Grange Planning Brain

title: Golden Plains Growing Places Strategy council: golden-plains state: vic category: strategy classification: MAJOR status: in-progress last_compiled: 2026-05-30 source_docs:

  • Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf
  • Item 7.2 Attachment - Planning Scheme Amendment - Growing Places Strategy - 26.05.2026.pdf
  • Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf

Golden Plains Growing Places Strategy

The Golden Plains Growing Places Strategy is a municipal growth framework that shifts the Shire from township-by-township residential decisions toward a sequenced settlement model tied to infrastructure, hazard avoidance, regional housing pressure, and the capacity of existing communities to absorb change. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.5) Its practical effect is to keep Bannockburn as the main planned growth front, identify Meredith, Lethbridge and Teesdale for further township growth work, and hold Cambrian Hill and Stonehaven as conditional regional growth locations dependent on transport and servicing preconditions. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.18-23)

The strategy is already moving into statutory implementation through Planning Scheme Amendment C106gpla, which had been exhibited between 23 February and 13 April 2026 and was before Council on 26 May 2026 with an officer recommendation to refer unresolved submissions to an independent Planning Panel. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11) The available corpus supports a strong strategic-level analysis, but not a full precinct-level yield, infrastructure-cost or contribution-rate analysis because the informing technical reports are referenced rather than provided as source documents. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.25-26)

Background

Golden Plains Shire sits between Greater Geelong and Ballarat, with its south-east portion within 100 kilometres of central Melbourne, creating exposure to peri-urban housing pressure from metropolitan and regional markets. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.2, 6) The strategy was prepared as a long-term plan for where future housing could be located to 2050 and beyond, and it is described as being informed by independent research, technical studies, stakeholder consultation, community feedback and Community Vision 2040. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.5)

The immediate policy trigger is the gap between baseline population forecasts and higher-growth scenarios. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.7-8) Victoria in Future 2023 projected Golden Plains from 24,892 people in 2021 to 34,036 in 2036, and from 9,408 dwellings in 2021 to 13,134 dwellings in 2036. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.7-8) The draft Plan for Victoria target cited in the strategy is 11,700 new houses for Golden Plains by 2051, while the Housing Needs Assessment cited by the strategy identifies potential demand for 14,770 new houses by 2051. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.13, 25)

The statutory pathway is Amendment C106gpla. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11) Council adopted the Growing Places Strategy at its June 2025 Council Meeting and resolved to seek authorisation from the Minister for Planning to prepare, authorise and exhibit a planning scheme amendment to implement it. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11) The Minister authorised exhibition in mid-December 2025 with conditions mainly about terminology, consistency with State provisions and Ministerial Form and Content requirements. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11)

Analysis

Settlement Logic and Housing Supply

The strategy’s core mechanism is not simply to identify more residential land; it creates a hierarchy of change areas and attaches preconditions to the higher-change locations. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.18-23) Bannockburn is identified as the principal substantial-change location and is intended to move from a sub-regional centre role toward a regional centre role through the Bannockburn Growth Plan. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.19) Meredith is identified for substantial change subject to reticulated sewerage and a new structure plan. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.19) Lethbridge and Teesdale are identified for incremental change subject to new structure plans and increased bushfire resilience. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.19) Cambrian Hill and Stonehaven are identified for substantial future growth only if structure planning and transport, servicing and strategic justification requirements are met. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.20, 23)

This matters because the strategy treats municipal housing supply as a pipeline problem rather than a simple land-area problem. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.24-25) Bannockburn’s planned growth areas are said to be sufficient for the Shire’s baseline 15-year VIF growth requirement, but the strategy also states that scarce greenfield residential land supply in Bannockburn over the previous decade means there is insufficient data to predict take-up once land becomes available. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.8, 24) The implication is that Bannockburn can meet the baseline requirement on paper, but a faster release-and-take-up scenario could require the next growth front earlier than 2040. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.25)

The Bannockburn Growth Plan is the largest quantified supply element in the available documents. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.8, 25) The draft strategy states that Bannockburn’s South East Precinct Structure Plan, North West Development Plan and South West Development Plan areas can accommodate more than 8,000 new homes, and that full development including Future Investigation Areas can accommodate 13,000 new homes. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.25) The same document elsewhere states that the three Bannockburn growth precincts are estimated to accommodate an additional 18,000 people over 30 years, but that the land is identified rather than yet appropriately zoned. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.8)

