I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I ffi\[NJ (Q)'\07~ ~'\07~ ~ (Q)[F I ~~CGJ~(Q)[N]ffi\Ll [p[lffi\[NJ[NJ~[NJCGJ ~~~QJJ~~ I 1· , ', ~)~'.l~®mm@®IT' ~~ TOWN & COUNTRY 711. PLANNING BOARD 4099 456 I GIP:T I ----- I .I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 711 . 4099 2563478 456 GIP:T An overview of regional planning issues in the Central Gippsland Region I I I MPE LIBRARY . - 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 M0003880 lw I I I I I I AN OVERVIEW OF REGIONAL I PLANNING ISSUES IN I THE CENTRAL GIPPSLAND REGION I I I I I I I Town and Country Planning Board I December 1976 I I ----- I I~, I I TABLE OF CONTENTS I Page I INTRODUCTION . I CHAPT~R I -;THE REGION IN PERSPECTIVE 1.1 Location and Physical Setting ........ 6 1.2 Principal Characteristics of I Sub-Regional Units ..........• ~ .... 7 1.3 Historical Development······~·····~~· 9 I · 1.4 Pattern of Urban Settlement and . Economic Activity ......•.•••.... ~. 11 1.5 16 . Transport. ............................ I 1. 6 Land Uses ............••......... : ... 19 I CHAPTER II - THE PHYSICAL RESOURCES AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE II 2.1 Brown Coal ................... .-...... 20 . ,• . 2.2 Forests .............. ; ...........· ... 21 ·1 2.3 Agriculture ······•.···········•··~· ... ·24 2.4 Water Resources .......•... ; ......· ... 27 I CHAPTER iII - PLANNING.FOR THE FUTURt ~MAJOR ISSUES. I 3.1 Economic and Demographic tr~hds ..... 34 3. 2 Major Planning Issues .... ~ ... ~ .. : ... 36 I I 1· I I . ' . .:...-·------~~-~ I 1... I I LIST OF TABLES I Table Page I 1 · . Workforce by Industry Group; I ·.Central Gippsland Region, Latrobe Valley Sub-region, Rest of Central Gippsl~nd I Region 1971 ..................... ~ ..•..... 14 . 2 · Percentage Distribution of Emplo,Yment · I by Industry Sector in Local Government •, Areas of Central Gippsland Region, 30th Junei 1911 ...•..•. ~ •...... ~ ..... ~ ... 15 I .. 3 Brown Coal Deposits. in Victoria - I . i 975 ........ ·........... ~ ........... ~ ~ . 22 I 4 Selected .Statistics Relating to Agricultural and Pastoral Activities I in the Central Gippsland Region~ 19747-75 Season• ....... ~ ........ ~ .......... 28 · 11 5 • Average· Annual Ra infa 11 of Selected · . .. · Towns ·;n the Region ....................... 30 I I I I .. I I 1· I, .. I LIST OF FIGURES I I Figure ·. Fol lowing I Page 1 Regional Boundaries for Government I Activities in Victoria ........... ~.. 2 I 2 Municipalities of the Region~ ...•. ; .. ; 6 I 3 Major Physical Units .........•......•. 6 ·I 4 Population Distribution by Urban Centr~~ ..... ..•............... 12 ! I 5 Transport Network ..................... 16 I 6 Major Land Uses ...................•. ~. 20 I 7 Brown Coal Areas 22 I 8 Rainfall ..................... ·........ ~ 30 I 9 Rivers Ahd Streams ······•·········~··r 30 I I I •' I I I 'I ·~ I II INTRODUCTION I REGIONAL PLANNING IN VICTORIA I Regional Planning in Victoria had its beginnings in 1944, . following a conference between State Premiers and the I Prime Minister where it was agreed that each State should define regions and establish regional planning committees I to facilitate the investigation of resources in the region and the planning of future development. The Committees ' were.established throughout Victoria, being adm.inistered by I a Central Planning. Authority, although neither the. possessed 111 Conmittees nor the Central Planning ·Authority ·.; statutory powers. By the middle of the 196o•s, however, the need for. I . statutory backing for regional planning had become app.arent. Following ~ request by the then Minister for Local I Goverhment, the Hon. ~.J. Ha~er, the Town and Country Planning.Board in July 1967 published a Report "Organisation '. I for Strat~gic Planning" which sug,gested th~ need to develop : ' strategic planning arrangements at .the regional .level ... · .-·: I throughout Victoria. .. Largely on the basis ·of the recommendations contained in the I Board's Report, the Town and Country Planning Act 19.61, was. amended in 1968 to incorporate provision for strategic I pla~nin~ inc]uding the establish~ent of Regi6riai ~lanning Authoritiei. The most urgent need for ·regional planning I at that time was i~ the Port Phillip District. With th~ Melbourne and M.etropol itan Board of Works providing the I statutory Regional Planning Authority for Melbou~ne, the I I " I - 2 - .I I fir$t new Authorities set up under the Act. were for Western I Port and Ge~long. Increasingly, in recent years, the State Govern~ent's I attention has been drawn to the need to provide for co-ordinated planning at the regional level in the non­ I metropol itan areas of Victoria. In these areas, although growth may be small~ there are considerable problems and pressures on the. use of land and.other resources. I In 1973, a.new system of regions was established as the. I basis for ~he organisation 6f gbvernment activities and to facilitate co-operation between government departments and I local councils in undertaking