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Exhibition of Moorabool Planning Scheme Amendment C103moor– Hopetoun Park North

Project Overview

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Council has prepared Amendment C103moor to the Moorabool Planning Scheme, at the request of Bacchus Marsh Property Group Pty Ltd (BMPG).

This amendment facilitates the future subdivision and residential development of land in Hopetoun Park North.

The Amendment was on public exhibition from 21 March 2025 to 4 May 2025. The project will remain available for public inspection until the planning scheme amendment is approved or lapses.

Amendment C103moor proposes to: 

  • Rezone approximately 62 hectares of land from the Farming Zone to the Neighbourhood Residential Zone 

  • Apply the Development Plan Overlay to ensure the land is developed in an orderly manner and manage the design and layout of the future subdivision, future movement and open space network and provide for bushfire management;  

  • Apply the Design and Development Overlay to manage setbacks and siting requirements for future dwellings; 

  • Apply the Environmental Significance Overlay to protect and manage two areas of biodiversity significance;  

  • Remove the existing Significant Landscape Overlay and Design and Development Overlay which relate to rural land uses and are therefore redundant. 

The planned residential development would consist of approximately 400 dwellings on minimum size lots between 800m2 and 1500m2, active open space, a Community Centre, a local retail centre, local parks and shared trails.  

You may inspect the amendment, any documents that support the amendment and the explanatory report about the amendment free of charge on this website, or at;  

  • during office hours, at the following Council office locations:  

  • 15 Stead Street, Ballan  

  • Darley Civic and Community Hub, 182 Halletts Way, Darley  

  • Lerderderg Library – Customer Service, 215 Main Street, Bacchus Marsh  

A full explanation of Amendment C103moor can be found in the Explanatory Report and supporting documents on this webpage.  

  • Bacchus Marsh Property Group requested a planning scheme amendment
  • Council considered whether to seek authorisation from the Minister to prepare and exhibit an amendment
  • Council requested Ministerial authorisation
  • Ministerial authorisation granted to prepare and exhibit amendment C103moor
  • Council prepares and exhibits amendment C103moor
  • Council refers submissions to a planning panel or Council abandons the amendment
  • Planning Panel considers submissions then prepares a report with recommendations to Council & the Minister
  • Council Considers the Panel’s report and decides whether to adopt the amendment (in whole or part) or abandon the amendment
  • Council seek Ministerial approval
  • Minister’s decision comes into effect upon gazettal

Making a Submission

The Amendment was on public exhibition from 21 March to 4 May 2025.

As the exhibition period for this amendment is now concluded, Council officers will review the submissions received, taking into account all matters raised, and the potential implications of those matters for landowners and the community.

Please be aware that submissions are public documents and copies may be made available to any person for the purpose of consideration as part of the planning process. Your personal contact details will not be published with your submission, and your personal information will be managed in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.

Once the submissions have been reviewed, a response for each matter raised will be determined and a report will be prepared for consideration at a future Council meeting. You will be advised of the date of the Council meeting, when it is confirmed, and of any opportunities to address Council at the meeting. The Council meeting agenda is usually available on Council’s website here on the Friday evening preceding the meeting.

If Council does not support all of the changes to the amendment sought by submitters, it will then decide whether to abandon the amendment, or request the appointment of a Planning Panel by the Minister for Planning. A Panel is appointed by the Minister to hear submissions in response to an amendment, and to make recommendations or provide expert advice on whether or not the amendment should proceed.

If a Panel is requested and appointed, you will be advised in writing and provided with an opportunity to make a presentation to the Panel at a public hearing. Following the public hearing, a report will be produced by the Panel, which Council must consider before it resolves to adopt, change or abandon the amendment.

The Minister for Planning will then make the final decision in relation to the amendment after considering Council’s resolution and the recommendations of the Panel report.

FAQ

A full explanation of Amendment C103 can be found in the Explanatory Report and supporting documents on this webpage, or at the Department of Transport and Planning www.planning.vic.gov.au/public-inspection.

Amendment C103moor proposes to apply the Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ) to the site. This is one of the most restrictive residential zones, either due to development constraints or the need to protect an identified neighbourhood character of an area.  The NRZ allows for residential development and land uses that serve the local community such as medical or childcare services. The Zone purpose is as described below:  

  • To recognise areas of predominantly single and double storey residential development.  

  • To manage and ensure that development respects the identified neighbourhood character, heritage, environmental or landscape characteristics.  

