Grange Planning Brain

title: Bannockburn South East Precinct Structure Plan council: golden-plains state: vic category: growth-area classification: MAJOR status: exhibited last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:

  • Council Meeting Agenda 24 March 2026 - Final.pdf
  • Council Briefing Agenda Reports 24.06.2025.pdf
  • Att 7.3 Council Plan Implementation Report – Y4 Quarter 1 (V2).pdf
  • Att 7.3 - Annual Report 2024.pdf
  • Att 08.03 Implementation Report - Quarter 4.pdf
  • Att 7.4 Council Plan Implementation Report – Quarter 3.pdf
  • Att 7.5 Council Plan Implementation Report – Quarter 2_2.pdf
  • Att 7.10 Council Plan Implementation Report – Quarter 2_2_0.pdf
  • web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt
  • web-research-L0-residential-development-plan-for-bannockburn-closer-golden-plains-times-125b8527c3.txt
  • Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf
  • Bannockburn South East PSP Precinct Structure Plan April 2025.pdf
  • Bannockburn South East PSP Development Contributions Plan April 2025.pdf
  • Small Lot Housing Code Victorian Planning Authority November 2019.pdf

Bannockburn South East Precinct Structure Plan

The Bannockburn South East PSP is the first major statutory step for converting the south-east edge of Bannockburn from farming land into an urban precinct, with 524 hectares planned for 4,685 dwellings, 13,820 residents and 750 ongoing jobs (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 19, 25, 53). Its planning significance is not only the dwelling yield: the PSP creates the infrastructure spine, drainage system, school network, open-space reservations and development contribution mechanism that will shape later Bannockburn growth areas (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 3, 13, 15-22).

The core planning tension is that only 309.42 hectares, or 59.05% of the gross precinct, is counted as net developable area, because large areas are assigned to drainage, waterways, cultural and environmental sensitivity, open space, utilities, roads and schools (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 53). This makes the precinct a test of whether Bannockburn can absorb regional housing growth while protecting Bruce Creek, managing railway drainage constraints, funding an expensive east-west transport link, and sequencing water and sewer infrastructure (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 30-31, 48-52, 63-66).

Background

The precinct was identified in the Bannockburn Growth Plan 2021 as a priority growth area for short-term residential development south-east of the existing township (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt). The VPA is the planning authority for draft Amendment C107gpla, which would implement the PSP and DCP through the Golden Plains Planning Scheme (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt). The VPA project page records consultation from 5 May 2025 to 15 June 2025 and a Planning Panel scheduled to start on 20 October 2025 for up to two to three weeks (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt).

Council reporting shows that the PSP has been in preparation for several years: in 2023 Council reported that the VPA was progressing the Bannockburn South East PSP and that exhibition was proposed for mid-2024 (Source: Att 7.5 Council Plan Implementation Report – Quarter 2_2.pdf). In 2024 Council reported that the PSP was being drafted for exhibition in February 2025 and that the Development Contributions Plan Overlay action was in progress (Source: Att 7.3 Council Plan Implementation Report – Y4 Quarter 1 (V2).pdf). The 2024 Annual Report states that Council continued to work with the VPA to develop the PSP and Development Contributions Plan Overlay (Source: Att 7.3 - Annual Report 2024.pdf).

The broader municipal growth context is that Golden Plains’ Growing Places Strategy supports continuing growth already planned for Bannockburn while identifying additional growth in Meredith, Lethbridge and Teesdale, subject to servicing and infrastructure preconditions (Source: Council Briefing Agenda Reports 24.06.2025.pdf, pp. 14-16). Council also stated in June 2025 that the growth scenario in the Growing Places Strategy is additional to the growth already planned in town structure plans and the Bannockburn Growth Plan embedded in the planning scheme (Source: Council Briefing Agenda Reports 24.06.2025.pdf, p. 14).

