I I I I I I I DEVELOPMENT PLAN I I MPE LIBRARY I 1111111~11111111111~1111111111111111111111111111 M0002580 I . ~(TY\ ft».efL f(t€ I I TOWN &· COUNTRY PLANNING BOARD. I I I I I WODONGA DEVELOPMENT PLAN I I I I I I I I I KINNAIRD HILL deROl{AN and YOUNG PTY. LTD. I DE LEUW., CATHER OF AUSTRALIA PTY. LTD~ I (711. 4099 2453580 1455WOD:K Wodonga development I l copy 2 plan . I I ' ' I i I I I \ l_ - ----- --- ____ ) I I I CONTENTS PAGE I 1 ~- INTRODUCTJ;:ON I 2. HISTORICAL DEYELOPMENT_ · 4 I 3. · E~ISTING STRUCTURE 7 4. OB.:fEC+"IVES 12 I 5.. '.fHE DEVELOPMENT PLAN 16 I 6. COMPONENTS QF THE PLAN 6. 1 POPULATION, EMPLOYMENT AND. ECONOMY. 25 I 6.2 ENVIRONMENT 37 6. 3. COMMERCE AND ·INDUSTRYI ... 42 6. 4 TRANSPORTATION 48 . ' . I 6.5· HOUSING 54 6.6 COMMUNITY FACILITIES 59 I 6.7 SERVIGES 67. I APPENDICES I A. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS B. SECONDARY INDUST~Y IN WODONGA c. WODONGA URBAN AREA NUMBER OF VEHICLES BY DWELLINGS I D. WODONGA URBAN AREA OC<;:UPIED DWELLINGS ·BY CLASS ...' HOUSE OGCUPANCY CHARACTERISTICS I E. RURAL CITY OF WODONGA BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED F. AGE - SEX STRUCTURE OF POPULATION OF WODONGA I G. SCHOOLS IN WODONGA H. SERVICE CLUBS, SPORTING BODIES AND CHURCHES I J. REFERENCE. PLANS K. BIBLIOGRAPHY I L. THE· CONSULTANT TEAM. I I I I LIST OF FIQURES I FIGURE . LOCATION I Follows Page 1. ALBURY WODONGA REGION 2 I 2. EXISTING LAND USE · 10 I 3. TOWN PLANNINQ REPORT. 10 I 4. DEVELOPMENT PLAN 18 I 5. CENTRAL AREA PROPOSALS 20 I 6. HIGH STREET MALL 20 I 7. PROJECTED POPULATION GROWTH 28 . I 8. ENVIRONMENT 40 I 9. BYPASS ALTERNATIVES 48 I 10. E4ISTING POPULATION STR~CTURE 60 lL COMMUNITY FACILITIES. 60 I 12. SERVICES 68 I I I I I I --- ------ I I INTRODUCTION I I Background Early in 1973, the Australian Government joined with the Governments of Victoria and New South Wales in promoting the development .of Albury­ I Wodonga as a major .population centre. The target population for the complex was set at 300, 000 by the year 2000, · A number of major I initiatives have been taken since then~ to .rea1i:i.se that objective. Present plans .indicate that the cities of Wodonga and Albury will absorb substantially increased populations as the growth of the Albury-Wodonga I complex proceeds. It has been agreed specifically .that Wodonga should grow from its present ·population of 12,000 .to accommodate a total population of 45,000. The 'l'own and Country Planning Board has prepared .I a report to this 'effect and the' reccnmnendations contained in it .have been accepted by both the Wodonga Council and the Planning :Co-ordination I Committee for the Albury-Wodonga project. Prior to 'the announcement of the Albury-Wodonga growth proposals; Wodonga had long been recognised by .the Victorian Government as a town I with"considerable .potential for the location of decentralized industries and population. In ·r'ecent years the co~bined· efforts of the Wodonga Council and·the Victorian Department of State Development have stimulated I substantial growth .in employment and popula~ion in Wodonga and, as a result, the city has expanded to the effective limits of its present . planning scheme. These current growth pressures, together with those that will occur as a result of the growth of Albury-Wodonga, have I necessitated the preparation of a new Development Plan for Wodonga. I The Development Plan is described in this report, and has two major functions: I It will provide the conceptual basis for a formal Planning Scheme ·to be prepared in the near future. In the interim it provides a working basis for the Board's and I Council's assessments of individual' development applications: I A significant product of the Plan :Pas been the definition of a new Wodonga City Boundary. Within this proposed boundary the Wodonga Council will continue·to exercise its normal planning powers vis a vis I the proposed Albury"'.'Wodonga Development Corporation. Within the boundary the Corporation will act, in effect, as a norma.l developer and will conform to planning regulations laid down· by the Wodonga Council. I - 1 - I I I Preparation of the Plan I In preparing the Development Plan, the Consultants proceeded from a number of assumptions provided.by the Town and Country Planning Board. They are as follows: I That Wodo!).ga initially develop as a self-contained city with the context of the.. overall Albury-Wodo:nga project. I That Wodonga grow to a maximum population of 45,000. That the Wodonga Development Plan be compatible with long term proposals· for the Albury-Wodonga.region - insofar as these proposals are.known or foreshadowed at this time. That the Plan provide environmentally imaginati~e and sensitive solutions to Wodonga's physical growth and development problems • I . : The major steps taken in preparing the plan were: I Interviews with a wide range of organisations and individuals including members and officers of the Board; officers of the Shire of Wodonga, residents and business people. 