Friends praise new river planning rules

THE Friends of the Barwon have praised recent changes to state planning schemes and policies that aim to limit the scope and type of development near waterways.

Gazetted in mid-December, the changes are part of a statewide bolstering of Victoria’s planning scheme that include greater protection of water bodies such as lakes, wetlands and billabongs and their natural association with waterways such as rivers and streams.

The amendments also include acknowledgment of Traditional Owner values and custodianship of waterways.

As part of the suite of planning scheme updates, two new regional policies specific to the Rivers of the Barwon and Waterways of the West have been introduced, that now mean the regions are recognised as a whole under planning law.

“For the past four years, since our inception, FOTB have advocated for much stronger planning controls to ensure inappropriate development did not adversely affect the rivers of the Barwon,” said group chair Trevor Hodson.

“Through our involvement with the Concerned Waterways Alliance and the Barwon River Ministerial Advisory Committee, FOTB have played a significant role in bringing this amendment to fruition.

Our engagement with candidates in the recent State election to recommend that the rivers of the Barwon were included in the new planning scheme amendment was pivotal in achieving this important outcome.”

The in announcing the changes a government spokesperson said region’s waterways are facing pressure from population growing and a changing climate, particularly from the growing Geelong and Ballarat areas.

“With this transformation comes opportunity to protect and enhance the waterways and their surrounding lands,” the spokesperson said.

In addition to the updates of existing planning laws a series of new Significant Landscape Overlay’s have been introduced for the Barwon and West on an interim basis until December 31, 2026.

The SLO’s will become part of the planning laws of respective local governments in the areas, and will likely result in the need for new planning permits on land captured within the overlays.

“The SLO controls apply to public and private land within the broader landscape setting of the river,” the spokesperson said.

“This is approximately 30 to 400 metres from the centre of the river on both sides and determined based on locally specific topographic and landscape features.”

Acknowledging the urban and rural context of rivers and waterways the department said the SLO will generally be applied more tightly along corridors in built up areas “where development has already impacted the landscape experience,” and expanded when applied to more open settings where waterway views and landscapes are experienced.

The department stated that the four-year interim period of the overlays will allow sufficient time for state and local government’s to monitor the operation of the controls.

However, Mr Hodson said the temporary nature of the SLOs meant there was more work for his group to do.

“We cannot rest on our laurels,” he said. “Friends of the Barwon will ask for the Amendment to be continued, and also argue for it to be strengthened after the current limit date of 2026.”

-WITH TIM LAMACRAFT