Meredith is the next major supply hinge because its potential yield is intentionally left unquantified until structure planning and sewer servicing are resolved. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.25) The strategy states that Meredith could provide the necessary land supply if reticulated sewerage is provided, and that its land supply would be substantially higher than low-density residential development in Lethbridge and Teesdale. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.25) This creates a clear servicing dependency: Meredith cannot perform the role assigned to it in the settlement sequence unless Barwon Water and government funding processes support reticulated sewerage. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.17, 25)

Infrastructure Preconditions and Sequencing

Sewerage is the binding infrastructure precondition in the strategy. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.17, 23, 25) Council states that it will continue to work with Barwon Water on the case for sewerage in Meredith and will also consider other towns including Lethbridge and Teesdale. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.17) For Stonehaven, Barwon Water advised that existing and planned infrastructure in the Western Growth Area of Geelong cannot accommodate the growth scenario identified by the strategy, meaning a standalone servicing solution or significant infrastructure upgrade would likely be required. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.17)

Transport is the second binding precondition, especially for Stonehaven and Cambrian Hill. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.16-17, 23) The strategy states that the Department of Transport and the City of Greater Geelong advised that the Hamilton and Midland Highways will reach capacity with the planned North Western Geelong Growth Area population and growth at Bannockburn. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.17) Because of that constraint, Stonehaven is not a simple local growth decision; it depends on traffic investigations, modelling, and potential upgrades to connections within Geelong. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.17)

Cambrian Hill is different because it is framed as an extension of Ballarat’s growth rather than an extension of an existing Golden Plains township. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.23) The strategy identifies Cambrian Hill as having access to trunk infrastructure including sewerage, but states that its sequencing must align with Ballarat’s planned greenfield growth. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.17, 23) This makes Cambrian Hill dependent on Ballarat-side sequencing and regional transport infrastructure, including the Ballarat Link Road identified in the foundations table. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.23)

The strategy also embeds a development contributions mechanism, but the available documents do not provide levy rates, cost schedules or parcel-level apportionment. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.10, 26) The strategy states that structure plans, precinct structure plans and development plans must include a development contribution framework requiring development to fund identified infrastructure and services needed to support healthy communities. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.10) It also states that a shire-wide contribution approach was found to be unsuitable, which means contributions are likely to be tied to township or precinct planning rather than a single municipal levy. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.10)

Hazards, Constraints and the Carrying Capacity Test

The strategy uses a carrying-capacity model that screens growth locations against bushfire, flooding, environmental values, cultural heritage, agricultural land, landscape character, servicing and transport. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.8-18) Bushfire is treated as a threshold constraint because the strategy states that protecting human life is a primary consideration and directs growth to low bushfire-risk areas. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.8-9) Established areas with higher bushfire risk are assigned minimal growth unless development helps reduce township risk through tailored protection measures. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.8-9)

Flooding is also a high-order constraint. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.9) The Natural Environment and Hazards Analysis cited by the strategy identifies flooding in the highest risk category, and the strategy avoids growth in flood-prone areas based on existing flood mapping. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.9) The strategy also states that Teesdale Flood Risk Identification Study modelling will be a template for future flood studies and that future rezonings will need flood impact assessments. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.9)

The rural-land policy mechanism is sharpened through Amendment C106gpla. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.13-18) Officer responses to submissions explain that the proposed Farming Zone dwelling policy is intended to direct housing to suitable areas and protect agricultural land for its ongoing farming purpose. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.13) The recommended changes include a maximum 2 hectare dwelling excision or the minimum area required to provide a 100 metre separation distance, plus a Section 173 Agreement acknowledging nuisance from agricultural activities such as dust, noise, odour, chemicals, farm machinery, traffic and operating hours. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.17-18)

The environmental evidence base is only partly visible in the source documents. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.10-11) The strategy cites the Golden Plains Biodiversity Strategy 2016 and states that future strategic work is required to identify targeted strategic biodiversity focal areas and corridors. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.10-11) One agency submission reviewed during Amendment C106gpla recognised that the strategy appears to avoid areas known to contain environmental values such as reserves, waterways and wetlands, while also noting that assessment for the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon is required in some locations. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.12)

