Status: In progress
On this page:
The project so far
Council have adopted the Big Hill and Mandurang Valley Landscape Review 2024. Thank you for your input in July and August to help us develop the review. We will let you know once the planning scheme amendment process proceeds. The will be a chance to to provide feedback then.
The Big Hill and Mandurang Valley Landscape Study aims to protect the area's significant landscapes. We published the original Big Hill and Mandurang Valley Landscape Assessment in 2013. In November 2023 we asked if the landscape values captured last time are still relevant.
Updates
See how this affects you
View the proposed Significant Landscape Overlay boundaries on this map. If you use a screenreader and the map doesn't show for you, we can help you out over the phone. Call us on 1300 002 642.
Enter your address in the search bar. If your property is affected, the proposed Significant Landscape Overlay will show at the top of the search results. The pink areas are areas of high sensitivity and the purple
areas moderate sensitivity. To better understand what this means you can
refer to the summary brochure.
You can also see the proposed planning permit requirements in Section 6 of the Draft Report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Preserving the landscape around Big Hill and Mandurang aligns with the goals in our Council Plan and Planning Scheme:
Greater Bendigo Council Plan (Mr Wimbul) 2021-2025. Action to “Scope a Gateway Study for Big Hill and Mandurang landscape preservation”.
Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme. Clause 02.03-2 to protect significant landscapes such as the Big Hill Range.
This assessment will build on the original assessment published in 2013.
The study area runs from Harcourt North in the South up to parts of Strathdale in the north. It runs across to Ravenswood and Lockwood South in the west. We extended the study area to align with the peer review undertaken by Claire Scott Planning in 2017.
A Significant Landscape Overlay is a planning control.
It is used to
- identify
- conserve and
- enhance the character of landscapes considered significant
The overlay contains planning permit requirements for certain types of work. This intends to avoid or minimise negative impacts on significant landscapes.
Significant Landscape Overlays can limit certain types of works and development. They are not intended to 'lock out’ future development.
In 2012, we spoke to people who live in, work in, or visit Big Hill and Mandurang. The community consultation included:
We used this information in Bendigo Landscape Assessment report produced in 2013.
Much of the original landscape assessment work remains valuable and relevant. It forms an important foundation to the current project. When we submitted the original Planning Scheme Amendment, it was unsuccessful. The panel report identified gaps and issues we needed to address first.
We are doing this extra assessment work to address those issues.
Expert consultants prepared the assessment for us. They found that the Mandurang Valley features were less visible from viewing corridors.
This means a Significant Landscape Overlay is not appropriate in this area. This is in contrast to recommendations in previous studies.
The report identifies the potential for alternative planning controls in future. We could look at controls around vegetation management or built form.
The proposed overlay has two areas:
- high sensitivity areas
- moderate sensitivity areas
The draft planning controls are stricter in high sensitivity areas. These areas have more landscape features which are more visible.
Timeline and next steps
City officers will analyse all feedback received.
We will then report to Council outlining:
- feedback received
- highlighting any changes to the study resulting from the feedback
- recommending Council adopt the study
Once Council adopts the study, we would action the recommendations. This would happen through a separate planning scheme amendment process. You would be able to make submissions to that process.
We would want to implement a Significant Landscape Overlay to:
- protect
- conserve and
- enhance the character of identified landscapes
It would do this by requiring a planning permit for certain buildings and works, and vegetation removal.
-
Timeline item 1 - complete
Background Review
2023
-
Timeline item 2 - complete
Community Landscape Values Consultation
November 6 - December 8, 2023
-
Timeline item 3 - complete
Consultation on Draft Landscape Assessment and Recommendation
July 23 - August 13, 2024
-
Timeline item 4 - complete
Review community feedback
August 2024
-
Timeline item 5 - complete
Study goes to Council for approval
September 16, 2024
-
Timeline item 6 - incomplete
Commence Planning Scheme Amendment
Mid 2025
Contact us
Have questions or want to learn more about a project, contact us below:
| Name | Richie Dean |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1300 002 642 |
| strategic.planning@bendigo.vic.gov.au |