  • To allow educational, recreational, religious, community and a limited range of other non-residential uses to serve local community needs in appropriate locations.  

A Schedule 8 to the Neighbourhood Residential Zone is proposed in Amendment C103 to provide specific guidance by setting out the following purposes:   

  • To establish an open and spacious neighbourhood character including through the establishment of larger lots around the perimeter of the new residential area. 

  • To provide development that is respectful of the existing open and spacious character of Hopetoun Park through the implementation of front, rear and side setbacks that provides adequate area for appropriate landscaping.  

  • To increase the presence of indigenous and native vegetation both within the public and private realms, particularly canopy trees, to reinforce the open woodland character of the area.  

  • To strengthen habitat corridors between waterways, conservation reserves, and grassland to the east. 

The Development Plan Overlay is a tool to ensure development across large sites is well coordinated and managed. It requires a landowner to first prepare a Development Plan (or Masterplan including detailed guidance around movement, open space and development). Once a Development Plan has been prepared, it becomes the masterplan for the area, and development needs to be consistent with the plan. Future permits are not required to be publicly advertised as long as they are in accordance with the Development Plan and Development Plan Overlay.

The Development Plan Overlay Schedule 7 guides proposed subdivision and development to meet the following purposes:  

  • To guide and facilitate a staged master-planned development of the land.  

  • To ensure the identification and effective management of areas of environmental, heritage and landscape significance.  

  • To provide an appropriate transition between the new residential growth area and the existing low density residential development at Hopetoun Park.  

  • To enhance the amenity, safety and liveability of the existing development at Hopetoun Park, through increased services and infrastructure delivered in the growth area.  

  • To implement measures to mitigate potential environmental and bushfire impacts. 

A development plan must satisfy all requirements specified in the schedule and must include a masterplan generally in accordance with Map 1 to the schedule.

The proposed Design and Development Overlay Schedule 17 has been based on an assessment of the existing character of the Hopetoun Park area. Requiring  minimal or rural fencing, and larger separations between dwellings can ensure the new dwellings respect the existing lower density rural character of the area.  

The Design and Development Overlay Schedule 17 guides proposed subdivision and development to meet the following objectives:   

  • To ensure new residential development minimises its visual impact when viewed from the Western Freeway, Bacchus Marsh Valley and the existing Hopetoun Park residential development. 

  • To provide development that respects the existing open and spacious character of Hopetoun Park through the implementation of front, rear, and side setbacks, ensuring adequate space for landscaping that reinforces the open woodland character. 

  • To encourage fencing that provides a 'rural' feel, and sense of openess towards the street. 

  • To encourage the use of materials for building construction that blend aesthetically with the landscape. 

  • To ensure setbacks to dwellings respond to the requirements of Clause 13.02 to reduce bushfire risks. 

The proposed Environmental Significance Overlay Schedule 7 currently applies to areas in Balliang East to protect native vegetation of the Victorian Volcanic Plain Bioregion. This amendment applies the same Overlay to proposed conservation areas within the site which contain native vegetation identified through surveys. These areas are not identified to be developed for new residential purposes. 

The Environmental Significance Overlay Schedule 7 contains the following objectives: 

  • To prevent a decline in the extent and quality of native vegetation and native fauna habitat of the Victorian Volcanic Plain. 

  • To enhance the environmental and landscape values of the area. 

  • To avoid the fragmentation of contiguous areas of native vegetation or native fauna habitat. 

  • To ensure that any use, development or management of the land is compatible with the long-term conservation, maintenance and enhancement of the grasslands. 

  • To avoid the destruction of habitat for native fauna resulting from the modification of land form and disturbance of surface soils and rocks. 

  • To enable areas of environmental significance, due to their native vegetation or habitat values, to be identified. 

A planning scheme amendment may involve a change to a planning scheme map, a change to the written part of the scheme, or both. Amendments can have significant planning implications and affect the wider community because they change the way land can be used or developed. They can also change the basis for making planning decisions in the future.

All individual submissions will be acknowledged in writing.  Following the exhibition process, section 23 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 requires Council to consider all submissions made to the amendment and either: 

  • change the amendment in the manner requested in any submissions; or 

  • refer the submissions to an independent Planning Panel appointed under Part 8 of the Act; or 

  • abandon the amendment or part of the amendment. 

More information about the amendment process is available here   

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Who's Listening

  • Liam Prescott
    Senior Strategic Planner, Growth & Development
    Moorabool Shire Council

    info@moorabool.vic.gov.au
    (03) 5366 7100