Housing Diversity, Affordability and Social Outcomes

The strategy identifies a structural mismatch in Golden Plains’ housing profile. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.13-14) It states that the municipality has a high proportion of families with children in detached dwellings, a high share of larger four-or-more-bedroom homes, a low proportion of single-person households and single-parent families, a limited rental market, and high vehicle ownership linked to limited public transport. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.14) It also states that 40 per cent of households are couples with children, almost double the share for the rest of regional Victoria. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.14)

The practical planning issue is that more housing numbers alone will not meet future need if new housing repeats the existing detached-family-dwelling pattern. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.14) The strategy states that more variation in housing types could accommodate different household types and may accelerate population growth beyond rates experienced in recent decades. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.14) Amendment C106gpla also proposes policy guidance that residential lots under 300 square metres should be close to commercial, retail and community facilities or consistent with an approved structure plan or development plan. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.18)

The affordability analysis is strategic rather than programmatic in the available documents. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.14) The strategy states that Golden Plains has a significant undersupply of social housing, low rental supply, and key worker housing demand in Meredith associated with windfarms, agriculture and food manufacturing. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.14) It also states that higher levels of social housing and varied lot sizes should be priority outcomes of future development and that the Social Housing Plan 2021 includes a guideline for greenfield development to contribute to social housing. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.14)

Employment and the Gheringhap Relationship

Employment planning is linked to settlement sequencing because about 70 per cent of working residents leave Golden Plains Shire for work. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.15) The Industrial Land Needs Assessment cited by the strategy identifies insufficient zoned industrial land across the Shire to meet short-, medium- and longer-term demand for smaller and larger allotments. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.15) The strategy identifies Gheringhap as a future employment precinct for larger industrial lots, with demand likely to increase as industrial land supply diminishes in Geelong. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.15)

The relationship between Gheringhap and Batesford is a contested issue in Amendment C106gpla. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.14-15) A submitter sought recognition of Batesford as a growth location, but officers did not support the change because the Batesford Structure Plan still shows undeveloped future rural-residential supply and because the Gheringhap Structure Plan identifies a rural break between Batesford and the future employment precinct to protect industrial buffer distances. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.14-15) The Housing Needs Assessment cited in the agenda estimates that Batesford’s Future Rural-Residential Stage 4 could provide 154 additional lots, so officers concluded that Batesford’s housing supply cannot yet be described as exhausted. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.14)

Submissions and Statutory Contest

Amendment C106gpla received 11 submissions, including five from agencies and six from or on behalf of landowners. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11) Nine submissions were received during exhibition and two were received after exhibition closed. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11) Three submissions supported the amendment with no changes, one provided no comments, two had no substantive objection with minor recommended changes, three supported the amendment with minor changes, and two could not be resolved because officers did not support the requested changes. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11)

The unresolved issues are concentrated around rural-zone policy and Batesford’s growth role. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.13-15) The rural-zone objection argued that Amendment C106gpla lacked policy for innovative sustainable land management, carbon and biodiversity offsetting, and vegetation restoration in rural areas. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.13) Officers responded that the Growing Places Strategy is a housing strategy and that broader rural land-use policy would require a different strategic work program. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.13)

Transport wording changes were recommended in response to submissions. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.16-18) The agenda recommends changing the GPS wording from no available public transport to limited available public transport, replacing passenger rail with public transport for Lethbridge and Teesdale, and reframing Stonehaven’s precondition around suitable traffic solutions for movement efficiency and safety rather than only Hamilton Highway capacity. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.16-18)

Stonehaven remains a conditional and regionally sensitive growth location. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.16-17) The recommended ordinance change would require other growth locations to have been considered first, suitable traffic solutions to be identified for connecting the growth area to the wider transport network, and regional land supply and housing demand to be analysed. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.16-17)

Current Status

As at the 26 May 2026 agenda, Amendment C106gpla was post-exhibition and officers recommended that Council refer all submissions to an independent Planning Panel under section 23(1)(b) of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11) The officer report identified three options: refer submissions to a Panel, abandon the amendment, or request changes and bring the matter back to a future Council meeting. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.20) The report stated that abandoning the amendment would create uncertainty for future growth locations, risk Council being unable to meet the housing target, and could lead to the Minister directing Council to continue or taking over the amendment. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.20)