Analysis

Land Supply, Yield and Density

The PSP covers 524 hectares but produces 309.42 hectares of NDA, meaning 214.58 hectares are removed from the contribution and developable land base before conventional residential yield is calculated (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 53). The stated dwelling program is 4,685 dwellings across 307.7 hectares of housing NDA, split between 133.3 hectares of amenity-area land at 17 dwellings per net developable hectare and 172.8 hectares of balance-area land at 14 dwellings per net developable hectare (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 19). The implied planning model is therefore a regional-town density framework rather than a metropolitan greenfield density framework, with the Background Report recording that the precinct uses regional-specific adaptations for amenity areas, density, local employment and open-space land-take targets (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 8).

The PSP’s expected population is 13,820 residents using 2.95 persons per dwelling (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 19). Technical studies used during preparation produced a wider population band: the Utility Servicing Assessment used 4,800 to 5,200 dwellings and 14,000 to 15,000 people, the Integrated Transport Assessment used 5,400 dwellings and 15,750 people, the Community Infrastructure Assessment used 5,238 dwellings and 15,452 people, and the Economic and Retail Assessment used 3,766 dwellings and 11,109 people (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 24). The final PSP yield of 4,685 dwellings sits below the transport and community-infrastructure testing assumptions, which means transport and social infrastructure has been tested against a higher demand case than the final PSP dwelling table (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 24; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 19).

The land budget shows why the gross area is misleading. Open space totals 133.17 hectares, or 25.4% of the gross precinct and 43.04% of NDA; waterway and drainage reserve alone accounts for 90.24 hectares, or 17.22% of the precinct; and culturally and/or environmentally sensitive areas account for a further 49.55 hectares, or 9.46% of the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 53). In practical planning terms, Bruce Creek, stormwater drainage, conservation, cultural sensitivity and major infrastructure are not edge conditions: they are the organising structure of the PSP (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 15-17, 47-52).

The parcel-specific budget shows uneven development capacity across landholdings. Parcels 1, 13 and 14 have 0% NDA because their areas are assigned to waterway and drainage reserve, while Parcel 2 has only 1.96 hectares of NDA out of 30.26 hectares, or 6.48% of the property (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 54-55). By contrast, Parcels 3, 5, 11 and 17 are recorded as 100% NDA, meaning the cost and land-take impacts are unevenly distributed spatially even though the DCP levy is applied across the fixed NDA base (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 54-55; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 22-23).

Housing Diversity and Affordable Housing

The PSP requires higher diversity in amenity areas than in balance areas: amenity areas are expected to enable at least three housing typologies, including low-rise apartments, shop-top housing, townhouses, duplex or small-lot products, detached housing and retirement living (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 18-19). Balance areas are expected to enable at least two typologies, including townhouses, semi-detached or duplex housing, detached housing, low-rise social and affordable housing and retirement living (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 19).

The affordable housing target is 6.5% of total dwellings, split into 0.9% subsidised market housing and 5.6% social housing (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 19). Applied to 4,685 dwellings, that target implies about 305 affordable dwellings, including about 42 subsidised market dwellings and about 262 social housing dwellings, using the PSP percentages and dwelling total (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 19). Earlier council implementation reporting recorded that 6% social housing was being pursued in the PSP, so the exhibited PSP appears to convert that policy direction into a more detailed 6.5% social and affordable housing framework (Source: Att 7.10 Council Plan Implementation Report – Quarter 2_2_0.pdf; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 19).

The Small Lot Housing Code is relevant because the PSP identifies semi-detached and duplex-style products as possible housing types, and the Code applies in most residential and mixed-use PSPs where a lot is identified by title restriction for assessment under the Code (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 18-19; Source: Small Lot Housing Code Victorian Planning Authority November 2019.pdf). The Code states that it can be used for lots less than 300 square metres where the site is identified for assessment against the Code and complies with it (Source: Small Lot Housing Code Victorian Planning Authority November 2019.pdf).

