2013).

• Continuetoenhanceandsoftenthevisualappearance

of the township through streetscape greening

initiatives, particularly within the retail/commercial

core.

• Ensure all streetscape works take into consideration

the safety and efficiency of roads and intersections,

including maintenance of sight lines.

• Continuetopromoteandpreservekeyenvironmental

assets within and surrounding the township including

the Ararat Hills, Green Hill Lake, Flint Hill Reserve and

Cemetery Creek.

• EnhanceentrancesintoAraratandimprovewayfinding

within the township.

• Createavibrant,interestingandsafestreet

environment that encourages people to visit the

township and stay for longer.



garden projects.

• Rezonethesmalltriangleportionoflandadjoiningthe

railway line (currently used as a roundabout) to Road

Zone - Category 1 to better reflect the use and intent

of the land.

HERITAGE

• ContinuetosupportandprotectsitesofAboriginal,

Chinese and European cultural heritage significance.

Ararat


Ararat: Proposed Framework Plan (Outer City)

Township Boundary (Outer)

Railway

Potential Western Highway Ararat Bypass (indicative alignment only)

Watercourses

Waterbodies

Public Open Space/ Recreation

Conservation Areas

Community Uses

Special Uses

Retail/ Commercial Core

Bulky Goods

Mixed Use

Township Residential

Rural Residential (1ha min lot size)


Industrial

Farming

Area to be rezoned to Commercial 2 Zone in the short term

Area to be rezoned to Road Zone - Category 1 in the short term

Area to be rezoned to Rural Living in the short/ medium term

Area to be be considered for rezoning to Industrial in the short/ medium term

Residential investigation area (long term)

Rural Living investigation area (long term)

Industrial investigation area (long term)

LEGEND

HIGH STREET

HARGREAVES STREET

NOTT ROAD

CEM

ETE

RY L

ANE

QU

EEN

STR

EET

CAMPBELL ST

REET

WESTERN HIGHWAY

WA R

RA YAD IN RO

AD

ANNYS LANE

LAMBER

T STR

EET

VINC

ENT

STRE

ET

BELL

I NGH

AMS

HILL

ROA

DG

EO

RG

E R

OA

D

GRANO STREET

PYRENEES HIG

HWAY

GO

RD

ON

STR

EET

JAC

KSO

NS

CR

EEK

RD

AraratRacecourse

AraratRacecourse




HospitalHospital

AraratStationAraratStation

TownHall

TownHall



PrisonPrison

AbattoirAbattoir



Reservoir Reservoir


Energy Park

AerodromeAerodrome

0 1 2

kms

N

Township Boundary (Outer)

Railway

Potential Western Highway Ararat Bypass (indicative alignment only)

Watercourses

Waterbodies


Conservation Areas

Community Uses

Special Uses


Bulky Goods

Mixed Use




Industrial

Farming



Area to be rezoned to Rural Living in the short/ medium term


Residential investigation area (long term)


Industrial investigation area (long term)

LEGEND

HIGH STREET

HARGREAVES STREET

NOTT ROAD

CEM

ETE

RY L

ANE

QU

EEN

STR

EET

CAMPBELL ST

REET

WESTERN HIGHWAY

WA R

RA YAD IN RO

AD

ANNYS LANE

LAMBER

T STR

EET

VINC

ENT

STRE

ET

BELL

I NGH

AMS

HILL

ROA

DG

EO

RG

E R

OA

D

GRANO STREET

PYRENEES HIG

HWAY

GO

RD

ON

STR

EET

JAC

KSO

NS

CR

EEK

RD

AraratRacecourse

AraratRacecourse




HospitalHospital

AraratStationAraratStation

TownHall

TownHall



PrisonPrison

AbattoirAbattoir



Reservoir Reservoir


Energy Park

AerodromeAerodrome

0 1 2

kms

N


Ararat: Proposed Framework Plan (Inner City)

G R E E N H IL L D RMA

RG

AR

ET

ST

U NN AM ED

M O O RE S T

AL

FR

ED

ST

B A R K L Y S T

GO

RD

ON

ST

G R AN O S T

N ST

CA MPB ELL S

T

K E S T

M C L

SO

N S

T

ED

M C NE ILL S T

WA

RA

TA

H A

V QU

EE

N S

T

LE A N S T

BA

SH

AM

ST

E D G U

MURPHY ST

BA IRD ST

Y OUNG

ST

VIE

W P

OIN

T S

T

G IRD L E S TO N E S T

MA

UD

E S

T

AL

BE

RT

ST

K O FO E D S T

PR

I NC

ES

ST

KIN

G S

T

W ILS O N S T

MA RK E T LA NE

TOB IN

ST

R U ND E L L S T

M CG IB B O N Y S TTU

SO

N S

T

CA

RE

Y S

T

TEM PLE ST

E L IZA B E TH S T

FL A TTE L Y S T

PA

LME

R S

T

W E S T E R N H I G H W AY

PYREN

EES H

I GH

WAY

PY

RE

NE

ES

H

I GH

WA

Y

FAY ST

Ararat Station


KokodaPark

QualityPark

Hospital

TownHall

Aradale/ Aradale Golf

Course

MarianCollegeMarianCollege

AraratPS

AraratPS

Railway


Community Uses

Special Use


Retail/ Commercial Core Focus Area

Bulky Goods

Mixed Use



Industrial

Farming




LEGEND

0 250 500

metres

N


RG

AR

ET

ST

U NN AM ED

M O O RE S T

AL

FR

ED

ST

B A R K L Y S T

GO

RD

ON

ST

G R AN O S T

N ST

CA MPB ELL S

T

K E S T

M C L

SO

N S

T

ED

M C NE ILL S T

WA

RA

TA

H A

V QU

EE

N S

T

LE A N S T

BA

SH

AM

ST

E D G U

MURPHY ST

BA IRD ST

Y OUNG

ST

VIE

W P

OIN

T S

T


MA

UD

E S

T

AL

BE

RT

ST

K O FO E D S T

PR

I NC

ES

ST

KIN

G S

T

W ILS O N S T

MA RK E T LA NE

TOB IN

ST

R U ND E L L S T


SO

N S

T

CA

RE

Y S

T

TEM PLE ST

E L IZA B E TH S T

FL A TTE L Y S T

PA

LME

R S

T


PYREN

EES H

I GH

WAY

PY

RE

NE

ES

H

I GH

WA

Y

FAY ST

Ararat Station


KokodaPark

QualityPark

Hospital

TownHall


Course


AraratPS

AraratPS

Railway


Community Uses

Special Use



Bulky Goods

Mixed Use



Industrial

Farming




LEGEND

0 250 500

metres

N


RG

AR

ET

ST

U NN AM ED

M O O RE S T

AL

FR

ED

ST

B A R K L Y S T

GO

RD

ON

ST

G R AN O S T

N ST

CA MPB ELL S

T

K E S T

M C L

SO

N S

T

ED

M C NE ILL S T

WA

RA

TA

H A

V QU

EE

N S

T

LE A N S T

BA

SH

AM

ST

E D G U

MURPHY ST

BA IRD ST

Y OUNG

ST

VIE

W P

OIN

T S

T


MA

UD

E S

T

AL

BE

RT

ST

K O FO E D S T

PR

I NC

ES

ST

KIN

G S

T

W ILS O N S T

MA RK E T LA NE

TOB IN

ST

R U ND E L L S T


SO

N S

T

CA

RE

Y S

T

TEM PLE ST

E L IZA B E TH S T

FL A TTE L Y S T

PA

LME

R S

T


PYREN

EES H

I GH

WAY

PY

RE

NE

ES

H

I GH

WA

Y

FAY ST

Ararat Station


KokodaPark

QualityPark

Hospital

TownHall


Course


AraratPS

AraratPS

Railway


Community Uses

Special Use



Bulky Goods

Mixed Use



Industrial

Farming




LEGEND

0 250 500

metres

N


Chapter 7.SmallTownsStrategy


Introduction

Smaller townships and localities play an important role in

supporting housing, local employment, service provision

and education. This section outlines strategic directions

for six small towns, based on capturing the different

geographical locations and functions of the municipality.

These are as follows:

• LakeBolac;

• Willaura;

• Pomonal;

• Moyston;

• Elmhurst;and

• Buangor.

Council and State Government currently support these

townships through the provision of infrastructure and

community facilities. This is essential to the liveability

and attractiveness of the municipality and to support

agriculture, tourism and population growth which are

important economic drivers. The strategy seeks to

provide, support and strengthen these township based on

their capacity and role.

Due to their geographical similarities the townships have

been paired for the purpose of this strategy. Willaura and

Lake Bolac represent the ‘Southern Agricultural Towns’,

Pomonal and Moyston the ‘Grampians Settlements’, and

Elmhurst and Buangor the ‘Eastern Ridges’. All of these

towns have primary schools and social infrastructure

to support a range of activities (e.g.. sporting clubs,

community groups, health services).

The study area also encompasses the smaller rural

settlements of Wickliffe, Streatham, Mininera, Westmere,

Tatyoon, Moroona, Middle Creek, Warrak and Mount

Cole; however detailed analysis of these rural settlements

has not been a task of the SGF Strategy. These smaller

rural settlements are supported by Council through

community action planning.

The issues, opportunities and constraints described for

each of the six key towns have been identified through

consultation with the community and key stakeholders,

and supplemented by additional research.

The purpose of the future growth strategy for each

township is to provide direction and recommendations

for Council’s Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS). As

discussed earlier, some of these recommendations are

strategic and others are more applied. Where possible,

recommendations are illustrated spatially on the township

Framework Plans.