their·activities (see Figure i). These regions are also intended to be us~d as.the framework for the establishment of Regional Planning I! Auth6rities in country Victoria. The first such Regional Planning· Authority was established in the Loddon-Campaspe I Region in 1973~ Subsequently, a Regionai Planhing Committee was established in the East Gippsland> Region. I To facilitate th·~ development of effective regional planning throughout Vi.ctoria, the Town and Country Pl anhihg Board has· I embarked on a· s~ries of regional planni.ng stud_i.es in the 0 no;;.;.lnE?'tr.opolit~n regions. .in. the State .. The o~erall aims of I this progressive programme of studies are as follo\."'s:- p) to determine the role of each region in the State; I qi) to provide the basis for the preparation of regional I ·policies and plans; (fii) to.provide the basis fdr adv~sing Governrn~ht I authorities on the appropriate policies to be app~ied .· . in each region; and I I I - -.- -· ------------,,- ., -· - .- .-"I I REGIONAL BOUNDARIES FOR GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES NORTHERN MALLEE SCALE 0 50 100 kilometres N ' . WIMMERA LO ODON -CAMPASPE ' ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... EAST GIPPSLANO. ' .. ' SOUTH WESTERN . 1 .. ~ \. - 3 (iv) to develdp a framework within which co-operation between the vario~s State, Local Govern~ent and ·Regional bodies, involved in the administratio~ and 'development of each region may be advanced. I The first two such studies (for the Loddon-Campaspe and Central Highlands Region) have recently been completed and the programme is continuing with similar .studies of the 11I Central and East Gippsland Regions. I PLANNING IN THE CENTRAL GIPPSLAND REGtON I The Ceritral Gippsland Region contains ·num~rdus resources which are of critical significance to the future of I Victoria, including large brown coa1 ·deposit~, ext~nsive forest areas, several maior rivers and rich agric~ltural I 1ands. Numerous State Bovernment departments and instrumentalities··· I are engaged in· major activities relating .to the future planning and-development of the regions, including the State I Electricity Commission, the Forests Commission, the Melbourne and· Metropolitan Board of Works~ and the Ministries· bf A~riculture, S~ai~ De~elopme~i, tonserv~tion, Minesi and · I Fuel and Power. The involvement of these bodies includes not ·only ~nvesti~ations into various aspects of the R~~ion's I resources, and the potent i a1 . ro 1 e of those . resour.ces in increasi~g the social and economic opportunities available I both to res{dents of the Region itselt and to Victorians as a whole, but also the programming and implementation of I severa 1. 1a rge deve 1opment works (e.g. Thomson River barn, Loy Yang power station) which will. have a maj.or impac·t on the future physical, economic and social character of the I Region. I I l I - 4 - .I' I In June 1975, the Victorian Government formally recognized I the importance of the resources of the Central Gippsland Region to the future of Victoria by its ad6ptibn of .. Statement of Planning Policy No. 9 (Central Gippsland.Brown I Coal Deposits in the Cont~xt of Overall Re~6urces). I Several State Government Committees are currently u·ndertaki ng investigations and/or developing programmes relating to the further utilisation and development of the Region's· resources. •1 Examples of such committees are the Brown Coal Resources I Inter-Departmental Committee established to def.irie areas of economically winnable brown coal and to make recommendations I on ~uitable means of prot~cting them pursuant to Clause.2~1 of ·statement of Planning Policy No. 9, the.Thomson River Water Resources Joint Committee and the Latrobe Valley I I Co-ordinating Committee. I There is a ne~d, however, to bring together arid rationalise all progr·ammes or activity relating, to planning in the I Central Gipps.land Region and tO" relate those programines to. a set of agree·d planning objectives" for the ·Region as a . whole .. In. recogniti.on of this fact the Victorian I Government .is cµrrentlY. actively cons.idering the.· nature. of. I the. institutional. ·framework. for planning in the Central Gippsland Region. which wo.uld facilitate mos't effectively the deve.lOpment ·and implementation of effective .. policies, I plans and programmes for the future of the Region. I AN INITIAL OVERVIEW . Al though the aims of the Board 1 s prog_ramme of t-egional. I . studies in eath of the Stat~·s Regions are similar, the Board is anxious to.ensure that the programme of studies I I I I 1. - 5 I I undertaken in any single region is tailored to the specific requirements and circumstances of that region. I The regional studies programme which the Town and Country Planning Board proposes to undertake in the Central I Gippsland Regioh. during 1976/77, therefore, will be designed to act as an important instrument towards the effective 1,I planning and co-ordination of private and public sector activitie~ in C~ntral Gippsl~nd.