Activity Centre and Employment

The PSP allocates 2.7 hectares of NDA to the local town centre and estimates 360 jobs from that centre (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 25). Education and community facilities account for 21.6 hectares of NDA and up to 390 jobs, producing a total employment estimate of 750 jobs (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 25). The Background Report states that the activity-centre analysis allows for a population capacity of around 16,000 residents, which is higher than the final PSP population estimate of 13,820 residents (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 36; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 19).

The local centre is not intended to replace the existing Bannockburn town centre; the VPA page describes it as a new local activity centre for shopping, dining and commercial activity designed to complement the existing Bannockburn Town Centre (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt). This creates a planning hierarchy in which the new centre supports walkable daily needs inside the PSP while the existing town centre remains the higher-order township focus (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 25).

The east-west link road is the critical transport dependency for both the PSP and wider Bannockburn growth framework. The Background Report states that the Bannockburn Growth Plan identified an east-west road to accommodate traffic from growth areas and reduce traffic pressure at full build-out of the Growth Plan (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 29). With the arterial road, Stantec modelling found High Street, Geelong Road and Burnside Road could generally operate suitably; without it, High Street or Bannockburn-Shelford Road would exceed theoretical capacity, Geelong Road and Kelly Road would come close to theoretical capacity, Burnside Road would exceed rural-road theoretical capacity, and upgrades to four state roads would be required at full build-out (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 30).

The Burnside Road railway crossing illustrates the scale of the difference. At ultimate build-out of the Growth Plan, Burnside Road is estimated to carry up to 5,650 vehicles per day with the east-west link road and about 21,450 vehicles per day without it (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 30). The Background Report states that this would likely require review of existing Burnside Road railway crossing controls (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 30). The DCP includes a Burnside Road level crossing upgrade as project RD-02, with an estimated construction cost of 2 million and a contribution rate of 6,464 per NDHa (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 13, 26).

The Bruce Creek bridge is both a transport project and a cultural/environmental risk point. The Background Report states that the Growth Plan showed three bridge crossings over Bruce Creek, but the PSP process found only one crossing was required from a transport perspective, and WTOAC advised that not enough was known about cultural heritage around Bruce Creek to determine the level of harm from a crossing (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 30-31). The PSP therefore shows a bridge investigation area, with final siting and design subject to further cultural heritage and biodiversity work (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 31).

The DCP cost signal is significant. The interim two-lane Bruce Creek bridge has an adopted total cost of 79,984,050, with 50% apportioned to the Bannockburn South East main catchment area, producing a DCP-recovered cost of 39,992,025 and a contribution rate of 129,248 per NDHa (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 28, 36). The DCP explains that the bridge cost is deliberately conservative and includes a 66,653,375 base cost, a 10% cut-and-fill allowance, a 5% sodic soils allowance and a 5% miscellaneous allowance (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 36). Because future precincts such as Bannockburn South West and the Future Growth Option South are expected to contribute later, the South East precinct is the interim catalyst for 50% of the bridge cost (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 67).

Drainage, Railway Outfall and Land Take

Drainage is the largest single land-use and cost category in the PSP. The land budget assigns 90.24 hectares to waterway and drainage reserve and the DCP funds drainage infrastructure with a total cost of 99,264,832 and a contribution rate of 320,809 per NDHa (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 53; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 3, 31). DCP drainage projects include ten retarding basin or wetland assets, one sediment basin, one constructed waterway, a Bruce Creek open-space reserve and drainage channels south of the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 19-20, 29-31).

The PSP lists retarding basin and wetland assets including RBWL1 at 4.31 hectares, RBWL2 at 3.21 hectares, RBWL3 at 2.34 hectares, RBWL4 at 6.46 hectares and RBWL5 at 4.57 hectares, with Golden Plains Shire identified as responsible for those assets (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 35). The DCP cost table expands this system to RBWL1 through RBWL10, RBWL8 as a sediment basin, WW-01 as a constructed waterway, DR-01 as a Bruce Creek open-space reserve and DR-02 as drainage channels south of the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 29-31).

