Rural Land Use Strategy - Final Draft

UPDATE - March 2023

Residents and ratepayers are having their say on the future of their region as part of community consultation on the East Gippsland Shire Council’s Housing and Settlement and Rural Land Use strategies.

More than 100 people gave feedback on the strategies, highlighting a broad range of issues for the future of settlements, housing and rural areas, including access to services and infrastructure and the character of towns. Many of the submissions emphasised the need to protect rural areas and the natural environment.

Further consultation is planned for the Housing and Settlement Strategy during April and May 2023 so that community members can provide further input on the future of our towns and settlements.

Council is currently working through the feedback as it finalises the Rural Land Use Strategy – scheduled to be considered by Council for adoption in May 2023.

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The Rural Land Use Strategy creates a planning vision and framework that seeks to support agriculture and rural industries, promote opportunities in rural tourism, and recognise and protect important environmental, cultural and landscape values. The strategy will apply to all privately owned rural land in East Gippsland.

Preparation of the Rural Land Use Strategy is underpinned by the following principles:

• Protect and enhance productive farmland and farmland of strategic significance to support food and fibre production.
• Facilitate innovation and growth of the agricultural sector to leverage competitive advantages and strengthen the economy.
• Encourage rural and nature based tourism to augment and diversify the Shire’s agricultural and environmental values.
• Protect and enhance environmental values, including biodiversity, landscapes and water quality.
• Respond to the challenges and threats associated with a changing climate and natural hazards.
• Challenge the legacy of dwelling development and fragmentation of land in productive farming areas.
• Support population retention for a sustainable and prosperous future in isolated rural communities.

To complement the Rural Land Use Strategy, Council is also preparing a Housing and Settlement Strategy to guide the location of future housing and settlement growth to 2041. Visit yoursay.eastgippsland.vic.gov.au/housing-and-settlement-strategy-discussion-paper.

The aim of the two strategies is to balance the need for housing and the sustainable growth of our towns and settlements with the need to protect rural areas and the natural environment.