NEW PLANNING VISION FOR MUSWELLBROOK APPROVED
The NSW Department of Planning and Muswellbrook Shire Council today announced the approval of the Muswellbrook Shire local environmental plan (LEP) 2009, which sets a land-use planning framework for the entire shire.
The plan replaces the council’s 24-year-old LEP and implements the strategic direction and actions of the 2003 Muswellbrook Shire Development Strategy.
Department of Planning rural and regional planning executive director Richard Pearson said the Muswellbrook LEP was just the second regional LEP to be finalised in line with the NSW Government’s standard template.
The standard template provides a consistent framework for the layout, zone names and definitions of new council-wide LEPs across NSW, which makes them easier to implement and understand,” Mr Pearson said.
The Department congratulates Muswellbrook Shire Council on its strategic planning and use of the template to create a long-term planning instrument.”
The plan minimises potential conflicts with mining and other rural land uses by consolidating urban development around existing centres and townships.”
Muswellbrook Shire Council Mayor, Councillor Martin Rush, said that the development of this plan had been intensive of both Council and Departmental staff time.
The community is the beneficiary of the rigorous and comprehensive manner in which both organisational staff applied themselves to the drafting process.
On behalf of the community can I thank the Department and Council staff for the quality of the document now produced and thank the community for their patience in the preparation of this much anticipated plan.”
A number of key provisions have been included in the LEP, in particular:
• The requirement for new release areas to be covered by a development control plan co-ordinating subdivision design and infrastructure provision;
• Rezoning of 3.5 hectares of land along Maitland Street, Muswellbrook, to encourage mixed use commercial and residential developments;
• Increasing height limit controls in commercial areas and allowing a variety of new uses in these areas;
• The listing of approximately 150 heritage items;
• The introduction of a village zone at Denman and Sandy Hollow, which will allow a flexible range of residential and commercial uses on land in keeping with a village environment.
The LEP is also tailored specifically to the needs of Muswellbrook Shire by containing a number of local clauses, which:
• Outline environmentally sensitive land and areas with mining and agriculture potential, which will help avoid unsuitable development in these areas;
• Set a minimum 80 hectare rural subdivision provision to ensure primary production and environmental management zones are not fragmented;
• Allow rural workers dwellings in rural zones; and
• Require that residential and village zone subdivisions may only be approved subject to the provision of water and sewerage services.
Muswellbrook Shire Council also adopted a new Development Control Plan 2009 at its meeting on 14 April 2009 to support the provisions in the new LEP, and will now be undertaking further work to prepare rural and urban strategies to assist in considering future amendments to Council’s new planning controls.
Media Release: NSW Government Department of Planning, Muswellbrook Shire Council