The railway outfall issue is unresolved in the exhibited package. The Background Report states that the current drainage concept maintains no additional post-development flows into existing railway culverts and avoids significant works to the railway easement and southern properties outside the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 50). It also states that VicTrack did not support the Stormwater Drainage Concept Design Report and requested an alternative that does not direct runoff to existing railway culverts, even if post-development flows remain unchanged (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 51). The VPA commissioned a railway outfall optioneering memo, with Concept #2 reflected in the exhibited PSP and Concept #3 still being explored with Council, VicTrack and ARTC (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 51).

This matters because Concept #3 would require works outside the precinct, and the amendment applies a Public Acquisition Overlay to part of Harvey Road and part of 449 Burnside Road to reserve land for drainage assets and railway outfall works (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 51-52). The drainage system is therefore not simply an internal subdivision design matter; it depends on agreement with rail authorities and may require off-site acquisition and channels south of the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 51-52; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 19-20).

Cultural Heritage, Biodiversity and Landscape Constraints

The PSP identifies Bruce Creek as the western boundary and as a place of high cultural and ecological value, with a role in biodiversity protection, Wadawurrung living cultural heritage and bushfire-risk management (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 8). The Background Report states that the precinct is on Wadawurrung Country and that intangible cultural values are strongly associated with Bruce Creek, the stony rise, indigenous vegetation shelterbelts and view lines to places including Wurdi Youang and the Barrabool Hills (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 15).

The Background Report identifies several Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Register places in the PSP area and states they will need to be managed through Cultural Heritage Management Plans under section 61 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 15). It also identifies two areas with higher archaeological sensitivity: the Bruce Creek corridor, including floodplain, terraces and escarpment edges with high to very high archaeological sensitivity, and the stony rises with moderate archaeological sensitivity (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 15-16).

The biodiversity evidence identifies 8.4 hectares of Ecological Vegetation Classes across Plains Grassland, Creekline Grassy Woodland and Plains Grassy Woodland (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 16). The Background Report records 66 flora species, 21 fauna species, 1,456 trees and records of Golden Sun Moth, Growling Grass Frog and Tussock Skink, with no striped legless lizards recorded in the 2020 surveys (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 16-17). The report also states that Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon surveys were not undertaken because the species was thought extinct during 2020 targeted surveys, and developers will need to undertake targeted surveys at permit stage following its rediscovery in 2023 (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 17).

There is a notable heritage discrepancy between documents. The PSP states that Bannockburn South East does not contain registered/listed post-contact heritage sites (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 10). The Background Report states that there is one registered/listed heritage site within the precinct: H7721-0541, Bruce Creek Pastoral Outstation, Harvey Road, listed on the Victorian Heritage Inventory (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 16). The Background Report also identifies Grayson’s Farm at 430 Burnside Road, including a farmhouse, dairy, barn and dry stone wall, and recommends a place-specific heritage study to determine whether it meets the threshold for a Heritage Overlay (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 16). This inconsistency should be resolved before final approval because the statutory treatment of heritage places affects open-space layout, permit requirements and future overlay controls (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 10; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 16).

Open Space, Schools and Community Infrastructure

The PSP provides three local sports reserves: SR-01 at 6 hectares, SR-02 at 6 hectares and SR-03 at 10 hectares (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 33-34). It provides seven local parks with areas of 1.24 hectares, 1.00 hectare, 0.60 hectares, 0.55 hectares, 0.71 hectares, 1.00 hectare and 1.00 hectare, plus a 0.60-hectare indoor recreation facility site (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 34-35). The credited open-space budget is 28.11 hectares, made up of 22.00 hectares of local sports reserve and 6.11 hectares of local network park (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 53).