Small Towns Strategy


HEALTH

• BushNursingCentre

• Visitingdoctorsandspecialisthealthservicesavailable

TRANSPORT

• CoachservicefromLakeBolactoArarat

4 times per week

• TwicedailycoachservicefromMountGambierto

Ballarat/ Melbourne (via Lake Bolac) 13 times per week

• Communityowned24seatbus

• RVFriendlyfacilities

EMERGENCY SERVICES

• CFA

• PoliceStation

Settlement Role

Lake Bolac has been identified as a SmallTown. Small

Towns provide access to a limited range essential

education and health services for a rural hinterland and

contain a small retail centre. They may be connected

to both reticulated water and sewer services and usually

have strong relationships with larger settlements nearby.

Current Strategic Direction

At present, the Ararat Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS)

seeks to encourage Lake Bolac to develop as a service

centre, a lake-side settlement and focus for recreation

opportunities.


• Encourage additional rural residential development

along the Lake, unless reticulated sewer is provided

and development should then mainly comprise urban

infill.

• Enhance the visual appearance of the Lake Bolac

township, particularly along the Mortlake-Ararat Road

and the Glenelg Highway.

• Encourage the development of a management plan

for Lake Bolac and the foreshore.

The existing Framework Plan for Lake Bolac is shown on

the following page.

Introduction

Lake Bolac is located approximately 50km south of

Ararat, at the intersection of the Glenelg Highway and

the Mortlake-Ararat Road. The township has a strong

geographic prominence within the region, situated

between the key regional centre of Ballarat (100kms) and

the regional towns of Ararat (50kms), Hamilton (80kms)

and Warrnambool (100kms).

The township is surrounded by highly productive versatile

croppingandgrazingland.Agriculture(particularlybroad

acrecroppingandgrazing)formsthebasisofthelocal

economy and is the traditional occupation of settlers

to the area. Lake Bolac has been identified as growing

agricultural services hub and plays an important service

role to surrounding smaller townships and agricultural

areas. Other key industries include education, health, and

tourism services.

The Mortlake-Ararat Road runs north-south through the

township, providing a vital freight transport corridor. This

route provides a major transport corridor for all hay,

fodder and feed grains from the Wimmera to the dairy

farmers in the south, and to the southern ports. It also

provides an important tourist route. Maintenance of this

road corridor is critical to regional linkages and economic

development. Given the significance of this route, the

crossroads intersection provides a major economic driver

of commercial businesses in the township.

Lake Bolac has recently been connected to the sewerage

network; one of two small towns in the municipality to

establish a sewerage connection.

The township is advantageously located near the edge

of Lake Bolac itself. This promotes visitation during the

summer months for camping and water based activities

such as swimming, fishing and boating, and during March

for the duck shooting season. In times of drought Lake

Bolac has suffered reduced visitation due to a lack of

water in the lake. However, strong rainfall in the past 12

months has filled the lake and provided an economic and

tourism boost to the town. The lake contains a viable eel

fishery which has been run successfully for many years.

A Caravan Park is located close to the Lake and other

accommodation options (e.g. motel, B&Bs) are provided

in and around the town.

Existing Infrastructure

UTILITIES

• WaterandSewerage


OPEN SPACE & RECREATION

• SportingComplexincludingafootballoval,clubhouse,

tennis/netball and squash courts, cricket nets

• LionsPark&PicnicShelter

• GolfCourse

• OutdoorSwimmingPool

• BowlingClub

• BBQfacilitiesattheLake

• AnglersJetty

• Children’sPlayground

• Numeroussportingclubsandassociationsincluding

golf, bowls, squash, swimming, football, netball,

cricket and tennis

COMMUNITY

• MemorialHall

• Information&BusinessCentre

• CommunityBank

• PostOffice

• Library

• Music&DramaSociety

• ScoutHall

• UnitingChurch&Hall,CatholicChurch,Anglican

Church

• GeneralStore&ServiceStation

• LakeBolacHotel

• Numerousotherbusinesses

EDUCATION

• LakeBolacCollege(P-12)

• LakeBolac&DistrictKindergarten

• Childcare

Lake Bolac


Lake Bolac: Existing Framework Plan


Issues, Opportunities & Constraints




research, analysis and site visits.

ISSUES

• Ahistoryofdroughthasaffectedwaterlevelsinthe

lake, most notably in 1842 and 2009-11. The town is

heavily impacted when the lake is at very low water

levels, and while the impact is generally only short

term, it can be severe.

• Poorvisualandphysicalconnectionsbetweenthe

town and the lake, particularly from the Glenelg

Highway.

• Farmingpopulationisdecreasingduetotheexpansion

of agricultural technology and consolidation of farms,

with many people relocating to larger centres such as

Hamilton and Ballarat.

• ItiscommonyoungpeopletoleaveLakeBolacto

attend university in Ballarat or Melbourne and not

return due to a lack of opportunities for employment.

• The growth of Lake Bolac has been hindered in the

past by the absence of reticulated sewerage.

• Communityperceptionthattheextentofsewerage

infrastructure provision in Lake Bolac is limited.

• There is currently no aged care accommodation

provided in Lake Bolac due to a lack of population at

present to support accommodation. The Lake Bolac

Development Association is currently investigating a

feasibility study.

• The presence of blue-green algae is already an issue

for the lake and may be exacerbated by human

activity. Future residential development will need to

observe the highest environmental standards.

OPPORTUNITIES

• LakeBolacwillcontinuetoprovideanimportant

service centre for surrounding smaller townships and

agricultural areas.

• Locatedapproximately50kmsouthofAraraton

the Glenelg Highway, halfway between Ballarat and

Hamilton, the town receives high levels of through

traffic.

• Thelakeservesasanimportantresourceforthe

town and popular location for camping, fishing and

boating. Furthermore, it is a key recreational asset for

the region and a focus for community events such as

the annual eel festival in April and the Easter Yachting

Regatta.

• TourismopportunitiesassociatedwithLakeBolac’s

prominence on the key tourist route.

• Duetotheageingpopulationoftheregionthereis

a significant demand for aged care facilities. Lake

Bolac’s good infrastructure and scenic location next

to the lake may provide an opportunity to expand the

existing aged care facility (Bush Nursing Centre) in the

town.

• Opportunitytoimprovepedestrianandcycling

connections within the township particularly to key

points of interest.

• Opportunityexiststosupportthefurthergrowthand

development of industry to the north of the township.

• New sewerage mains have the capacity to support

infill development within the township. With the

sewerage technology used in Lake Bolac, extensions

to the network are easier and cheaper for developers

to construct.




planning for the future of Lake Bolac. These are illustrated

on the map on the following page and include:

• TheEnvironmentalSignificanceOverlay(Schedule

2) and the Vegetation Protection Overlay (Schedule

1) apply to areas to the north-west of the township

covering the nearby salt lakes and surrounds. The

purpose of ESO2 is to protect watercourses, water-

bodies and wetlands from inappropriate development

and to ensure that that they are retained as a natural

asset. The VPO1 seeks to protect areas of significant

remnant vegetation.

• Somelotstothenorthofthetownshiparecoveredby

an Environmental Audit Overlay (EAO). The purpose

of the EAO is to ensure that potentially contaminated

land is suitable for a use which could be significantly

adversely affected by any contamination.

• Anumberofareaswithinandsurroundingthe

township of Lake Bolac have been identified as ‘Areas

of Cultural Heritage Sensitivity’. These areas include

landforms and waterways/ waterbodies that are

regarded as likely to contain sites of Aboriginal cultural

heritage significance.

Lake Bolac


Lake Bolac: Values & Constraints Map

GLENELG HWY

GRAHAM RD

MC

MAS

TE

RS

RD

LEACH RD

MU

RR

AY

RD

MO

RTL

AKE-

ARAR

AT R

OAD

MO

RTL

AKE-

ARAR

AT R

OAD

GLENELG HWY

GLENELG HWY

0 0.5 1

kms


Waterbodies

Contours

Environmental Signifiance Overlay





LEGEND

Lake BolacLake Bolac

OvalOval

N


Future Growth Recommendations


manage, support and encourage sustainable growth

in Lake Bolac. Some of these recommendations are

strategic, for example the need for future investigations

or other advocacy work, and others are more applied, for

examplerecommendingtherezoningofaparticulararea

of land. Where possible, recommendations are illustrated

spatially on the Proposed Framework Plan on page 65.

TOWNSHIP GROWTH

• DefineatownshipboundaryforLakeBolacthat

reflects the current extent of the township, and allows

for sustainable growth as identified by the Ararat

Sustainable Growth Future Strategy (2013).

TOWN CENTRE CORE

• Concentratefutureretail/commercialactivitywithin

the Town Centre Core, in close proximity to existing

retail/commercial activity.

• Encourageawiderrangeofbusinesses,servicesand

activities to locate within the township of Lake Bolac.


• Supportresidentialusesincloseproximitytothetown

centre and existing community infrastructure and

services.

RURAL RESIDENTIAL

• Investigatepotentialtoprovideruralresidential

opportunities around the Lake (to the east and south

of the township boundary), with a minimum lot

sizeof1hectare.Thesuitabilityofnewresidential

development in these areas must be fully considered

beforeanyrezoningproceeds,includingconnection

to reticulated sewerage and assessment of

environmentalassetsandhazards;mainlynative

vegetation, cultural heritage, topography, flood, and

bushfire risk.



agricultural land, minimises potential land use conflict,

and does not compromise the water quality of Lake

Bolac.

RURAL INDUSTRIAL

• Supporttheongoinggrowthanddevelopmentofrural

industry to the north of the township.

• RezonetheexistingTownshipZoneandFarming

Zone to the north-east of the township to Industrial

3 Zone to better reflect its existing industrial use and

subdivision pattern. The purpose of the Industrial 3

Zone is to provide for industries and associated uses

that uses do not affect the safety and amenity of

adjacent, more sensitive land uses.

• Ensureasuitablebufferdistanceisprovidedbetween

industrial and residential land uses, and utilise

landscaping to screen industrial uses.


• Ensure the future growth of Lake Bolac makes best

use of existing infrastructure assets, services and

facilities.


facilities and various community groups, clubs and

associations as a key asset of the township.