0f Wodon'ga, Victorian I servi~e authorities and State Government Departments, and a number: of-Australian G0vernment Departments (a complete listing of organisations- contacted is _contained in Appendix A). I Compilation of a comprehensive cadastral and topographical base plan. Collation of all relevant maps, data and standards required for preparation of the plan. I .. Assessment of community aspirations and needs and of current problems and prospects within Wodonga. I Assessment of physical constraints to further development, and, based on population and employment projections, assessment 0f future demand for land and facilities. I L . Preparation and evaluation 0f alternative deve+opment plans leading to the proposed plan. I ··.' During the course of preparation of the Plan, draft proposals were reviewed by the Board, the Planning Co~ordination Committee, and the Wodonga Council.. .. , .. -- I I I - 2 - I I I I I I I I I I I Reduced Planning Area Proposed Wodonga City Boundary I Road Railway I River Local Government Boundaries I I I I O 2 4 8 12 16 km ~ CONTOUR INTERVAL 100 m I I 1 I ALBURY · WODONGA I REGION I. I The Plan·was prepared in a relatively sho~t period, and thus cannot be claimed to be·accurate or.definitive in every respect• It ·is likely I that planning for the overall Albury-Wodonga complex may be facilitated by minor modifications to the Wodonga Plan. However the objectives and proposals outlined in this report should continue.to provide a firm I guide .to the future character. an~:.fo~m o'f. Wodonga. ... I · Organisation o·f. the Report This report comprises the Development;: Plan and is 0rganised in six I sections. Secti0ns 1 to 5 provide broad backgreund·information and describe the majer planning proposals. Section 6 contains more.detailed descriptions.of individual .. elements of the plan together with assumptions I and supporting information. I Immediate .. Action It is suggested that .this report.be made·available by the. Board and the I , Wodonga Coun~il to State GQvernment instrumentatalities concerned·with implementa~ion ef elements of the plan, and to local groups and citizens in Wod.onga. Their comments arid suggestions should be sought formally I and in~ormally and : the Planning Scheme ·modified accordingly. If as·a result of these consultations, the.proposals in· this report receive-general approval, then it ·is recommended that prepa~ation of-.a fotmal·scheme for.exhibition sheuld proceed as soon as·possible. I I I I I I I - 3 - .I I I 2.· HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT I The Wodortga District has long been a pleasant and popular living place; first for.the Aboriginal tribes resident in the area and, more recently, I for European.settlers. According to.early reports, a tribe of about· two hundred.Aborigines held the area from Wodonga.to·Yarrawonga.as· . their te~ritory. They identified the area now occµpied by the city of. • . y I I Wodo~ga from the river flat plant life, calling it Wodonga ; meaning "an edible plant growing in a lagoon". I The first contact in the district between the two cµltµres, Aboriginal and Europeall, occurred with the arrival of Hume and Hovell.in 1824. The explorers.crossed the river which they named the Hume.(later renamed I the Murray) upstream from Wodonga. By 1835, pastoral occupation had spread to the district which was amongst I the earliest.settled areas.in what later became Victoria. In 1835 Mr. ·William Wyse established the Mangabareena and Bonegilla cattle tuns· for Mr. Charles Ebden.of Sydney. He was clo~ely followed by Mr. Ch~rles I Huon de Kerilleau who established the Wodonga.run fo+ his brother-Paul. The f~rst home$tead was built on.the south bank.of the Wodonga Creek, and Huon leased~ large ?rea of the surrounding country including the:area on I which Wodonga now stands.. The early village which grew on the south side of the Murray crossing was.first known as Huon, later as.Belvoir and .fin~lly as Wodonga. I By 1845 ?· road had been built linking Melbourne and Sydney so making Wodonga an:obvious stopping place.before undertaking the river crossing~ I The Murray could be forded at low water in the su1!llller time but.as traffic betweert .. Sydney and MelbourtJ,e grew, a.punt.was installed and la~er.a bridge with toll gateso I In the early 1850's Wodonga became·known as a 1 postal township' and a Revenue Officer,w~s placed in the town to.collect border duty.