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Media Releases |
Media Release - Department of Planning Sydney: 4 September 2009 BALRANALD LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN READY FOR COMMUNITY INPUT The Balranald draft local environmental plan (LEP) has been given the go-ahead to be placed on public exhibition, updating a local planning instrument nearly four decades old, Balranald Shire Council and the NSW Department of Planning today announced.
Deputy Director-General (Plan Making and Urban Renewal) for the NSW Department of Planning, Tom Gellibrand, said that the draft plan builds on the strategic planning work undertaken by the Council to date, which has been supported by $82,000 in funding from the NSW Government’s Planning Reform Fund.
“I congratulate Balranald Shire Council for its work on what will become a landmark planning document for the Shire,” Mr Gellibrand said.
“This plan will provide a contemporary planning framework to see the development objectives for the Shire realised.”
Mayor for Balranald Shire, Clr Ron Mengler, also welcomed the public exhibition of the draft LEP, which he said contained a number of provisions adapted to the Shire’s local planning needs.
“The draft LEP supports the Shire’s economy by zoning more than 15 years supply of village land adjoining existing urban areas of Balranald and Euston for a mix of residential, commercial, industrial and tourist uses,” Clr Mengler said.
“This village zoning situates future urban growth in appropriate locations and provides flexibility for future development in the Shire, consistent with the Council’s adopted strategic planning documents.
Clr Mengler said that the plan also supported the Shire’s valuable agricultural industry by retaining or introducing new minimum lot sizes on various rural lands across the Shire.
“For instance, a rural small holdings zone with a minimum 16 hectare lot size is proposed over areas currently being used for intensive table grape growing, which will recognize and encourage these important viticulture industries near Euston,” Clr Mengler said.
“These outcomes are the best that Council could achieve and I encourage and welcome the comments and feedback of the community during the public exhibition period.”
Mr Gellibrand said that the draft LEP achieves the balance between supporting the Shire’s urban development, and protecting its rich environment and heritage.
“For instance, a key feature of the draft plan is that it introduces urban and rural building setback provisions from the Murray, Murrumbidgee, Edward and Wakool Rivers to safeguard against any potential impacts of development on the sensitive riverine environment,” Mr Gellibrand said.
“The draft plan was prepared based on the NSW Government’s standard LEP template, which provides a consistent framework for the layout, zone names and definitions of new council-wide LEPs across NSW, making them easier to implement and understand.”
Clr Mengler said that the draft LEP would now be on public exhibition from Monday 7 September until Monday 5 October 2009.
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