• Advocateforimprovedfrequencyofaccessible

transport services to Ararat, Ballarat and Melbourne,

particularly for the elderly and youth of the

community.



• Work closely with Government and other service

providers (e.g. Bush Nursing Centres) to promote and

develop opportunities for improvement e.g. provision

of a community bus service, shared partnership

development around home and community care

(HACC) services, and nursing infrastructure.

• Support the expansion of the sewerage network to

service the industrial estate and existing dwellings

around the foreshore of the lake.

• RezonetheexistinglotslocatedbetweenMortlake-

Ararat Road and Lake Bolac College from Township

Zone to Public Use Zone (Education) to better reflect

the existing use and intent of the land.


• ContinuetorecogniseandpromoteLakeBolacas

a key recreational asset of the township and wider

region.

• DevelopaManagementPlanforLakeBolacandthe

foreshore.

• Improvepedestrianandcyclingconnectionswithin

the township, particularly linking to key points of

interest such as the school, lake and sporting complex.

• Supportthedevelopmentofapedestrian/cycletrail

encompassing the perimeter of the Lake.

• Rezonetheparceloflandcontainingthetenniscourts

from Township Zone to Public Park & Recreation Zone

to better reflect the existing use and intent of the land.


• Enhanceandsoftenthevisualappearanceofthe

Lake Bolac township through streetscape greening

initiatives, particularly along the Mortlake-Ararat Road

and the Glenelg Highway.




• Advocate to VicRoads to review and upgrade the

crossroad intersection design and improve the

associated footpath network.

• RezonetheexistingPublicPark&Recreationzoned

land located to the north of the township to Public

Conservation & Resource Zone to protect and

preserve the natural environment and restrict any

commercial development in the area.

Lake Bolac




garden projects.

• Investigate the feasibility of undergrounding

powerlines to improve the appearance of the

streetscape.

• Ensure signage and advertising does not dominate the

streetscape environment.

TOURISM


tourism sector.

• Investigateopportunitiesforfurthervisitorfocused

development (accommodation and retail) based on

the attractive setting of Lake Bolac and recent rise in

visitation numbers to the area.



HERITAGE

• ContinuetoprotectsitesofAboriginalcultural

heritage significance such as the Lake Bolac stone

arrangement.

• Continuetorecogniseandprotectsitesoflocal


• Undertakeaheritagestudytohighlightlocalheritage

assets in Lake Bolac.


Lake Bolac: Proposed Framework Plan

Salt LakesSalt Lakes

GLENELG HWY

GRAHAM RD

MC

MAS

TE

RS

RD

LEACH RD

MU

RR

AY

RD

MO

RTL

AKE-

ARAR

AT R

OAD

MO

RTL

AKE-

ARAR

AT R

OAD

GLENELG HWY

GLENELG HWY

0 0.5 1

kms

Township Boundary

Waterbodies

Township Entry Point

Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Site


Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Farming

Area to be rezoned to Industrial 3 Zone in the short term

Area to be rezoned to Public Park & Recreation in the short term

Area to be rezoned to Public Use Zone (Education) in the short term


LEGEND


LakeBolac

College

LakeBolac

College

TennisCourtsTennisCourts

KindergartenKindergarten

Industrial Estate

Industrial Estate

Lake Bolac Golf CourseLake Bolac Golf Course

Caravan Park

Caravan Park

Waste water site

Waste water site OvalOval

N


GLENELG HWY

GRAHAM RD

MC

MAS

TE

RS

RD

LEACH RD

MU

RR

AY

RD

MO

RTL

AKE-

ARAR

AT R

OAD

MO

RTL

AKE-

ARAR

AT R

OAD

GLENELG HWY

GLENELG HWY

0 0.5 1

kms

Township Boundary

Waterbodies




Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Farming





LEGEND


LakeBolac

College

LakeBolac

College



Industrial Estate

Industrial Estate


Caravan Park

Caravan Park

Waste water site


N


GLENELG HWY

GRAHAM RD

MC

MAS

TE

RS

RD

LEACH RD

MU

RR

AY

RD

MO

RTL

AKE-

ARAR

AT R

OAD

MO

RTL

AKE-

ARAR

AT R

OAD

GLENELG HWY

GLENELG HWY

0 0.5 1

kms

Township Boundary

Waterbodies




Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Farming





LEGEND


LakeBolac

College

LakeBolac

College



Industrial Estate

Industrial Estate


Caravan Park

Caravan Park

Waste water site


N


HEALTH

• ParklandHouseRetirementHostel

• NursingHome

• MaternalandChildHealthCentre

• MedicalClinic

TRANSPORT

• CoachservicefromArarattoLakeBola(viaWillaura)

4 times per week

• CommunityBus

EMERGENCY SERVICES

• CFA

• PoliceStation

Settlement Role

Willaura has been identified as a SmallTown. Small Towns

provide access to a limited range essential education and

health services for a rural hinterland and contain a small

retail centre. They may be connected to both reticulated

water and sewer services and usually have strong

relationships with larger settlements nearby.



seeks to encourage Willaura to develop as a key service

centre for the local community and surrounding rural

hinterland.


• Encourageamorediverserangeofhousingchoices

including low residential development in close

proximity to the services in the town.

• EncouragenewsettlementinWillauratomaximisethe

use of existing infrastructure.

The existing Framework Plan for Willaura is shown on the

following page.

Introduction

Willaura is located approximately 35km south-west of

Ararat, on the south-eastern edge of the Grampians

Ranges. Willaura plays an important service role to the

surrounding smaller townships and agricultural areas. The

township is particularly celebrated for its heritage values.

Willaura is a key service centre for the local community

and surrounding rural hinterland. As such, a range of

services are centred in the town including shops and local

businesses, rural, building and farming supplies, a grain

storage facility and a community bank.

Willaura has good access to community facilities and

services such as community halls, health care, child care

and family services, aged care facilities and churches.

The township has various sporting and recreational

facilities including the recreation reserve, tennis courts,

bowls club, heated outdoor swimming pool and

playgrounds.

The town is supported by the local farming industry,

which is mainly involved in wool and cropping.


UTILITIES

• Willaurahasareticulatedseweragesystem,and

its water supply is piped from the Grampians and

managed by Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water.



• RecreationReserve

• TennisCourts

• BowlsClub

• HeatedOutdoorSwimmingPool


• WalkingtrackaroundtheHospitalandVicarage

Swamp


football, netball, bowls, golf, tennis and cricket

COMMUNITY

• MemorialHall

• ScoutHall

• LibraryService

• Churches

• CommunityBank(jointwithLakeBolac)

• NeighbourhoodHouse

• Bakery

• HardwareStore

EDUCATION

• PrimarySchool

• Kindergarten

• ChildCareandFamilyServices

Willaura


Willaura: Existing Framework Plan







ISSUES

• Small,decreasingpopulationevidencedbynumberof

vacant houses/ lots throughout the township.

• Farmingpopulationisdecreasingduetoconsolidation

of farms, with many people relocating to larger

centres such as Hamilton and Ballarat.

• Lowopportunityforemployment,especiallyfor

younger residents.

• Petrolstationhasrecentlyclosed.

• Isolatedsettlementoffmajortrafficroutesand

significant distance from Ararat, Grampians or

Hamilton.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Existinginfrastructureandservicesarecapableof

sustaining an increase in population.

• Improvedfrequencyofpublictransportlinkagesto

Ararat, Ballarat and Melbourne.

• Existingheritagebuildingsarewellcaredforand

provide an important sense of identity and potential

tourism opportunity.

• Ofthesmallertowns,Willaurahasthehighestlot

capacity with a total of 112 vacant lots. Low property

prices present an opportunity for the future take-up of

existing vacant lots.




planning for the future of Willaura. These are illustrated on

the map on the following page and include:


3) and the Vegetation Protection Overlay (Schedule

2) apply to areas of land to the north-west of the

township. ESO3 seeks to protect areas of high habitat

value and VPO2 protects areas of significant remnant

vegetation located along roadsides.

• Somelotswithinthetownshiparecoveredbyan

Environmental Audit Overlay (EAO). The purpose of

the EAO is to ensure that potentially contaminated

land is suitable for a use which could be significantly

adversely affected by any contamination.

• TheHeritageOverlayappliestotwositeswithin

Willaura, including the Willaura Railway Station and the

Former Colonial Bank located at 42 Main Street.

• AnumberofareaswithinandsurroundingWillaura

have been identified as ‘Areas of Cultural Heritage

Sensitivity’. These areas include landforms and

waterways/ waterbodies that are regarded as likely

to contain sites of Aboriginal cultural heritage

significance.

Willaura


Willaura: Values & Constraints Map

WWIILL

LLAAUU

RRAA

-- WWIICC

KKLLIIFF

FFEE

RRDD

MMAAII

NN SSTT

AAYYRREE

YY SSTT

SSTTAATTIIOONN SSTT

DDEELLAACCOOMMBBEE WWAAYY

WWAARRRRAANNOOOOKKEE SSTT

MMAARROOOONNAA -- GGLLEENNTTHHOOMMPPSSOONN RRDD

WWAALLKKEERRVVIILLLLEE SSTT

BBAALLDD HHIILLLL RRDD

COMMERICAL STREET

COMMERICAL STREET

Recreation Reserve

Swamp

Grain storage facility

Wilaura Station


LEGEND

Waterbodies

Railway line

Contours

Environmental Signifiance Overlay



Heritage Overlay



0 300 600

metres

N





Willaura. Some of these recommendations are strategic,

for example the need for future investigations or other

advocacy work, and others are more applied, for example

recommendingtherezoningofaparticularareaofland.

Where possible, recommendations are illustrated spatially

on the Proposed Framework Plan on the following page.

TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY

• DefineatownshipboundaryforWillaurathatreflects

the current extent of the township, and allows for

future growth as identified by the Ararat Sustainable

Growth Future Strategy (2013).