The community infrastructure assessment found that full development of Bannockburn South East is likely to generate 1,190 government primary school enrolments, equivalent to 1.7 government primary schools (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 60). The PSP therefore includes two government primary schools of 3.5 hectares each, partly to serve both the PSP and future residents from the adjacent Future Growth Option East (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 60). The precinct is expected to generate 540 government secondary students, or 0.5 government secondary schools, while the wider Bannockburn Growth Plan area is estimated to generate about 1,450 secondary enrolments, or 1.6 government secondary schools (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 60).

The Background Report records that the VPA included two government primary schools, one non-government primary school and one government secondary school in the place-based plan (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 61). It also records that 77% of dwellings would be within 800 metres of a government primary school and 100% of dwellings would be within 3,200 metres of a government secondary school (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 61).

The community facilities program includes two Level 1 community centres of 0.8 hectares each and one Level 2 multipurpose community centre of 1 hectare (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 61). The assessment found demand for 1.5 Level 1 centres and 0.8 Level 2 centres from the precinct, meaning the PSP rounds up facility provision to support both precinct and wider township needs (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 61). The assessment also indicates demand for 1.5 indoor courts from Bannockburn South East and 4.1 courts from the wider Growth Plan area, with a new indoor recreation facility recommended within the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 61).

Development Contributions and Delivery Risk

The DCP establishes a development infrastructure levy of 974,156 per net developable hectare across the 309.42-hectare NDA base (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 3, 22-23). The levy comprises 256,189 per NDHa for transport, 139,000 per NDHa for community facilities, 258,158 per NDHa for recreation and 320,809 per NDHa for drainage (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 3). It also includes a capped community infrastructure levy of 1,450 per dwelling, estimated to raise $6,792,707 from 4,685 dwellings (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 3, 32).

Using the DCP’s total development infrastructure cost of 301,423,938 and the PSP dwelling yield of 4,685 dwellings, the development infrastructure levy equates to about 64,338 per dwelling before the $1,450 community infrastructure levy is added (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 3; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 19). This is an analytical conversion of the DCP’s hectare-based charge into a dwelling-scale figure, not a separate statutory levy (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 3, 22-23).

The DCP also defines what is excluded from cost-sharing. Connector streets and local streets, local bus-stop infrastructure, local shared paths, lighting, local parks, utility infrastructure, standard subdivision works and most interim works are to be delivered as ordinary development requirements rather than DCP-funded shared items (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 8-9). This means the DCP charge is not the full cost of development-enabling infrastructure; it is the shared infrastructure layer above normal permit, utility and subdivision obligations (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 8-9, 33-35).

The DCP permits works-in-kind where the collecting agency agrees, the works are DCP projects, timing aligns with DCP priorities, detailed design is approved, and there is no negative financial impact on the DCP (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 33-34). It also requires annual indexation of construction and land values, with land value estimates revised annually by a registered valuer using a broad-hectare methodology (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 35-36). The DCP is expected to be reviewed every five years, or more frequently if required (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 36).

Utilities and Staging

Staging is driven by water, sewer, drainage outfall and development readiness (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 63). The Background Report identifies potential initial development locations as land abutting Burnside Road and Charlton Road, land owned by parties able to fund trunk infrastructure and reimbursable Barwon Water assets, land that can provide open-space benefit to the precinct, land served by the first proposed Barwon Water sewer pump station, and land served by Stage 1 water supply works in the northern part of the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 63-64).

The VPA’s Infrastructure Development Staging Plan sets two development stages: Stage 1 is land in the north of the precinct abutting Charlton Road and Burnside Road and areas close to the transmission easement, while Stage 2 is all other areas, mostly south of the transmission easement (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 64). This staging choice reflects proximity to the existing township and existing development front (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 64).

Barwon Water is responsible for potable water, recycled water and sewer; Powercor is responsible for electricity; AusNet is responsible for the transmission easement and gas; and NBN Co is open to working with other utility providers and government entities to serve the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 64). Existing Bannockburn is serviced by the Bannockburn basin supplied via the Sheoaks pipeline from the Moorabool Water Treatment Plant, and existing township sewerage gravitates to Bannockburn Sewer Pump Station No. 1 on Shelford Road before being pumped to the Water Reclamation Plant west of Bannockburn (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 17).

