title: Heathcote Township Plan council: greater-bendigo state: vic category: strategy classification: MAJOR status: adopted last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:
- City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf
Heathcote Township Plan
The available evidence shows the Heathcote Township Plan functioning as a statutory-policy bridge: it identifies land suitable for residential zoning, but implementation occurs through later planning scheme amendments rather than through the plan alone. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.130) The clearest implementation action in the source is Amendment C285gben, which proposes to rezone approximately 2.2 hectares at 31 Ayres Street, Argyle from Industrial 3 Zone to Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 4, described as the Heathcote Residential Areas schedule. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.102)
Background
The source refers to the Heathcote Township Plan in two ways: as the Heathcote Township Plan prepared by the City of Greater Bendigo in August 2024, and as the Heathcote Township Plan 2019 amended in 2024. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.109, 119) This inconsistency matters because the source does not include the Township Plan itself, so the available evidence cannot confirm whether the operative document is a new 2024 plan, a 2019 plan amended in 2024, or a consolidated version. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.109, 119)
The plan is being implemented through the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme rather than sitting only as a background strategy. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.124) Amendment C274gben is described as having rezoned land in the township of Heathcote to NRZ4, and Amendment C285gben is described as a further correction and implementation step affecting 31 Ayres Street, Argyle. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.124, 130)
Analysis
Residential Land Supply and Zoning Mechanism
The most concrete land-supply action linked to the Heathcote Township Plan is the proposed rezoning of approximately 2.2 hectares at 31 Ayres Street, Argyle from IN3Z to NRZ4. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.102) The mechanism is direct: land that was previously in an industrial zone would be moved into a neighbourhood residential zone, allowing the planning scheme to treat the land as part of the Heathcote residential framework rather than as industrial land. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.102)
The source states that 31 Ayres Street was identified in the adopted Heathcote Township Plan as suitable for residential rezoning, but only subject to a conclusive bushfire risk assessment. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.130) This means the Township Plan did not operate as an unconditional growth signal for that parcel; it created a conditional pathway where strategic support depended on hazard assessment and agency acceptance. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.109, 130)
The proposed use of NRZ4 is significant because the source describes NRZ4 as the Heathcote Residential Areas schedule. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.102) The source also states that Planning Practice Note 91 was used to conclude that NRZ was the appropriate residential zone for 31 Ayres Street because it would contribute to implementation of the Heathcote strategic framework plan. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.124)
The source does not provide dwelling yield, minimum lot size, preferred character controls, infrastructure capacity, or neighbourhood design requirements for the 2.2 hectare rezoning area. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.102, 130) As a result, the likely housing outcome cannot be quantified beyond the affected land area and the proposed zone change. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.102, 130)
Bushfire as the Binding Implementation Constraint
Bushfire risk is the main constraint identified in the source for implementing the Township Plan at 31 Ayres Street. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.109, 117) The source states that the rezoning could not proceed when the Township Plan was prepared because bushfire risks had not been fully assessed. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.117)
A Bushfire Development Plan for the proposed rezoning was later prepared by Phoenix Wildfire Management in 2023. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.117) The source states that vegetation within 150 metres of the site was assessed as low-threat grassland, with the landscape generally flat to upslope from the site and with reasonable access and egress. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.117)
The bushfire report concluded that future development could achieve a BAL-12.5 rating and defendable space requirements by providing a 19 metre building setback from the northern and southern lot boundaries. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.117) Elsewhere in the explanatory report, the required setbacks are described as 20 metres from the northern lot boundary and 19 metres from the southern lot boundary, which creates a small internal discrepancy in the agenda material. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.109, 117)
The proposed planning mechanism for managing this risk is Design and Development Overlay Schedule 35, titled Protection from bushfire. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.106) The source states that DDO35 would guide future development and subdivision by specifying separation distances, defendable-space requirements, vegetation management and access requirements. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.117-118)
The Country Fire Authority reviewed the bushfire report and, in a letter dated 29 January 2024, supported the rezoning of 31 Ayres Street, Argyle to a residential zone. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.118) This agency support is important because the source frames the completed bushfire assessment and CFA support as the reason the Township Plan recommendation can now move into a planning scheme amendment. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.130)
Settlement Policy and Contained Growth
The source links the 31 Ayres Street rezoning to Clause 11.01-1L for Greater Bendigo, which seeks to manage outward growth and avoid further sprawl by directing growth to identified locations. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.119) The source states that 31 Ayres Street is located within the Heathcote urban area and was identified in the Heathcote Township Plan as suitable for residential use and development. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.119)
The practical planning effect is that the Township Plan appears to be used as a location filter: it supports residential rezoning where land is inside the Heathcote urban area and where site-specific constraints can be resolved. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.119, 130) This is a different mechanism from broad township expansion because the source describes the C285gben changes as corrections, anomalies and small-area rezonings rather than a major new growth front. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.32, 107)