• InvestigateapplicationofaRestructureOverlayto

the south of the township on lots adjoining Willaura-

Wickliffe Road.

TOWN CENTRE CORE



retail activity.


activities to locate within the township of Willaura.


• Encouragethetakeupofexistingvacantlotsin

Willaura to maximise the use of existing infrastructure

and facilities.



services.

• Ensure residential growth occurs in areas where it will

not impact on the viability of productive agricultural

land, and minimises potential land use conflict.

• Encourageamorediverserangeofhousingchoices

including low residential development in close

proximity to the services in the town.

FARMING

• RezonetheTownshipZonetothewestofthe

township to Farming Zone to better reflect the areas

existing farming use, subdivision pattern, and allotment

size.

RURAL INDUSTRY

• Encourageruralindustrytothesouthofthetownship,

ensuring a suitable buffer distance is maintained to

town.


• Ensure the future growth of Willaura makes best use of

existing infrastructure assets, services and facilities.







community.












interest such as the Recreation Reserve, Primary

School, and Hospital and Vicarage Swamp wetland

area.


• ContinuetopromoteandimprovetheHospitaland

Vicarage Swamp wetland area as a key environmental

asset for the township and wider region.

• EnhanceandsoftenthevisualappearanceofWillaura

through streetscape greening initiatives, particularly

along Main Street and Delacombe Way.






garden projects.

HERITAGE

• Encouragetheongoingprotection,promotionand

refurbishment of heritage buildings as a key asset of

Willaura.

• ContinuetoprotectsitesofAboriginalculturalheritage

significance.



Willaura


Willaura: Proposed Framework Plan

WWIILL

LLAAUU

RRAA

-- WWIICC

KKLLIIFF

FFEE

RRDD

MMAAII

NN SSTT

AAYYRREE

YY SSTT

SSTTAATTIIOONN SSTT






COMMERICAL STREET

COMMERICAL STREET

Recreation Reserve

Swamp


Hall &Kindergarten

Hospital

Wilaura Station

Primary School

Township Boundary

Waterbodies

Railway Line



Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Rural Industry

Farming

Area to be rezoned to Farming Zone in the short term

Investigate application of a Restructure Overlay in the short term

LEGEND

0 300 600

metres

N

WWIILL

LLAAUU

RRAA

-- WWIICC

KKLLIIFF

FFEE

RRDD

MMAAII

NN SSTT

AAYYRREE

YY SSTT

SSTTAATTIIOONN SSTT






COMMERICAL STREET

COMMERICAL STREET

Recreation Reserve

Swamp


Hall &Kindergarten

Hospital

Wilaura Station

Primary School

Township Boundary

Waterbodies

Railway Line



Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Rural Industry

Farming



LEGEND

0 300 600

metres

N

WWIILL

LLAAUU

RRAA

-- WWIICC

KKLLIIFF

FFEE

RRDD

MMAAII

NN SSTT

AAYYRREE

YY SSTT

SSTTAATTIIOONN SSTT






COMMERICAL STREET

COMMERICAL STREET

Recreation Reserve

Swamp


Hall &Kindergarten

Hospital

Wilaura Station

Primary School

Township Boundary

Waterbodies

Railway Line



Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Rural Industry

Farming



LEGEND

0 300 600

metres

N


Settlement Role

Pomonal has been identified as a RuralVillage. Rural

Villages support small populations and provide a focal

point for the surrounding rural community. Access to

services such as education and retail are available and

connections to reticulated water vary.



seeks to encourage Pomonal to develop as having a

semi-rural character which is based on its low density

residential development and location on the eastern

slopes of the Grampians.


• Discouragefurtherrurallivingdevelopmenttothe

west of the town towards the Grampians National

Park.

• Encourageresidentialdevelopmenttothesouthofthe

town centre.

The existing Framework Plan for Pomonal is shown on

the following page.

Introduction

Pomonal is a small township located in the north-west

edge of Ararat Rural City Council, approximately 20

kilometres from Halls Gap and 35 kilometres from Ararat.

Nestled at to the foothills of the Grampians National Park,

residents of Pomonal enjoy spectacular panoramic views

to the Grampians Ranges and a relaxed rural residential

lifestyle. The township has become a popular location

for ‘tree-changers’, and has experienced consistent

population growth over the last 10 years.

Pomonal has a range of existing facilities, consisting of a

general store, tavern, community hall, recreation reserve,

children’s playground, primary school and CFA. Some

antique and craft businesses and tourist accommodation

are also located in Pomonal. Locals and visitors to the

area travel to nearby larger towns for their shopping and

service needs.

The local community value the scenic rural residential

lifestyle that Pomonal provides, and are known to have an

active interest in environmental sustainability and creative

arts.


UTILITIES

• Reticulatedwaterisavailabletomostofthetown.

Pomonal is not serviced by reticulated sewerage.



• RecreationReserve



cricket and tennis

• CloseproximitytoGrampiansNationalPark,Mount

Cassel and Lake Fyans

COMMUNITY

• MemorialHall

• PomonalCommunityChurch

• GeneralStore/PostOffice

• Tavern

EDUCATION

• PrimarySchool

• Playgroup

HEALTH

• N/A

TRANSPORT

• CoachservicefromStawelltoHallsGap(viaPomonal)

once a week

• CoachservicefromWarrnambooltoMelbourne(via

Ararat, Moyston and Pomonal) 4 times per week

EMERGENCY SERVICES

• CFA

Pomonal


Pomonal: Existing Framework Plan







ISSUES

• ExtensiveareasofPomonal,particularlytothewest

of the town are bushfire prone. Fire authorities have

assessed Pomonal as having an ‘extreme’ fire risk.

• Someareasofthetownshipareconstrainedbysoil

water-logging conditions and steep slopes.

• ThetownshipishasbeenidentifiedbytheDraftMt

William Flood Study as being flood prone.

• Pomonalisnotservicedbyreticulatedsewerage.

• Nostronglydefinedcentreoftown.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Attractiverurallifestyleopportunities(tothenorth-east

of the town centre).

• Opportunitiesforvisitorfocuseddevelopment

(accommodation and retail) based on the attractive

natural/rural setting, visitation trends and close

proximity to Lake Fyans (e.g. boating and fishing) and

the Grampians National Park (located on the ‘scenic

route to the Grampians’).

• Opportunityexiststoencourageandconsolidate

commercial development in Pomonal through

designating an area within the town centre as

Township Zone.




planning for the future of Pomonal. These are illustrated


• ExtensiveareasofPomonalaresubjecttotheWildfire

Management Overlay (WMO) and draft Bushfire

Management Overlay (BMO). These are areas that

have the highest bushfire risk and are likely to be

particularly exposed to the impact of bushfire. The

suitability of new development in these areas must be

fully considered before it proceeds, and appropriate

bushfire protection measures will be required.

• TheSignificantLandscapeOverlay(Schedule1)

applies to the entire township of Pomonal. The

purpose of SLO1 is to recognise the significance of the

environmental and landscape values of the Grampians

National Park and the Black Range in the local context

and as a major natural feature tourist attraction.


a significant portion of the township to the north

and west. The purpose of VPO1 is to protect areas of

significant remnant vegetation.

• SomeareassurroundingPomonalhavebeen

identified as ‘Areas of Cultural Heritage Sensitivity’.

These areas include landforms and waterways/

waterbodies that are regarded as likely to contain sites

of Aboriginal cultural heritage significance.

• Extensive areas of Pomonal are subject to flooding

and have been identified in the Draft Mt William Creek

Catchment Study as having a 1% Annual Exceedance

Probability (AEP). Refer to the map on the following

page for details.

Pomonal


Pomonal: Values & Constraints Map

ROBINS RD

POMONAL RD

TUNNEL RD

POMONAL EAST ROADPOMONAL EAST ROADCHURCH ROADCHURCH ROAD

HALLS GAP-ARARAT ROAD




SPRINGWOOD HILL ROADSPRINGWOOD HILL ROAD

0 1 2

kms

N


Watercourses

Contours




Significant Landscape Overlay



Land Subject to Flooding (1% AEP flood)

(as identified in the Draft Mt William Flood Study Modeling, 2013)

LEGEND

ROBINS RD

POMONAL RD

TUNNEL RD







0 1 2

kms

N


Watercourses

Contours




Significant Landscape Overlay





LEGEND

ROBINS RD

POMONAL RD

TUNNEL RD







0 1 2

kms

N

Township Boundary

Watercourse


Conservation areas

Community Uses


Town Centre Core




Farming

Area to be rezoned to Township Zone in the short term

Area to be rezoned to Rural Conservation Zone in the short term


Rural Activity Zone investigation area (short term)

LEGEND

RecreationReserve

RecreationReserve

PrimarySchool

PrimarySchool





Pomonal. Some of these recommendations are strategic,






TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY

• DefineatownshipboundaryforPomonalthatreflects




TOWN CENTRE CORE

• Rezonelandsurroundingthemajorintersectionof

Pomonal from Rural Living to Township Zone to

create a defined centre for the town and a focus

for future retail/commercial activity, in line with the

recommendations of the Stawell – Ararat – Halls Gap

Triangle Rural Zone Review (2012).



retail activity and other key destinations such as the

Primary School and Recreation Reserve.


activities to locate within the township of Pomonal.




services.

RURAL RESIDENTIAL

• Encourageresidentialdevelopmentthatsupportsthe

existing semi-rural character of the township.

• Investigatefurtherruralresidentialopportunitiestothe

north-east of the township in the longer term to better

reflect the extent of existing property boundaries.

The suitability of new residential development in this

areamustbefullyconsideredbeforeanyrezoning

proceeds, including an assessment of environmental

assetsandhazards;mainlynativevegetation,cultural

heritage, topography, flood, and bushfire risk. Future

development should be directed outside the Bushfire

Management Overlay (BMO) area in the first instance.




conflict.