The precinct does not currently have a reticulated sewer network, and existing septic systems are likely used (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 17). Future servicing requires Stage 1 and Stage 2 trunk water mains, new reticulation water mains, two proposed Barwon Water sewer pump stations and rising mains, two future developer-funded sewer pump stations and rising mains toward Bruce Creek, and gravity sewer mains (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 64). These utility items are a hard staging dependency because residential subdivision cannot proceed at urban densities without reticulated water and sewer arrangements (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 17, 63-64).

Interface Risks: Poultry, Bushfire, Soil and Rail

The PSP identifies a chicken hatchery 50 metres south of the precinct boundary at 449 Burnside Road and a breeder farm approximately 420 metres from the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 8). The PSP requires buffer areas to remain free of sensitive land uses, including residential dwellings, until relevant industries cease or alter operations or impacts can be appropriately mitigated (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 8). The Background Report notes that EPA preferred an odour assessment before gazettal, but VPA expected an odour assessment would still be required after gazettal at planning permit stage (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 52).

Bushfire risk is addressed through a VPA bushfire assessment, with the VPA project page stating that the precinct will maintain appropriate bushfire separation distances along Bruce Creek and southern interfaces (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt). Soil risk also affects infrastructure cost, because the DCP’s bridge cost includes a sodic soils allowance of 5% of the bridge base cost (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 36). Rail risk affects both transport and drainage because the Gheringhap-Maroona freight railway is the southern boundary, contains existing culverts, and is owned by VicTrack and managed by ARTC (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 8; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 51).

Current Status

The latest primary source in the corpus is the VPA project page captured on 31 May 2026, which states that consultation on the PSP is closed, identifies draft Amendment C107gpla as the implementation amendment, and lists a Planning Panel starting on 20 October 2025 followed by structure plan finalisation, ministerial consideration and complete documentation (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt). The source corpus does not include the Panel report, adopted amendment documents, approval notice or gazettal notice, so this page treats the PSP as exhibited and post-consultation rather than approved (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt).

A July 2025 media report stated that 50 submissions were lodged by the close of consultation on 15 June 2025, that unresolved issues would be referred to an independent panel, that the VPA was aiming for finalisation in the first quarter of 2026, and that on-ground development was expected to begin in 2027 (Source: web-research-L0-residential-development-plan-for-bannockburn-closer-golden-plains-times-125b8527c3.txt). Because no final 2026 statutory decision document is included in the manifest, those forward dates should be treated as reported expectations rather than confirmed statutory outcomes (Source: web-research-L0-residential-development-plan-for-bannockburn-closer-golden-plains-times-125b8527c3.txt).

Dependencies

  • Blocks: Urban residential development of the 524-hectare south-east precinct at PSP scale is blocked until Amendment C107gpla implements the PSP, DCP, Urban Growth Zone controls, DCPO and related overlays in the Golden Plains Planning Scheme (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 7-8).
  • Blocks: Later Bannockburn growth areas depend on the east-west link road and Bruce Creek bridge because the Background Report identifies the east-west road as a wider Growth Plan traffic-management measure and the DCP apportions only 50% of the interim bridge cost to South East, with future precincts expected to contribute later (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 29-31, 67; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Development Contributions Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 28).
  • Blocked by: Final drainage resolution with VicTrack and ARTC remains a constraint because VicTrack did not support the exhibited drainage concept and Concept #3 may require off-site works and PAO refinement (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 51-52).
  • Blocked by: Development sequencing is constrained by Barwon Water trunk water and sewer infrastructure, including proposed sewer pump stations, rising mains, trunk water mains and gravity sewer works (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 63-66).
  • Blocked by: Permit-stage cultural heritage, biodiversity and species surveys are required in sensitive areas, including CHMPs near Bruce Creek and targeted Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon surveys where habitat is identified (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 15-17, 39-42).
  • Informed by: The PSP is informed by technical work on utilities, transport, community infrastructure, economic and retail demand, bushfire, affordable housing, ecology, soils, cultural values, heritage, drainage, bridge feasibility, IWM and valuation (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 24, 70-76).
  • Implements: The PSP implements the Bannockburn Growth Plan 2021, the G21 Regional Growth Plan, the Precinct Structure Planning Guidelines, regional PSP guidance and the Golden Plains Planning Scheme policy framework (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, pp. 7, 10).
  • Conflicts with: The exhibited drainage concept conflicts with VicTrack’s requested approach to railway outfall, and the PSP heritage summary conflicts with the Background Report’s identification of a Victorian Heritage Inventory site within the precinct (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 16, 51; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 10).

