General News
4 November, 2024
Living showcase: Planning homes for the future
LODDON HOUSING AND LIVING SHOWCASE NOVEMBER 22 AND 23 BRIDGEWATER The Victorian State Government has recently introduced changes to planning controls to support the development of additional housing. Small second dwellings can now be constructed on...
LODDON HOUSING AND LIVING SHOWCASE
NOVEMBER 22 AND 23
BRIDGEWATER
The Victorian State Government has recently introduced changes to planning controls to support the development of additional housing.
Small second dwellings can now be constructed on existing residential properties without a planning permit, except where flooding, bushfire or other environmental or special planning controls apply. Previously, these forms of dwellings could only be developed for a person dependent on the residents of the primary dwelling on the property. Under the new controls, anyone can live in these small dwellings.
A small second home is a dwelling that is 60 square metres or less with a kitchen, bathroom and toilet, located on the same lot as an existing home. Recent work by Villawood Properties for Loddon Shire Council highlighted the opportunities for infill residential development in the towns of Boort, Bridgewater, Inglewood, Pyramid Hill and Wedderburn due to the large lots in these towns and access to reticulated water and sewer. This project also highlighted the lack of rental housing and the impact of this on businesses ability to employ staff. Council believes that these rule changes to enable small second dwellings provide an opportunity for locals to generate income from their property and contribute to local housing options. Prefab housing or in-situ builds could be used to deliver this form of housing, and there are a number of builders operating in Loddon Shire that offer a quality product. Although planning approval is not required, building approval is required for small second dwellings.
Further information about small second dwellings can be found at www.loddon.vic.gov.au. Loddon Shire’s planning staff will also be available at the Loddon Living and Housing Showcase, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November at the Bridgewater Memorial Hall and can assist with your questions about small second dwellings.
Loddon Shire plans to exceed housing targets
The Victorian State Government has developed draft housing targets to support the delivery of more housing. The draft target for Loddon Shire is 500 additional houses between now and 2051. Loddon Shire Council is confident that this target can easily be met, and it will aim to exceed it. The towns of Loddon Shire have significant capacity for growth, with the Loddon Shire Settlement Strategy estimating that existing residential zones could accommodate more than 1000 homes.
There has been strong interest in residential development in Loddon Shire in recent years. Council supported the development of a 34 lot residential subdivision in Bridgewater, and has been very excited to see that the first stage has almost sold out. There have been new homes built in towns across the Loddon Shire, including more than twenty new homes in Inglewood and Bridgewater in the last five years. Most of these new homes have been accommodated within the existing urban area, which reduces development costs as infrastructure is already available.
Access to sewer in the larger towns of the Loddon Shire provides a significant opportunity for further subdivision of existing residential lots. Residents in Boort, Bridgewater, Inglewood, Pyramid Hill and Wedderburn have unlocked capital in their backyard by subdividing off unused parts of their residential property. The urban residential zone in Loddon Shire (Township zone) does not have a minimum subdivision size, and subject to the lot being of suitable dimensions to accommodate a dwelling and open space, lots as small as 350m2 have been created. Loddon Shire township land owners are able to support the growth of our community through the provision of new housing lots using these subdivision provisions.
Further information about housing and subdivision can be found at www.loddon.vic.gov.au. Loddon Shire’s planning staff will also be available at the Loddon Living and Housing Showcase, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November at the Bridgewater Memorial Hall and can assist with your questions about residential development opportunities.
Planning Performance
Loddon’s planning team have a proven track record of processing planning applications in a timely manner, achieving one of the best processing times for planning applications within Victoria. When compared to similar sized Council’s, Loddon Planners performance for time taken to make a decision is well above the median and average days taken to process an application. In addition, the number of application decisions made within 60 days is 100% for Loddon for 2024, compared with average of 63.9% for other small and regional Councils.