• Encouragesubdivisionofvacantandundeveloped

parcelszonedRuralLivingZonetotheirminimumlot

sizetooptimisethesupplyofruralresidentialland.

• Discouragefurtherrurallivingdevelopmenttothe

west of the town towards the Grampians National

Park.


• Ensure the future growth of Pomonal makes best use

of existing infrastructure assets, services and facilities.







community.










• Continuetorecogniseandpromotetheproximity

of Lake Fyans and the Grampians National Park to

Pomonal as a key recreational and environmental

asset of the township.


the township, particularly linking to key destinations

such as the general store, primary school and

recreation reserve.


• Continue to enhance the natural bushland setting of

Pomonal through streetscape greening initiatives.




• RezoneexistingFarmingandRuralLivingzoned

land located to the west of the township to Rural

Conservation Zone, in line with the recommendations

of the Stawell – Ararat – Halls Gap Triangle Rural Zone

Review (2012).



garden projects.

BUILT FORM

• Develop a simple suite of design guidelines to

guide appropriate design outcomes and ensure

environmentally sustainable site responsive design.

TOURISM

• Encouragethedevelopmentofthelocaltourism

sector, promoting Pomonal’s position as an important

gateway to the Grampians National Park.

• Support horticulture, farmers markets, production

and sale of local food and other products through the

application of the Township Zone and Rural Activity

Zone.

• Supportlimitedtourismandaccommodationusesthat

provide a complementary yet alternative experience to

Halls Gap.

• Investigateopportunitiesforvisitorfocused

development (accommodation and retail) based on

the attractive natural/rural setting and visitation trends.

• Explorethepotentialtorezonelandinandaround

Pomonal to Rural Activity Zone to encourage tourism

development that takes advantage of Pomonal’s

attractive natural/rural setting and proximity to the

Grampians National Park and Lake Fyans.

HERITAGE

• ContinuetoprotectareasofAboriginalcultural

heritage significance including landforms and



significance.



Pomonal


Pomonal: Proposed Framework Plan

ROBINS RD

POMONAL RD

TUNNEL RD







0 1 2

kms

N

Township Boundary

Watercourse


Conservation areas

Community Uses


Town Centre Core




Farming





LEGEND

RecreationReserve

RecreationReserve

PrimarySchool

PrimarySchool

ROBINS RD

POMONAL RD

TUNNEL RD







0 1 2

kms

N

Township Boundary

Watercourse


Conservation areas

Community Uses


Town Centre Core




Farming





LEGEND

RecreationReserve

RecreationReserve

PrimarySchool

PrimarySchool

SEE INSET

INSETROBINS RD

POMONAL RD

TUNNEL RD







0 1 2

kms

N

Township Boundary

Watercourse


Conservation areas

Community Uses


Town Centre Core




Farming





LEGEND

RecreationReserve

RecreationReserve

PrimarySchool

PrimarySchool

ROBINS RD

POMONAL RD

TUNNEL RD







0 1 2

kms

N

Township Boundary

Watercourse


Conservation areas

Community Uses


Town Centre Core




Farming





LEGEND

RecreationReserve

RecreationReserve

PrimarySchool

PrimarySchool


Settlement Role

Moyston has been identified as a RuralVillage. Rural






At present, the Ararat Municipal Strategic Statement

(MSS) seeks to encourage Moyston to attract people who

enjoy a rural living experience with convenient access to

employment, shopping, schooling and health services in

Ararat.


• Providefurtheropportunitiesforarangeoflowdensity

residential and rural living residential developments

within convenient access to the core community

facilities.

The existing Framework Plan for Moyston is shown on

the following page.

Introduction

Moyston is located approximately 15km west of Ararat,

at the foothills of the Grampians Ranges. The township

functions as an important rural residential ‘commuter’

community with easy access to employment, shopping,

health services and education in Ararat (15 mins) and

Stawell (25 mins). The natural bush setting of the town

make it an attractive destination for ‘tree-changers’.

Community infrastructure and facilities include the

recreation reserve and pavilion, rotunda, primary school,

community hall, community centre, and numerous

sporting clubs and associations including football, netball

and cricket.

Moyston is a strongly independent community with a

well-earned reputation for “getting things done” via a solid

core of committed individuals 1.

The local community values the rural residential lifestyle

that Moyston provides, and are known to have an active

interest in environmental sustainability and creative arts.

1 Moyston Community Action Plan, 2006


UTILITIES


Moyston is not serviced by reticulated sewerage.



• RecreationReserve&Pavilion

• Rotunda



football, netball and cricket

COMMUNITY

• CommunityHall

• CommunityCentre

EDUCATION

• PrimarySchool

HEALTH

• N/A

TRANSPORT

• CoachservicefromWarrnambooltoMelbourne(via

Ararat and Moyston) 3 times per week

EMERGENCY SERVICES

• CFA

Moyston


Moyston: Existing Framework Plan







ISSUES

• Alackofreticulatedsewerageisamajorconstraintto

future residential growth in Moyston. The Ararat Rural

Zone Review (2007)recommendsaminimumlotsize

of at least 1 hectare through the township to allow for

on-site treatment.

• Partsofthetownshiparebushfireproneandfire

authorities have assessed Moyston as having a ‘very

high’ fire risk.

• Asignificantportionofthetownshiphasbeen

identified by the Mt William Flood Study as being flood

prone.

• Nostronglydefinedcentreoftown.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Attractivetorurallifestyle/‘treechange’population

growth.

• Tourismopportunitiesassociatedwiththetownships

attractive bush setting, proximity to the Grampians

National Park (e.g. potential eastern gateway), and

birthplace of Australian Rules football.

• Opportunityexiststoencourageandconsolidate

future retail/commercial development to create a true

town centre for Moyston.

• Moystonhasalargeamountofvacantand

underutilisedRuralLivingzonedland.Opportunity

existstoreducetheminimumlotsizerequirementfor

RuralLivingzonedpropertiestoencouragefurther

subdivision and make better use of available space.

• Opportunitytoamendzoneanomaliesthroughout

Moyston.




planning for the future of Moyston. These are illustrated


• Areastothesouth-westofMoystonaresubjectto

the draft Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO). These

are areas that have the highest bushfire risk and are

likely to be particularly exposed to the impact of

bushfire. The suitability of new development in these

areas must be fully considered before it proceeds,

and appropriate bushfire protection measures will be

required.

• TheSignificantLandscapeOverlay(Schedule1)applies

to land to the west of the township boundary. The

purpose of SLO1 is to recognise the significance

of the environmental and landscape values of the

Grampians National Park and the Black Range in the

local context and as a major natural feature tourist

attraction.ThisSLOissettoreduceinsizefollowing

the recommendations of the South West Victoria

Landscape Assessment Study (2013).

• SomeareassurroundingMoystonhavebeenidentified

as ‘Areas of Cultural Heritage Sensitivity’. These areas

include landforms and waterways/ waterbodies that

are regarded as likely to contain sites of Aboriginal

cultural heritage significance.

• A large portion of Moyston is subject to flooding and

have been identified in the Draft Mt William Creek

Catchment Study as having a 1% Annual Exceedance

Probability (AEP). Refer to the map on the following

page for details.

Moyston


Moyston: Values & Constraints Map

Salt CreekSalt Creek

George Creek

George Creek

MMOOYYSSTTOONN -- DDUUNNKKEELLDD RRDD

GGRREEEENNAACCRREESS RRDD

MMOOYYSSTTOONN WWEESSTT RRDD

MMOO

YYSSTTOO

NN -- WW

IILLLLAAUURR

AA RRDD

BBLLOO

CCKK

RRDD

BBOOWWEENN MMIINNEE RRDD

AADD

EELLAA

II DDEE

HHIILL

LLSS RR

DD

MMOORROOCCCCOO HHIILLLL RRDD

WWIILLDDSS LLAANNEE

BBOOLLTTOONN RRDD

BBAARREE HHIILLLL RRDD

Recreation Reserve

Recreation Reserve

Primary School

Primary SchoolHallHall

0 0.75 1

kms

N


Watercourses

Contours




Significant Landscape Overlay (area to be reduced as recommended by the South West Victoria Landscape Assessment Study, 2013)





LEGEND

CemeteryCemetery


George Creek

George Creek




MMOO

YYSSTTOO

NN -- WW

IILLLLAAUURR

AA RRDD

BBLLOO

CCKK

RRDD


AADD

EELLAA

II DDEE

HHIILL

LLSS RR

DD


WWIILLDDSS LLAANNEE

BBOOLLTTOONN RRDD


Recreation Reserve

Recreation Reserve

Primary School


0 0.75 1

kms

N


Watercourses

Contours









LEGEND

CemeteryCemetery


George Creek

George Creek




MMOO

YYSSTTOO

NN -- WW

IILLLLAAUURR

AA RRDD

BBLLOO

CCKK

RRDD


AADD

EELLAA

II DDEE

HHIILL

LLSS RR

DD


WWIILLDDSS LLAANNEE

BBOOLLTTOONN RRDD


Recreation Reserve

Recreation Reserve

Primary School


0 0.75 1

kms

N


Watercourses

Contours









LEGEND

CemeteryCemetery





Moyston. Some of these recommendations are strategic,






TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY

• DefineatownshipboundaryforMoystonthatreflects




• InvestigateapplyingaRestructureOverlayoverthe

Township Zone.

TOWN CENTRE CORE

• Concentrateanyfutureretail/commercialactivity

within the Town Centre Core, in close proximity to the

intersection of Ararat-Halls Gap Road and Moyston-

Dunkeld Road, and other key destinations such as the

primary school and recreation reserve.


activities to locate within the township of Moyston.




services.

RURAL RESIDENTIAL

• Providefurtheropportunitiesforarangeoflowdensity

residential and rural living residential developments

within convenient access to the core community

facilities.




conflict.