The source also states that the amendment makes minor rezoning changes from non-urban to urban zones only in small areas, and that these changes correct errors or reflect current use or surrounding land use. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.113) This limits the interpretation of the Heathcote Township Plan in the available source: it is not evidenced here as a large-scale land release program, but as a framework supporting targeted corrections and residential alignment. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.102, 113, 130)
Heritage and Mapping Corrections in Heathcote
The source identifies a separate Heathcote-related mapping correction at 63-77 Ebden Street, Heathcote. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.109) The property had recently been subdivided for residential purposes and does not contain any item of heritage significance. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.109)
The Heritage Overlay HO755 applies to the adjoining property at 59 Ebden Street, Heathcote, which contains Our Lady Help of Christians Church (former). (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.105, 109) The source states that HO755 had erroneously included 63-77 Ebden Street and that Amendment C285gben is required to correct that mapping error. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.109)
This matters for the Township Plan because residential subdivision in Heathcote can be affected not only by zone selection but also by overlay accuracy. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.105, 109) In this case, the correction removes an incorrectly applied heritage constraint from residential land, while retaining the heritage control on the adjoining heritage place. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.105, 109)
Amendment Process and Contested Issues
Amendment C285gben was publicly exhibited from 23 October 2025 to 22 December 2025. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.32) Nine submissions were received, consisting of five opposing submissions and four supporting submissions. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.34)
The unresolved submissions did not concern the Heathcote Township Plan, 31 Ayres Street, or 63-77 Ebden Street. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.32, 34-35) The unresolved submissions concerned removal of Vegetation Protection Overlay Schedule 2 from public land in Bendigo Regional Park at Golden Gully and Spring Gully. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.34-36)
Council officers recommended that all submissions be referred to an independent Planning Panel, with no change to the amendment in response to the unresolved vegetation submissions. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.32-33, 36) The panel process is relevant to the Heathcote-linked changes because the whole amendment, including the 31 Ayres Street rezoning and 63-77 Ebden Street heritage correction, is being progressed through the same amendment package. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.33, 102, 105)
Current Status
As at the 20 April 2026 council agenda, officers recommended that Council request the Minister for Planning to appoint a Planning Panel and refer all submissions to that Panel under Part 8 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.33) The agenda states that a directions hearing was scheduled for the week starting Monday 18 May 2026 and a Panel hearing was scheduled for the week starting Monday 15 June 2026. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.101)
A further report was expected to return to Council after the Planning Panel made recommendations, enabling Council to decide whether to adopt the amendment. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.32)
Dependencies
- Blocks: The Township Plan does not itself rezone 31 Ayres Street; residential implementation for that parcel depends on Amendment C285gben completing the amendment process. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.32-33, 102)
- Blocked by: The 31 Ayres Street rezoning was previously blocked by unresolved bushfire-risk assessment, and the source states that this assessment has now been completed. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.117, 130)
- Informed by: The 31 Ayres Street implementation pathway is informed by the Heathcote Township Plan, the Phoenix Wildfire Management bushfire report, CFA comments dated 29 January 2024, Planning Practice Note 30, Planning Practice Note 91 and Clause 13.02-1S. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.117-118, 123-124)
- Implements: The rezoning is framed as implementing the Heathcote strategic framework plan and supporting Clause 11.01-1L for settlement in Greater Bendigo. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.119, 124)
- Conflicts with: The source does not identify any unresolved submission or agency objection to the Heathcote-linked rezoning or heritage correction. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.34-36, 118)
Cross-Jurisdictional Links
The key external-agency dependency is the Country Fire Authority, which supported rezoning 31 Ayres Street to a residential zone after reviewing the bushfire report. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, p.118) The amendment process also involves the Minister for Planning and the Department of Transport and Planning because authorisation was granted on 22 August 2025 and a Panel appointment was recommended under Part 8 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.33, 39)
The source does not provide evidence about water, sewer, transport, open-space, education, health, or regional infrastructure agencies for the Heathcote Township Plan. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.102, 117-119, 130)
Gaps in This Analysis
The source set does not include the Heathcote Township Plan document, its maps, its land-use budget, its implementation table, its consultation report, or any technical background studies. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.109, 119, 130) This prevents a full assessment of township-wide residential capacity, commercial centre directions, transport priorities, drainage constraints, open-space standards, heritage constraints, bushfire exposure beyond 31 Ayres Street, and infrastructure sequencing. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.102, 117-119, 130)
The source also contains an unresolved document-date ambiguity because it refers to the Heathcote Township Plan as August 2024 in some places and as 2019 amended 2024 in another place. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.109, 119, 130) The missing primary Township Plan is therefore a critical corpus gap because it is needed to confirm the plan version, adopted spatial framework, recommended zoning changes, and implementation priorities. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.109, 119, 130)
The available evidence supports a focused conclusion: the Heathcote Township Plan is already being used to justify targeted statutory implementation, but the provided corpus is too thin to support a township-wide strategic analysis at the required depth. (Source: City-Greater-Bendigo-Council-Meeting-April-20-2026-Agenda.pdf, pp.102, 119, 124, 130)