title: Macedon Ranges Shire Planning Signals council: macedon-ranges state: vic category: signals classification: MAJOR status: active last_compiled: 2026-05-31 source_docs:
- 25-february-2026-council-meeting-minutes-confirmed.pdf
- 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf
- final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf
Early-stage planning signals
MAJOR - Housing target implementation
- Status: ACTIVE
- Current position: Council has requested Ministerial clarification on the 13,200-dwelling target and wants a public report by July 2026. (Source: 25-february-2026-council-meeting-minutes-confirmed.pdf, pp.16-17)
- Signal mechanism: A housing target is moving from State policy into local governance, infrastructure monitoring and reporting questions. (Source: 25-february-2026-council-meeting-minutes-confirmed.pdf, pp.16-17)
- Planning implication: This signal affects how Gisborne Futures Structure Plan, Romsey Structure Plan, Clarkefield Growth Area Development Facilitation Program Proposal and infill housing controls are counted against State expectations. (Source: 25-february-2026-council-meeting-minutes-confirmed.pdf, pp.16-17)
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 25 February 2026 | Council carried Resolution 2026/16 directing correspondence to the Minister for Planning and related Ministers about the housing target. | 25-february-2026-council-meeting-minutes-confirmed.pdf, pp.16-17 |
MAJOR - Protected settlement boundary resolution
- Status: ACTIVE
- Current position: Kyneton, Lancefield, Riddells Creek and Woodend have specified protected settlement boundaries, while Gisborne and Romsey remain dependent on State resolution. (Source: macedon-ranges-statement-planning-policy.pdf, p.32; Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.639)
- Signal mechanism: Boundary implementation is the statutory gate between adopted structure plans and planning scheme changes. (Source: gisborne-futures-structure-plan-adopted-july-2024-v11.pdf, p.100; Source: romsey-structure-plan-final.pdf, p.7)
- Planning implication: The unresolved boundary process is the main upstream dependency for Gisborne Futures Structure Plan and Romsey Structure Plan. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.639)
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Council adopted Gisborne Futures as the long-range framework, with implementation dependent on boundary resolution. | gisborne-futures-structure-plan-adopted-july-2024-v11.pdf, p.100 |
| 2025 | Council program material recorded Gisborne boundary implementation as a live strategic planning issue. | final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.639 |
MAJOR - Gisborne Business Park amendment preparation
- Status: PROGRESSING
- Current position: Council was procuring consultant work in March 2026 to finalise a planning scheme amendment for the business park expansion. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf, p.170; Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf, p.15)
- Signal mechanism: Employment-land strategy is moving toward statutory controls for rural living land south and east of the existing New Gisborne business park. (Source: gisborne-business-park-development-plan-draft.pdf, pp.37-39)
- Planning implication: Gisborne Business Park Expansion Development Plan and Planning Controls is the employment-land counterpart to Gisborne Futures Structure Plan, because housing growth increases the need for planned local employment land. (Source: gisborne-futures-economic-and-employment-analysis-urban-enterprise-final-may-2020.pdf)
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 25 March 2026 | Council agenda identified consultant procurement to finalise an amendment for expansion south and east. | 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-agenda.pdf, p.170 |
MAJOR - Flood overlay implementation
- Status: PROGRESSING
- Current position: Council’s Year One Action Plan directs commencement of a planning scheme amendment to implement Kyneton, Lauriston, Tylden and Malmsbury flood studies. (Source: final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.942)
- Signal mechanism: Technical flood studies are moving toward statutory overlay controls. (Source: web-research-L0-flood-study-technical-reports-for-kyneton-lauriston-tylden-and-malmsbury-evidence-f02ba876c7.txt)
- Planning implication: The amendment will change which land is screened for flood risk before buildings, works or subdivision proceed. (Source: kyneton-flood-study-frequently-asked-questions.pdf, p.2)
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Year One Action Plan directed commencement of the flood-study amendment process. | final-agenda-attachments-council-meeting-22-october-2025-reduced.pdf, p.942 |
MAJOR - Water and sewer servicing coordination
- Status: ACTIVE
- Current position: GWW is the water corporation for several growth settlements, and servicing remains a prerequisite to lot delivery. (Source: Macedon Ranges water use and catchment areas; Source: Greater Western Water land development page)
- Signal mechanism: Repeated corpus signals show wastewater, servicing, sewer and reticulated water as high-frequency enabling-infrastructure terms across the document set. (Source: data/v2/manifests/synthesise-macedon-ranges-job-17952.json)
- Planning implication: Greater Western Water Servicing Coordination for Growth and Development Areas should be read across Gisborne Futures Structure Plan, Romsey Structure Plan, Clarkefield Growth Area Development Facilitation Program Proposal, Lancefield Development Plan and Development Plan Overlay Schedule 24 Review and Amess Road, Riddells Creek Precinct Structure Plan and Amendment C161macr. (Source: Macedon Ranges water use and catchment areas)
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Source package confirms GWW servicing geography and development servicing mechanisms. | Macedon Ranges water use and catchment areas; Greater Western Water land development page |
MAJOR - Biodiversity and vegetation-control refresh
- Status: PROGRESSING
- Current position: Council released the draft 2025-2030 Biodiversity Strategy for consultation in December 2025. (Source: 17-december-2025-scheduled-council-meeting-minutes-confirmed.pdf, p.14)
- Signal mechanism: Biodiversity strategy work is tied to planning controls, native vegetation compliance, reserve management and monitoring. (Source: Refreshed_Biodiversity_Strategy_-_2025_DRAFT.pdf, pp.64-74)
- Planning implication: The refresh interacts directly with Macedon Ranges Vegetation Protection Overlay Schedules VPO1-VPO9 and growth-area design. (Source: 17-december-2025-scheduled-council-meeting-agenda-attachments.pdf, pp.1490-1492)
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 17 December 2025 | Council resolved to release the updated draft Biodiversity Strategy for community consultation. | 17-december-2025-scheduled-council-meeting-minutes-confirmed.pdf, p.14 |
Recently resolved signals
- Macedon Ranges Open Space Strategy 2026 moved from consultation to adoption on 25 March 2026. (Source: 25-march-2026-scheduled-meeting-minutes.pdf, pp.9-10)
- Amess Road, Riddells Creek Precinct Structure Plan and Amendment C161macr moved from PSP preparation and SAC work into an approved statutory growth framework. (Source: Amess Road Precinct Structure Plan (Echelon Planning, May 2025).pdf, p.20; Source: Amess Road Development Contributions Plan (Echelon Planning, May 2025).pdf, p.4)
- Amendment C154 Rezoning of 1 Wills Street, Malmsbury was approved and gazetted on 19 June 2025. (Source: GG2025G025.pdf, p.75)