mildura housing and settlement strategy key issues and influences report prepared by hansen partnership pty ltd in association with essential economics, aurecon and sbe march 2013 mildura housing and settlement strategy | key issues and influences report | hansen partnership pty ltd contents 1 introduction 1 2 mildura context 3 3 existing policy framework 4 3.1 state planning policy framework 4 3.2 municipal strategic statement (current) 4 3.3 local policy 6 3.4 land use zoning 7 3.5 development plans 7 3.6 mildura older irrigation areas summary 9 3.7 current council plan 10 3.8 mss review and panel report 10 4 population growth 11 5 key issues and influences 13 5.1 regional considerations 13 5.2 aging population 14 5.3 macroeconomic trends and drivers 14 5.4 climate change impacts 15 5.5 older irrigation areas and water rights 16 5.6 role and function of small rural settlements 16 5.7 environmental influences 16 5.9 community health and well being 18 5.10 affordable and diverse housing 19 5.12 college lease land 20 5.13 mildura irymple interface area 21 5.14 connectivity and movement 21 5.15 decision making frameworks 22 5.16 proposed new zones 22 5.17 urban structure 22 6 consultation 23 appendix 1: literature review summary appendix 2: planning scheme amendments summary appendix 3: settlement areas 1 mildura housing and settlement strategy | key issues and influences report | hansen partnership pty ltd 1 introduction Mildura Rural City Council appointed hansen partnership to prepare the Mildura To provide a précis of Industrial and Commercial land use viability in order to below. One of the key outputs of this project is a Issues and Influences Report Housing and Settlement Strategy. The aims of this project, as outlined in the provide clear direction on the location of future housing needs; to be completed as part of Stage 2 which ‘sets the stage’ by identifying ‘big project brief are as follows: picture’ issues that affect Mildura as well as more localised issues that have To ensure outcomes are in line with proposed Victorian Government initiatives, emerged through other projects and plans. This initial assessment of key issues To review best practice planning policy initiatives and ensure all outcomes including the proposed residential zones; and influences forms the basis for the first phase of consultation for this project, accord with this; To provide Council with tools for the appropriate management of housing allowing key stakeholders and the broader community to articulate how these To identify, review and provide direction on key environmental, economic and in providing long term development certainty for the wider community, key issues are playing out in Mildura and to identify other issues. social issues that impact/have the potential to impact housing within the stakeholders and future housing initiatives and programmes; and Following consultation, the project team will then be well positioned to identify municipality; To identify any consequential changes which need to be made to the Mildura what background information needs to be analysed and documented to ensure To investigate and provide direction on the socio-economic impacts of Planning Scheme. that the recommendations and the Mildura Housing and Settlement Strategy to current and projected climate conditions, with specific reference to retired In a nutshell, the project seeks to put in place a strategic framework and follow are underpinned by a robust and transparent evidence base. horticultural land; associated guidelines for decision makers, to ensure that decisions about where To balance residential growth with the protection of environmental health and rezoning should occur to provide an appropriate amount of land for development values, in managing development issues associated with greenfield, dispersed and the types of neighbourhoods and housing developed within the municipality and consolidated development alternatives; will meet the current and future needs of the community. The project is not just looking at where the next rezoning of greenfield land should occur, but more To understand and strategically respond to deemed natural threats as relevant holistically, at how Mildura can be best positioned to meet the challenges and including flooding, drought and bushfire potential; make the most of the opportunities likely to arise in the coming decades. To accurately and efficiently assess and provide direction on the current This project will have a number of important stages as outlined in the diagram residential land supply and demand available across the municipality, with particular attention to each existing hamlet / township / precinct, under the provisions of the current Mildura Planning Scheme and completed strategies to date; To identify and include changes in demographics that will influence housing demand; To identify and provide direction on the special housing needs of groups including aged, emergency, public, low income, backpacker, immigrant, refugee, women, youth, indigenous, temporary (for people working on major projects) and homeless; To facilitate regional/community growth by identification and facilitation of new housing opportunities associated with rural change, consolidated infrastructure investment, regional centre population growth, eco-tourism and sustainability outcomes; To provide strategic housing, economical and social direction on the long term growth and development of land used for horticultural and agricultural purposes, inline with rural land use reviews completed to date; To review and provide direction on best practice initiatives in sustainable housing design, development and performance, in support of Council’s leadership role in healthy living, innovation and learning; To analyse the projected global economic climate and provide direction on the likely impact on the local economy, with particular attention to the rural/ residential interrelationship; To assess and provide direction on the affordability of housing across the municipality; 2 mildura housing and settlement strategy | key issues and influences report | hansen partnership pty ltd chowilla silver city highway mungo regional reserve national park calperum pastoral lease scientific reserve BORDER STATE NEW SOUTH WALES lake victoria wentworth STATE BORDER burra-renmark road renmark murray river sturt highway mildura mallee cliffs national park berri sturt highway loxton sturt highway VICTORIA STATE BORDER STATE paruna-pinnaroo road SOUTH AUSTRALIA robinvale calder highway hattah-kulkyne national park murray valley highway STATE BORDER murray sunset murray river national park annuella flora & fauna reserve karoonda / cameron highway billiat conservation park mallee highway ouyen calder highway mallee highway lake mallee highway tyrrel sunraysia highway scorpion springs sea lake conservation park big desert wyperfeld wilderness park national park ngarkat conservation park hopetoun 3 mildura housing and settlement strategy | key issues and influences report | hansen partnership pty ltd 2 mildura context Situated in northern Victoria and sharing borders with New South Wales and South Australia, Mildura Rural City is the largest municipality in Victoria covering an area of 22,330 square kilometres. The plan to the left illustrates the broad characteristics of the region. The northern border of the municipality is the Murray River, which exerts a strong influence on both the settlement patterns in the region and the culture and identity of the place. The main urban centre of the municipality is Mildura, surrounded by the ‘satellite’ townships of Irymple, Red Cliffs, and Merbein. These settlements and the remainder of the ‘peri–urban’ area accommodate over 90% of the municipality’s population. The city of Mildura itself, and the associated irrigation areas were laid out by the Chaffey brothers as part of the original subdivision of the land and, as such, have a strong grid subdivision pattern of 10 hectare blocks aligned on a 45º angle. Outside this major cluster of settlements, the Calder Highway heads south to Ouyen, the major settlement in the south of the municipality. To the west of Ouyen, along the Mallee Highway are a series of small townships, forming the southern ‘string’ of rural settlements, including Murrayville, Walpeup and Underbool. Separating this southern grouping of settlements and surrounding agricultural land from the northern section of the municipality is a significant expanse of public conservation areas including the Murray Sunset National Park, Hattah Kulkyne National Park and Annuello Flora and Fauna Reserve. The Sturt Highway runs west from Merbein towards Renmark in South Australia, although most of the settlements in this northern ‘string’ are located along the Red Cliffs – Meringur Road which runs parallel to the south. In addition to this main settlement cluster and the northern and southern ‘strings’ there are also a number of more dispersed settlements, including along the Murray River, particularly where it forms the eastern boundary of the municipality. While the Strategy will look at settlement through the whole municipality, more detailed assessments will be undertaken for the areas with either larger populations and / or known pressures for growth. These areas are included at Appendix 3. 4 mildura housing and settlement strategy | key issues and influences report | hansen partnership pty ltd 3 existing policy framework Before beginning the process of determining the most appropriate response