The precinct is approximately 16 kilometres north-west of Geelong and is positioned within the G21 region’s North West Gateway, where Bannockburn functions as a regional centre supporting surrounding rural communities and productive farming activity (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 7; Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt). The Growth Plan’s east-west link is intended to connect Bannockburn growth areas to the Midland Highway and the Gheringhap Employment Precinct, which lies about 6 kilometres from Bannockburn South East (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 8; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 29-31).

Water and drainage links extend beyond the municipal development boundary because Bruce Creek connects to the Moorabool River and Barwon River, which ultimately flow to Lake Connewarre, a Ramsar wetland (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 17). The Corangamite Catchment Management Authority is therefore a key agency for waterway protection, and Barwon Water is the servicing authority for potable water, recycled water and sewerage (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 17, 64).

Transport and rail dependencies involve state and national infrastructure managers because the Gheringhap-Maroona freight railway is owned by VicTrack and managed by ARTC, and the drainage outfall dispute requires coordination with those rail authorities (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP - Precinct Structure Plan - April 2025.pdf, p. 8; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 51). The east-west link also has a wider role in reducing future pressure on Bannockburn High Street and state-road corridors at Growth Plan build-out (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, p. 30).

Gaps in This Analysis

The manifest includes the PSP, DCP, Background Report, VPA project page, Small Lot Housing Code, council implementation reports and one media report, but it does not include the individual technical reports that the Background Report says informed the PSP (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 70-76). Missing technical sources include the Integrated Transport Assessment, Bridge Feasibility Assessment, Utility Servicing Assessment, Stormwater Drainage Concept Design Report, railway outfall optioneering memo, Community Infrastructure Assessment, Economic and Retail Assessment, Social and Affordable Housing Strategy, Cultural Values Assessment, Historical Heritage Assessment, Bushfire Assessment, ecological reports, arboriculture assessment, sodic soils reports, valuation report and infrastructure staging background document (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt; Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 70-76).

The analysis therefore relies on the PSP, DCP and Background Report summaries for several technical conclusions rather than independently testing the underlying models, designs and cost estimates (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 24, 70-76). This is a material corpus gap for transport modelling, drainage hydraulics, bridge cost, cultural heritage, biodiversity, odour, sewer and water servicing, and land valuation because those reports determine whether the PSP’s land budget, DCP levy and staging assumptions are robust (Source: Bannockburn South East PSP Background Report April 2025.pdf, pp. 30-31, 47-52, 63-67).

The manifest also does not include the 50 redacted submissions, any VPA response to submissions, the Planning Panel report, the post-panel version of Amendment C107gpla, ministerial approval documents or a gazettal notice (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt; Source: web-research-L0-residential-development-plan-for-bannockburn-closer-golden-plains-times-125b8527c3.txt). As a result, contested issues can be identified from the exhibited documents and media reporting, but submission themes, panel recommendations and final statutory changes cannot be analysed from the supplied corpus (Source: web-research-L0-bannockburn-south-east-vpa-ae26925757.txt; Source: web-research-L0-residential-development-plan-for-bannockburn-closer-golden-plains-times-125b8527c3.txt).

Graph View