Toolamba is the first of Greater Shepparton’s townships to have its own growth plan to guide residential development for the next 30 years and ensure infrastructure and services are delivered in a timely manner to support expansion. Greater Shepparton City Council adopted the Toolamba Growth Plan 2020 at the July Council Meeting.
The township was identified as an area of future growth in the Greater Shepparton Housing Strategy 2011. In addition to the potential impacts of the proposed Goulburn Valley Highway Shepparton Bypass, several landowners to the west of Toolamba have expressed interest in rezoning and subdividing substantial tracts of land in recent years.
Council appointed Ethos Urban Pty Ltd to undertake preparation of the Plan in February 2019. Two rounds of community engagement were conducted, the first in May 2019 for preliminary input, and the second between December 2019 and March 2020 to receive feedback on the draft.
In response to matters raised by the community, Council commissioned Mesh Liveable Urban Communities Pty Ltd to prepare the Toolamba Housing and Streetscape Typologies 2020 to accompany the plan, which was also adopted by Council. The Typologies outline key aspects of the local character and provide guidance to ensure Toolamba’s rural identity is retained as the township evolves.
Council officers will now begin preparation of a planning scheme amendment to incorporate the Toolamba Growth Plan 2020 and the Toolamba Housing and Streetscape Typologies 2020 into the Greater Shepparton Planning Scheme. The amendment is expected to be placed on public exhibition towards the end of 2020 and to be finalised in late 2021.
For more information on the Toolamba Growth Plan 2020, visit https://greatershepparton.com.au/bpi/planning/strategic-planning/strategic-strategies-and-reports/toolamba-growth-plan
