The state government’s long-awaited plan to protect the Macedon Ranges from overdevelopment and urban sprawl was launched during a tour of the region by planning minister Richard Wynne last Thursday.
Joining Macedon MP Mary-Anne Thomas, local indigenous elders and shire councillors at Blackhill Reserve, Mr Wynne launched the Statement of Planning Policy, a 50-year strategy that specifies protected settlement boundaries for the townships of Kyneton, Lancefield, Riddells Creek and Woodend that require parliamentary approval to change.
A first of its kind, the SPP forms the next step in delivering promised state-level protection to the Macedon Ranges, which has already been declared a Distinctive Area and Landscape under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.
The SPP is yet to be finalised with more work required to set the settlement boundaries for the townships of Gisborne and Romsey, which will be determined as part of a review of the towns’ Outline Development Plans.
Mr Wynne said the Macedon Ranges was beautiful and unique and now had some of the strongest planning protections in place to make sure it stayed that way.
“We’re protecting Macedon Ranges’ treasured natural landscapes while encouraging development in the appropriate areas to ensure townships grow sustainably,” he said.
The government will now work closely with Macedon Ranges Shire Council, traditional owners and responsible public entities to implement the SPP.
To read the SPP, visit: planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/distinctive-areas-and-landscapes.
