The Miners Rest Township Plan

PROJECT UPDATE

The Miners Rest Township Plan (November 2019) has been adopted by Council.

The Township Plan was adopted by Council at a regular meeting on 11^th December 2019. Council also resolved to commence a planning scheme amendment to implement the plan into the Ballarat Planning Scheme.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the development of this exciting plan for Miners Rest. It reflects the value and aspirations of the community and City of Ballarat is committed to continuing to work in partnership with the community to implement the plan.

You can view the 11^th December Council meeting agenda here. The meeting minutes will be available online shortly.

NEXT STEPS

Council officers will prepare a Planning Scheme Amendment to implement the findings of the plan. Following authorisation from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) this will involve a period of public exhibition period where all landholders and interested parties will have the opportunity to make a formal submission. This will be widely advertised, and all affected landowners will be directly notified. You will be advised of this process in due course.

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Miners Rest Township Plan has been prepared following extensive community consultation and seeks to:

• Establish a long-term community vision for Miners Rest
• Develop a prioritised action plan and responsibilities for implementation
• Guide the City of Ballarat and other authorities to prioritise investment in the town
• Provide a sound basis for community and the City of Ballarat to apply for grants or lobby for funding
• Identify potential changes to the Ballarat Planning Scheme to implement land use planning actions to achieve the vision.

The Township Plan includes a vision statement – In 2040 Miners Rest will be:

• A family-orientated rural township with a friendly and inclusive community spirit
• A compact and contained township functioning as a separate ‘satellite’ settlement to Ballarat
• A rural township character which is positively influenced by the surrounding open rural landscape
• A township with ample commercial uses and activities to meet the day-to-day needs of the local community and businesses
• A vibrant, inviting and attractive township with well-designed, tree-lined streetscapes and pedestrian/cycling connections linking major community hubs
• A township recognised and celebrated for its significant equine industry
• A township with ample public transport options and the safe management of vehicle traffic.

The final plan has been prepared following consultation with community members, landholders/stakeholders and members of the Committee for Miners Rest.

Further work was also undertaken to prepare a town character assessment for the Miners Rest North, and a community survey was undertaken to inform the findings. For details see the Miners Rest North Character Assessment - Supplementary Report (November 2019) - the link is on the right hand side of the this page.

The Miners Rest North Neighbourhood Character Survey found that many residents were concerned that recent residential growth was inappropriate and out of character. Through the survey residents told us that they valued the uniqueness and the larger lot sizes. The Township Plan is proposing to protect these values by implementing the Neighbourhood Residential Zone with a minimum lot size to help manage this character element of Miners Rest.

The community also told us about the importance of the open spaces, native trees, landscape setting and views to rural land, hills and volcanic cones that are highly valued and contribute to sense of place within Miners Rest. Other issues identified in the survey include the need for a more attractive and usable town centre and a desire for more cafes, small shops and less 'out-of-character' businesses. These issues are also addressed in the Township Plan.

Please find links on the right-hand side of this page to the updated Miners Rest Township Plan (updated November 2019) and a number of additional studies which have been undertaken and used to inform the plan.

These reports include:

1. The Miners Rest Plan Township Plan Report (November 2019)
2. Miners Rest Township Plan - Background Information and Analysis Report (November 2019)
3. Miners Rest north Character Assessment – Supplementary Report (November 2019)
4. Miners Rest Community Infrastructure Assessment Final (June 2018)
5. Miners Rest – 'What you said' report (May 2017)
6. Ballarat Airport Safeguarding Study (July 2018)
7. Ballarat Aerodrome Noise Modelling Report (June 2018)
8. Miners Rest Township Plan Issues and Opportunities Paper (Sept 2017)
9. Summary response to feedback (November 2019)
10. Miners Rest Township Plan - Priority Action Plan Final (November 2019).

FURTHER INFORMATION

If you have any questions about the final plan or process, or would like to register your interest to be kept up-to-date with the plan, please contact the Strategic Planning team on 5320 5500 or strategicplanning@ballarat.vic.gov.au