Any planning application received by Council is assessed against the planning scheme.
What is a Planning Scheme?
A planning scheme is a Planning Authority framework approved by the Victorian Government, which outlines objectives, policies and controls for the use, development and protection of land for each municipality across Victoria. A planning scheme controls land use and development within a municipal district.
What is a Planning Scheme Review?
A planning scheme review is a 'health check' of the current planning scheme for a local government area and its effectiveness and relevance against strategies, policy and direction adopted by Council over the previous period.
A Planning Scheme Review will:
- Fix drafting errors
- Identify policy gaps
- Introduce new policy (after 2015)
- Provide recommendations for advocacy, strategic work and process improvements
A Planning Scheme Review conventionally occurs every four years and provides an update to the Planning Scheme via a Planning Scheme Amendment.
What is a Planning Scheme Amendment?
Changes to the planning scheme are called amendments and the process is set out in the Planning and Environment Act 1987. An amendment may involve a change to a planning scheme map (for example: a rezoning), a change to the written part of the scheme, or both.
Key Outcomes of the Planning Scheme Review
Over the previous period a number of strategies have been put out to community for engagement and subsequently adopted by Council, these have now been incorporated in the scheme.
- Community Vision 2040 and Council Plan 2021-2025
- Municpal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan (incorporated into the current Council Plan, accessible in the link above)
- Myrtleford Resilience Plan
- Economic Development Strategy
- Alpine Shire Events Strategy
- Rural Land Use Strategy (reinstated)
- Climate Action Plan 2021-2024
- Sport and Active Recreation Plan 2022-2033
- Affordable Housing Analysis and Action Plan 2022
Key Findings of the 2023 Planning Scheme Review
- Process improvement
- Resourcing for Strategic Work Program
- Resourcing Statutory Planning
- Strengthening Planning and Statutory Planning
- Engaging a Dinner Plain advisor
When can I get involved?
The Planning Scheme review is a health check and administrative piece of work that will become a recurring task for Alpine Shire Council. This will hopefully become “for information” in time, however there are also opportunities to be involved in the process.
1. Planning Scheme Amendment
What is a Planning Scheme Amendment?
Changes to the planning scheme are called amendments and the process is set out in the Planning and Environment Act 1987. An amendment may involve a change to a planning scheme map (for example: a rezoning), a change to the written part of the scheme, or both.