• ReducetheRuralLivingZoneminimumlotsizeto2

hectares within the township boundary.

• MaintaintheRuralLivingZone8hectareminimumlot

sizeoutsideofthetownshipboundary.

• Investigateopportunitytorezonetheareaoflandto

the north-west of the township from Farming Zone to

Rural Living Zone, applying an 8 hectare minimum lot

size.Thesuitabilityofnewresidentialdevelopmentin

thisareamustbefullyconsideredbeforeanyrezoning







• EnsurethefuturegrowthofMoystonmakesbestuse








community.









• RezoneMoystonCemeterytoPublicUseZone

(Schedule 5) to better reflect the use and intent of the

land.



of the Grampians National Park to Moyston as a key

environmental and recreational asset of the township.

• Improvepedestrianandcyclingpathswithinthe

township, particularly linking to key destinations such

as the primary school and recreation reserve.

• RezoneTownshipzonedpropertiesalongsidethe

Recreation Reserve to Public Park & Recreation to

better reflect the use and intent of the land.


• Continuetoenhancethenaturalbushlandsettingof

Moyston through streetscape greening initiatives.




• ContinuetoprotecttheexistingAvenueofHonour

tree planting.

• Support succession planting where existing Avenue of

Honour trees are reaching the end of their life cycle.

• RezoneheavilyvegetatedlandthroughoutPomonal

(as identified on the Proposed Moyston Framework

Plan) to Public Conservation & Resource Zone to




garden projects.

BUILT FORM

• Develop a simple suite of design guidelines to

guide appropriate design outcomes and ensure

environmentally sustainable site responsive design.

TOURISM

• Encouragethedevelopmentofthelocaltourism

sector, promoting Moyston’s position as an important

gateway to the Grampians National Park.



• Supporttheestablishmentoflimitedtourismand

accommodation uses that provide a complementary

yet alternative experience to Halls Gap.

HERITAGE





significance.



Moyston


Moyston: Proposed Framework Plan


George Creek

George Creek




MMOO

YYSSTTOO

NN -- WW

IILLLLAAUURR

AA RRDD

BBLLOO

CCKK

RRDD


AADD

EELLAA

II DDEE

HHIILL

LLSS RR

DD


WWIILLDDSS LLAANNEE

BBOOLLTTOONN RRDD


Township Boundary

Watercourses



Conservation areas

Community Uses


Town Centre Core




Farming

Area to be rezoned to Public Conservation & Resource Zone in the short term

Area to be rezoned to Public Park & Recreation Zone in the short term

Area to be rezoned to Public Use Zone 5 in the short term


LEGEND

Recreation Reserve

Recreation Reserve

Primary School


CemeteryCemetery

0 0.75 1

kms

N


George Creek

George Creek




MMOO

YYSSTTOO

NN -- WW

IILLLLAAUURR

AA RRDD

BBLLOO

CCKK

RRDD


AADD

EELLAA

II DDEE

HHIILL

LLSS RR

DD


WWIILLDDSS LLAANNEE

BBOOLLTTOONN RRDD


Township Boundary

Watercourses



Conservation areas

Community Uses


Town Centre Core




Farming





LEGEND

Recreation Reserve

Recreation Reserve

Primary School


CemeteryCemetery

0 0.75 1

kms

N


George Creek

George Creek




MMOO

YYSSTTOO

NN -- WW

IILLLLAAUURR

AA RRDD

BBLLOO

CCKK

RRDD


AADD

EELLAA

II DDEE

HHIILL

LLSS RR

DD


WWIILLDDSS LLAANNEE

BBOOLLTTOONN RRDD


Township Boundary

Watercourses



Conservation areas

Community Uses


Town Centre Core




Farming





LEGEND

Recreation Reserve

Recreation Reserve

Primary School


CemeteryCemetery

0 0.75 1

kms

N


Settlement Role

Elmhurst has been identified as a RuralVillage. Rural







does not provide specific strategic direction for Elmhurst.

Introduction

Elmhurst is located approximately 35km north-east of

Ararat on the Pyrenees Highway.

The township has an scenic landscape setting with the

Mount Cole and Mount Buangor State Forest providing

a backdrop to the south, the Pyrenees Ranges and

Wimmera River to the north. Elmhurst attracts people

seeking a rural residential lifestyle given its affordable

housing prices, scenic location and short commuting

distance from Ararat.

Farms along the Wimmera River commonly combine

cropping and livestock, producing wool, prime lambs,

beef, grains, legumes and wine grapes.1

1 Elmhurst Community Action Plan 2006-2009


UTILITIES


Elmhurst is not serviced by reticulated sewerage.



• RecreationReserveincludingsportsoval,pavilion,

BBQfacilitiesandtenniscourts


• GolfCourse


tennis, golf and angling

COMMUNITY

• CommunityHall

• UnitingChurchandAnglicanChurch

• MobileLibraryService

• Hotel/Pub

• PostOfficeandGeneralStore(recentlyclosed)

EDUCATION

• PrimarySchool

• Playgroup

HEALTH

• BushNursingCentre

• InfantWelfare

TRANSPORT

• CoachservicefromArarattoMaryborough(via

Elmhurst and Avoca) 4 times per week

EMERGENCY SERVICES

• CFA

• PoliceStation

Elmhurst







ISSUES

• Limitedpopulationgrowth.

• Ageingpopulation.

• Recentclosureofpetrolstation,postofficeand

general store.

• Noreticulatedseweragefacilities.

• LimitedpublictransportservicestoArarat(2perweek).

• LargeareadesignatedasTownshipZone,whichin

somecases,maynotbethemostsuitablezoneforits

current/future use.

• LimitedconnectionswiththeRiver.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Attractivetorurallifestyle/‘treechange’population

growth.

• PotentialtobetterutiliseconnectionstotheWimmera

River.

• Redevelopmentopportunityfortheformerpostoffice

and hotel/ pub.

• Opportunitytofurtherrecogniseandpromotethe

townships rich heritage values.

• Opportunityexiststoamendzoneanomalies

throughout Elmhurst.




planning for the future of Elmhurst. These are illustrated



an area of land located to the west of the township.

The purpose of the VPO1 is to protect areas of

significant remnant vegetation.


applies to a portion of the Pyrenees Highway located

to the west of the township. The purpose of VPO2

is to protect areas of significant remnant vegetation

located along roadsides throughout the municipality.


2) applies to the Wimmera River and its adjoining

floodplains. The purpose of ESO2 is to protect

watercourses, water-bodies and wetlands from

inappropriate development and to ensure that that

they are retained as a natural asset.

• AnumberofareaswithinandsurroundingElmhurst

have been identified as ‘Areas of Cultural Heritage

Sensitivity’. These areas include landforms and



significance.

• Some areas of Elmhurst are subject to flooding and

have been identified by the Wimmera Catchment

Management Authority as having a 1% Annual

Exceedance Probability (AEP). Refer to the map on the

following page for details.

Elmhurst


Elmhurst: Values & Constraints Map

PYRENEES HWY

BYERLY ST

GREEN S

T

HIGH ST

ELMHURST SPORTSGROUND RD

GOLF COURSE RD

BOUNDARY R

D

MCKAY ST

BLIND CREEK RD

DEGRAVES S

T

ELMHURST - GLENPATRICK RD

DAR

BYS

HIR

ES R

D

COCKINGS RD

HILLARYS R

D

MCKAY S

TREET

Wimmera River

Wimmera River

Glenpatrick Creek

Glenpatrick Creek

ElmhurstStation

Recreation Reserve

0 300 600

metres


Wimmera River

Railway line

Contours


Environmental Significance Overlay

Restructure Overlay




(as identified by the Wimmera Catchment Management Authority)

LEGEND

N





Elmhurst. Some of these recommendations are strategic,






TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY

• DefineatownshipboundaryforElmhurstthatreflects




TOWN CENTRE CORE


the Town Centre Core.

• Encouragenewbusinesses,servicesandactivitiesto

locate within the township of Elmhurst.




services.

RURAL RESIDENTIAL

• Investigateruralresidentialopportunitiestothewest

of the township boundary in the longer tern. The

suitability of new residential development in this

areamustbefullyconsideredbeforeanyrezoning



heritage, topography, flood, and bushfire risk.




conflict.


• Ensure the future growth of Elmhurst makes best use





• Advocatefortheprovisionofaccessibletransport

services to Ararat, Ballarat and Melbourne, particularly

for the elderly and youth of the community.










• Continuetorecogniseandpromotetheproximityof

the Pyrenees Ranges, Mount Cole State Forest and

Mount Buangor State Forest to Elmhurst as a key

environmental and recreational asset of the township.



interest such as the Primary School and Recreation

Reserve.

• RezonetheRecreationReserveandadjoiningGolf

Course land from Township Zone to Public Park &

Recreation Zone to better reflect the areas existing use

and intent.


• StrengthenconnectionstotheWimmeraRiverand

continue to promote and preserve the river as a key

environmental and recreational asset of Elmhurst.

• Continuetoprotectandstrengthentheexisting

boulevard tree planting along High Street.

• Continuetoenhanceandsoftenthevisualappearance

of the township through streetscape greening

initiatives, particularly within the retail/commercial

core.




• Rezonethetree/creekcorridorrunningfromGreen

Street to the Golf Course from Township Zone to

Public Conservation & Resource Zone to better reflect

the use and intent of the land.

HERITAGE





significance.

• Continuetoprotect,promoteandrecognisesitesof

local heritage significance.