Dependencies

  • Blocks: The strategy blocks ad hoc recognition of additional growth locations unless they can be justified through future structure planning, infrastructure capacity, hazard assessment and municipal housing supply need. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.19-26; Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.14-15)
  • Blocked by: Meredith’s substantial growth role is blocked by reticulated sewerage and a new structure plan. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.19, 25)
  • Blocked by: Stonehaven is blocked by transport solutions, sewer servicing, regional land-supply analysis and the prior consideration of other growth locations. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.17, 23; Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.16-17)
  • Blocked by: Cambrian Hill is blocked by sequencing with Ballarat’s planned greenfield growth and transport infrastructure planning. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.17, 23)
  • Informed by: The strategy refers to a Housing Needs Assessment 2022, Strategic Bushfire Risk Assessment 2022, Natural Environment and Hazards Analysis 2022, Teesdale Flood Risk Identification Study 2023, Community Services and Infrastructure Plan Update 2023, Service Limitation and Civil Infrastructure Analysis 2024, First Peoples Cultural Heritage Report, Post Contact Heritage Report, Town Character Profiles 2022, Industrial Land Needs Assessment 2022, and other informing studies. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.8-17, 25-26)
  • Implements: Amendment C106gpla is intended to implement the Growing Places Strategy in the Golden Plains Planning Scheme. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11)
  • Conflicts with: The strategy creates tension with submissions seeking broader rural land-use policy and with requests to recognise Batesford as a growth location at this amendment stage. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.13-15)

Golden Plains is split between the Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan area in the north and the G21 Regional Growth Plan area in the south. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.7) The strategy is therefore connected to both Ballarat-facing and Geelong-facing growth systems. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.16-17, 25)

Stonehaven depends on Greater Geelong infrastructure and transport capacity because it would extend from planned future growth in Geelong and is affected by Hamilton Highway and Midland Highway capacity issues associated with the North Western Geelong Growth Area and Bannockburn growth. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.17, 23) Barwon Water’s advice that Western Growth Area infrastructure cannot accommodate the Stonehaven scenario makes water authority servicing a cross-boundary constraint rather than a local township matter. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.17)

Cambrian Hill depends on Ballarat sequencing because the strategy describes it as spatially connected to Ballarat and requiring development sequencing with Ballarat’s identified greenfield growth. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.17, 23, 25) The strategy also notes that the draft Plan for Victoria target for Greater Geelong is 139,800 new houses and for Ballarat is 46,900 new houses, which places Golden Plains’ 11,700-house target within a broader regional housing-distribution system. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, p.25)

Gaps in This Analysis

The largest corpus gap is that the manifest includes the draft strategy and council agenda report, but not the full informing technical studies that the strategy relies on. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.25-26) Without the Housing Needs Assessment, Service Limitation and Civil Infrastructure Analysis, Natural Environment and Hazards Analysis, Strategic Bushfire Risk Assessment, Transport Impact work, infrastructure servicing assessments, cultural heritage reports, post-contact heritage report and development contribution work, this page cannot quantify net developable area, infrastructure costs, contribution rates, lot yields by settlement, flood land-take, road upgrade triggers, or sewer augmentation costs. (Source: Att 08.09 Growing Places Strategy Draft Text and Maps.pdf, pp.8-17, 25-26)

The manifest includes an attachment titled Item 7.2 Attachment - Planning Scheme Amendment - Growing Places Strategy - 26.05.2026.pdf, but the extracted text available for that file contains page markers only and no substantive ordinance or strategy text. (Source: Item 7.2 Attachment - Planning Scheme Amendment - Growing Places Strategy - 26.05.2026.pdf) This limits analysis of the exact exhibited and tracked planning-scheme wording, especially changes to Clause 02.03, Clause 14.01-1L, Clause 16.01-1L and the Schedule to Clause 74.02. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.16-18)

The submissions are summarised in the council agenda, but the full submissions are not provided in the manifest. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, p.11) This means the analysis can identify the number, broad categories and officer response to submissions, but cannot test the evidence, land parcels, agency positions or legal arguments in the underlying submissions. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.11-18)

The Panel outcome is not available in the manifest because the latest source is a 26 May 2026 agenda recommending referral to a Panel. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.11, 20) This page should be updated once the Council resolution, Panel directions, Panel report, adoption report and Ministerial approval decision are available. (Source: Council Meeting Agenda Final - 26.05.2026.pdf, pp.15, 20)

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