Elmhurst


Elmhurst: Proposed Framework Plan

PYRENEES HWY

BYERLY ST

GREEN S

T

HIGH ST


GOLF COURSE RD

BOUNDARY R

D

MCKAY ST

BLIND CREEK RD

DEGRAVES S

T


DAR

BYS

HIR

ES R

DCOCKINGS RD

HILLARYS R

D

MCKAY S

TREET

Wimmera River

Wimmera River

Glenpatrick Creek

Glenpatrick Creek

Police

Elmhurst Primary School

ElmhurstStation

Bush Nurisng Centre

Elmhurst Golf Course

Recreation Reserve

0 300 600

metres

Township Boundary

Watercourse

Railway Line

Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Farming

Area to be rezoned to Public Park and Recreation Zone in the short term



LEGEND

N

PYRENEES HWY

BYERLY ST

GREEN S

T

HIGH ST


GOLF COURSE RD

BOUNDARY R

D

MCKAY ST

BLIND CREEK RD

DEGRAVES S

T


DAR

BYS

HIR

ES R

D

COCKINGS RD

HILLARYS R

D

MCKAY S

TREET

Wimmera River

Wimmera River

Glenpatrick Creek

Glenpatrick Creek

Police


ElmhurstStation

Bush Nurisng Centre


Recreation Reserve

0 300 600

metres

Township Boundary

Watercourse

Railway Line

Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Farming




LEGEND

N

PYRENEES HWY

BYERLY ST

GREEN S

T

HIGH ST


GOLF COURSE RD

BOUNDARY R

D

MCKAY ST

BLIND CREEK RD

DEGRAVES S

T


DAR

BYS

HIR

ES R

D

COCKINGS RD

HILLARYS R

D

MCKAY S

TREET

Wimmera River

Wimmera River

Glenpatrick Creek

Glenpatrick Creek

Police


ElmhurstStation

Bush Nurisng Centre


Recreation Reserve

0 300 600

metres

Township Boundary

Watercourse

Railway Line

Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Farming




LEGEND

N


EMERGENCY SERVICES

• CFA

Settlement Role

Buangor has been identified as a RuralVillage. Rural







does not provide specific strategic direction for Buangor.

Introduction

Buangor is located approximately 24km east of Ararat,

and 75km west of Ballarat. The township is centred

around the intersection of the Western Highway and

Challicum Road, and serves as an important gateway to

Mount Cole State Forest, Mount Buangor State Park and

Langi Ghiran State Park. Buangor is the closest town in

the municipality to Ballarat (50 mins).

The townships Cobb & Co Changing Station, now used

for community functions and gatherings, provides a key

point of interest for those travelling along the highway.

Behind this sits the sports oval and pavilion, tennis courts,

and primary school.

The recent establishment of a wine and art gallery known

as ‘Off the Beaten Track’ has encouraged passers-by to

stop off within Buangor. A number of vineyards and cellar

door sales are also located within the wider area.

Buangor is supported by predominantly farming

industries, including wool, cattle, cropping, hay and

vineyards. In more recent years the timber industry has

established plantations in the area.1

The Melbourne-Ararat railway line runs east-west through

the township, to the south of the Western Highway.

\

1 Buangor & District Community Action Plan 2006-2009


UTILITIES


Buangor is not serviced by reticulated sewerage.



• RecreationReserveincludingsportsoval,pavilionand

tennis courts


cricket, tennis, basketball and soccer

• BillyBillyCreekpicnicarea

• TorontoPark

• CloseproximitytoMountColeStateForest,Mount

Buangor State Park, Langi Ghiran State Park and the

Challicum Hills Wind Farm

COMMUNITY

• Cobb & Co Changing Station (now used for

community functions and gatherings)

EDUCATION

• PrimarySchool

HEALTH

• N/A

TRANSPORT

• CoachservicefromMelbournetoArarat(viaBuangor)

6 times per week

• CoachservicefromMelbournetoOyen(viaBuangor)

5 times per week

• CoachservicefromBallarattoStawell(viaBuangor)

2 times per week

• CoachservicefromMelbournetoNhill(viaBuangor)

4 times per week

Buangor







ISSUES

• Limitedcommercialactivityasevidencedbythe

recent closure of the hotel/pub.

• Fragmentedcommunity.

• UncertaintyaroundtheimpactoftheBuangorbypass,

that is to be constructed as part of the Western

Highway Project.

OPPORTUNITIES

• Buangoristheclosesttowninthemunicipalityto

Ballarat (50 mins).

• CloseproximitytoMountColeStateForest,Mount

Buangor State Park and Langi Ghiran State Park.

• Historicvalues,namelytheCobb&CoChanging

Station and nearby homesteads.

• Constructionofthebypassoffersthepotentialfor

significant benefits to the amenity, livability and

attractiveness of Buangor. For example, a reduction

in truck movements throughout the township will

result in a safer pedestrian environment with improved

access between the north and south of the township.

• Lifestyledevelopmentopportunities.




planning for the future of Buangor. These are illustrated


• ExtensiveareastothenorthofBuangoraresubject

to the Wildfire Management Overlay (WMO) and draft

Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO). These are areas

that have the highest bushfire risk and are likely to be

particularly exposed to the impact of bushfire. The

suitability of new development in these areas must be

fully considered before it proceeds, and appropriate

bushfire protection measures will be required.

However, it should be noted that the proposed BMO

is based on existing tree plantations that currently

have an uncertain future as a result of the proposed

bypass. It is considered that bushfire constraints to the

north are likely to reduce once the bypass has been

constructed, effectively providing a barrier to any fire

front from the north.


applies to large areas of land throughout Buangor.

The purpose of VPO1 is to protect areas of significant

remnant vegetation.

• SomeareaswithinBuangorhavebeenidentifiedas

‘Areas of Cultural Heritage Sensitivity’. These areas

include landforms and waterways/ waterbodies that

are regarded as likely to contain sites of Aboriginal

cultural heritage significance.

Buangor


Buangor: Values & Constraints Map

CCHHAA

LLLLIICC

UUMM

RR

DD

BBUUAANNGGOORR RRDD

WWEESSTTEERRNN HHWWYYBBUU

AANNGG

OORR

-- BBEENN

NNEEVV

IISS RR

DD

CHALLICUM ROADCHALLICUM ROAD

PE

AC

OC

KS

RO

AD

PE

AC

OC

KS

RO

AD


Billy Billy Creek

Railway line

Contours



Heritage Overlay




LEGEND

Hall(Cobb & Co)

Buangor Cemetery

Oval

Buangor Primary School

Billy Billy Creek

BuangorStation

0 250 500

metres

N





Buangor. Some of these recommendations are strategic,






TOWNSHIP BOUNDARY

• DefineatownshipboundaryforBuangorthatreflects




TOWN CENTRE CORE



retail activity.


activities that take advantage of Buangor’s heritage

assets, nearby wineries and proximity to Mount

Buangor and Mt Langi Ghiran.




services.

• RezonelotsfrontingChallicumRoad(southofthe

railway line) from Farming Zone to Township Zone to

betterreflecttheirexistinguseandsubdivisionsize.

RURAL RESIDENTIAL

• Rezonelotstothewestofthetownship(betweenthe

railway line and the Western Highway) from Township

Zone to Rural Living Zone and investigate application

of a Restructure Overlay.

• Investigatepotentialforrurallivingopportunitiesto

the north and north-east of the township boundary

in the longer term, once the bypass is in operation.

The suitability of new residential development in these

areasmustbefullyconsideredbeforeanyrezoning









conflict.


• EnsurethefuturegrowthofBuangormakesbestuse








community.











of Mount Cole State Forest, Mount Buangor State

Forest and Langi Ghiran State Park to Buangor as a key

recreational asset of the township.



interest such as the Primary School and Recreation

Reserve.

• ContinuetopromoteandpreserveBillyBillycreekasa

key environmental and recreational asset of Buangor.


• ContinuetoprotectexistingAvenueofHonourtree

planting along the Western Highway.

• Support succession planting where existing Avenue of

Honour trees are reaching the end of their life cycle.




• Prepare an Urban Design Framework for Buangor to

provide direction on potential improvements to the

design of the streetscape following construction of

the bypass, including strengthening visual and physical

connections between the north and south sides of the

highway.

• DevelopaCommunityActionPlanandUrbanDesign

Plan in response to changes associated with the

bypass.

HERITAGE





significance.

• Continuetoprotectandpromotesitesoflocal

heritage significance such as the Cobb & Co Changing

Station.

Buangor


Buangor: Proposed Framework PlanCC

HHAALLLL

IICCUU

MM

RRDD

BBUUAANNGGOORR RRDD

WWEESSTTEERRNN HHWWYY

BBUUAANN

GGOO

RR -- BB

EENN NN

EEVVIISS

RRDD


PE

AC

OC

KS

RO

AD

PE

AC

OC

KS

RO

AD

Township Boundary

Billy Billy Creek

Railway Line

Proposed Buangor Bypass (indicative alignment only)

Main Access Road (following construction of the Bypass)


Avenue of Honour tree planting


Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Farming


Area to be rezoned to Rural Living Zone in the short term


LEGEND

Hall(Cobb & Co)

Buangor Cemetery

Oval


Billy Billy Creek

BuangorStation

0 250 500

metres

N

CCHHAA

LLLLIICC

UUMM

RR

DD

BBUUAANNGGOORR RRDD


BBUUAANN

GGOO

RR -- BB

EENN NN

EEVVIISS

RRDD


PE

AC

OC

KS

RO

AD

PE

AC

OC

KS

RO

AD

Township Boundary

Billy Billy Creek

Railway Line






Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Farming




LEGEND

Hall(Cobb & Co)

Buangor Cemetery

Oval


Billy Billy Creek

BuangorStation

0 250 500

metres

N

CCHHAA

LLLLIICC

UUMM

RR

DD

BBUUAANNGGOORR RRDD


BBUUAANN

GGOO

RR -- BB

EENN NN

EEVVIISS

RRDD


PE

AC

OC

KS

RO

AD

PE

AC

OC

KS

RO

AD

Township Boundary

Billy Billy Creek

Railway Line






Community Uses


Town Centre Core

Farming




LEGEND

Hall(Cobb & Co)

Buangor Cemetery

Oval


Billy Billy Creek

BuangorStation

0 250 500

metres

N


Chapter 8.Implementation


8.1 Planning Scheme Implementation Recommendations

The Ararat Planning Scheme provides the primary tool to implement the recommendations of the SGF Strategy. It is an

important implementation mechanism as it requires Council, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and

applicants to consider the key objectives and directions outlined in a Strategy such as this.

Recommendations for implementation of the Strategy through the Ararat Planning Scheme are listed below.

UPDATES TO THE MUNICIPAL STRATEGIC STATEMENT (CLAUSE 21)

The Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) establishes the strategic framework for the municipality and provides the broad

local policy basis for making decisions under a planning scheme. Acting as a planning authority or responsible authority,

Council must aim to achieve the objectives and follow the strategies set out in the MSS. As Council develops and revises

its strategic direction, the MSS needs to be refined.

Suggested updates to the Ararat Planning Scheme MSS are included as Appendix C to this report.

ZONE CHANGES/ CORRECTIONS

StandardzonesforStatewideapplicationareincludedintheVictorianPlanningProvisions.Thesezonesareusedinall

planningschemesasrequired.AnimportantfeatureofthezonesisthattheyareusedtoimplementtheStateandLocal

Planning Policy Frameworks, including the Municipal Strategic Statement.

TheSGFStrategyrecommendsanumberofzonechanges/corrections,asidentifiedinthetableonthefollowingpage.

RECOMMENDED OVERLAYS

The SGF Strategy recommends application of a Restructure Overlay in parts of Willaura and Buangor. The purpose of a

Restructure Overlay is to identify old and inappropriate subdivisions which are to be restructured to create larger lots that

better reflect the strategic directions for the locality than the existing subdivision pattern.

REFERENCING THE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH FUTURE STRATEGY

The Planning and Environment Act 1987 allows certain documents to be incorporated in a planning scheme by

reference, rather than by including the entire document in the scheme itself. Reference documents provide background

information to assist in understanding the context within which a particular policy or provision has been framed.

It is recommended that the Sustainable Growth Future Strategy is included as a reference document within Clause 21.06.

Implementation

8.2 Timeline for Implementation

The timeline for implementation of the Strategy is classified as follows:

• Short: 6 months to 2 years

• Medium: 2 years to 5 years

• Long: 5 years to 10 years

• On-going: throughout the life of the Strategy

Short, medium and long terms actions are listed on the following page. Following implementation of the Strategy

through the Ararat planning scheme, all directions of the Strategy will be ongoing throughout the life of the Strategy (25

years), and reviewed every 4 years through subsequent MSS reviews .


ACTION / ACTION IMPLEMENTATIONRESPONSIBILITY

TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION

MUNICIPAL STRATEGIC STATEMENT

A1 • Prepare a planning scheme amendment to incorporate the key strategic directions and future growth recommendations

(including all Proposed Framework Plans) of the SGF Strategy into the Municipal Strategic Statement, as detailed in Appendix C.

Council Short

A2 • Prepareaplanningschemeamendmenttoimplementthezonechanges/correctionsaslistedbelow. Council Short

ZONES & OVERLAYS

ARARAT

A3 • Rezoneparcelsoflandlocatedtothesouth-westofthetownship(alongVincentStreetandBellinghamsHillRoad)fromFarming

Zone to Rural Living Zone (or to Residential 1 Zone if sewerage is available).

Council Short - Medium

A4 • RezonetheportionoflandbetweenAradaleGolfCourseandGreenHillLake(betweenWarrakRoadandMcLellanStreet)toRural

Living Zone.

Council Short - Medium

A5 • RezonetheexistingCommercial1Zone(Business2Zone)situatedalongtheWesternHighwayandBarklyStreet(totheeast

of Princes Street) to Commercial 2 Zone; taking into account considerations such as adjoining sensitive land uses and heritage

buildings.

Council Short

A6 • RezonethesmalltriangleofResidential1zonedlandboundedbyBairdandWilsonStreettoCommercial2Zone,toprovide

further opportunity for large format retailing on the periphery of the town centre; taking into account considerations such as

adjoining sensitive land uses and heritage buildings.

Council Short

A7 • Rezonethesmalltriangleportionoflandadjoiningtherailwayline(currentlyusedasaroundabout)toRoadZone-Category1to


Council Short

A8 • Investigate industrial growth to the north (in close proximity to the Western Highway Ararat Bypass and Pyrenees Highway),

following take-up of existing industrial land in Ararat. The exact location of future industrial land will be subject to the final

alignment of the Western Highway Ararat Bypass and a land suitability assessment.

Council Long

LAKE BOLAC

A9 • RezonetheexistingTownshipZoneandFarmingZonetothenorth-eastofthetownshiptoIndustrial3Zonetobetterreflectits

existing industrial use and subdivision pattern.

Council Short

A10 • RezonetheexistingPublicPark&RecreationzonedlandlocatedtothenorthofthetownshiptoPublicConservation&Resource

Zone to protect and preserve the natural environment and restrict any commercial development in the area.

Council Short

A11 • RezonetheexistinglotslocatedbetweenMortlake-AraratRoadandLakeBolacCollegefromTownshipZonetoPublicUseZone

(Education) to better reflect the existing use and intent of the land.

Council Short

A12 • RezonetheparceloflandcontainingthetenniscourtsfromTownshipZonetoPublicPark&RecreationZonetobetterreflectthe

existing use and intent of the land.

Council Short

WILLAURA

A13 • RezonetheTownshipZonetothewestofthetownshiptoFarmingZonetobetterreflecttheareasexistingfarminguse,

subdivisionpattern,andallotmentsize.

Council Short

A14 • Investigate application of a Restructure Overlay to the south of the township on lots adjoining Willaura-Wickliffe Road. Council Short - Medium


POMONAL

A15 • RezonelandsurroundingthemajorintersectionofPomonalfromRuralLivingtoTownshipZonetocreateadefinedcentreforthe

town and a focus for future retail/commercial activity, in line with the recommendations of the Stawell – Ararat – Halls Gap Triangle

Rural Zone Review (2012).

Council Short

A16 • RezoneexistingFarmingandRuralLivingzonedlandlocatedtothewestofthetownshiptoRuralConservationZone,inlinewith

the recommendations of the Stawell – Ararat – Halls Gap Triangle Rural Zone Review (2012).

Council Short

A17 • ExplorethepotentialtorezonesomeparcelsoflandinPomonaltoRuralActivityZonetoencouragetourismdevelopmentthat

takes advantage of Pomonal’s attractive natural/rural setting and proximity to the Grampians National Park and Lake Fyans.

Council Short

A18 • Investigate further rural residential opportunities to the north-east of the township in the longer term to better reflect the extent

of existing property boundaries. The suitability of new residential development in this area must be fully considered before any

rezoningproceeds,includinganassessmentofenvironmentalassetsandhazards;mainlynativevegetation,culturalheritage,

topography, flood, and bushfire risk. Future development should be directed outside the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) area

in the first instance.

Council Long

MOYSTON

A19 • Investigateopportunitytorezonetheareaoflandtothenorth-westofthetownshipfromFarmingZonetoRuralLivingZone,

applyingan8hectareminimumlotsize.Thesuitabilityofnewresidentialdevelopmentinthisareamustbefullyconsideredbefore

anyrezoningproceeds,includinganassessmentofenvironmentalassetsandhazards;mainlynativevegetation,culturalheritage,

topography, flood, and bushfire risk. Future development should be directed outside the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) area

in the first instance.

Council Medium

A20 • RezoneMoystonCemeterytoPublicUseZone(Schedule5)tobetterreflecttheuseandintentoftheland. Council Short

A21 • RezoneTownshipzonedpropertiesalongsidetheRecreationReservetoPublicPark&Recreationtobetterreflecttheuseand

intent of the land.

Council Short

A22 • RezoneheavilyvegetatedlandthroughoutPomonal(asidentifiedontheProposedMoystonFrameworkPlan)toPublic

Conservation & Resource Zone to better reflect the use and intent of the land.

Council Short

ELMHURST

A23 • RezonetheRecreationReserveandadjoiningGolfCourselandfromTownshipZonetoPublicPark&RecreationZonetobetter

reflect the areas existing use and intent.

Council Short

A24 • Rezonethetree/creekcorridorrunningfromGreenStreettotheGolfCoursefromTownshipZonetoPublicConservation&

Resource Zone to better reflect the use and intent of the land.

Council Short

A25 • Investigateruralresidentialopportunitiestothewestofthetownshipboundaryinthelongertern.Thesuitabilityofnewresidential

developmentinthisareamustbefullyconsideredbeforeanyrezoningproceeds,includinganassessmentofenvironmentalassets

andhazards;mainlynativevegetation,culturalheritage,topography,flood,andbushfirerisk.

Council Long

BUANGOR

A26 • RezonelotsfrontingChallicumRoad(southoftherailwayline)fromFarmingZonetoTownshipZonetobetterreflecttheirexisting

useandsubdivisionsize.

Council Short

A27 • Rezonelotstothewestofthetownship(betweentherailwaylineandtheWesternHighway)fromTownshipZonetoRuralLiving

Zone, and investigate application of a Restructure Overlay.

Council Short

A28 • Investigate potential for rural living opportunities to the north and north-east of the township boundary once the bypass is in

operation.Thesuitabilityofnewresidentialdevelopmentintheseareasmustbefullyconsideredbeforeanyrezoningproceeds,

includinganassessmentofenvironmentalassetsandhazards;mainlynativevegetation,culturalheritage,topography,flood,and

bushfire risk. Development in the first instance should be directed outside the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO) area.

Council Long


Appendices

Documents

ARARAT SUSTAINABLE GROWTH FUTURE · Chapter 3. Setting a Framework for Growth: Residential Land Use 16 3.1 Introduction 17 3.2 Housing Growth 17 3.3 Residential Land Use 17 Chapter