Rural Strategy - Surf Coast Shire

Surf Coast Shire Rural Strategy Review
Final Report
6.4 State Policy
The State Planning Policy Framework at Clause 16.03 Rural living and rural residential
development provides clear guidelines for implementation of the Rural Living and Low
Density Residential Zones. The clause states that land should only be zoned for rural living
or rural residential development where it:
Is located close to existing towns and urban centres, but not in areas that will be required
for fully serviced urban development.
Can be supplied with electricity and water and good quality road access.
Land should not be zoned for rural living or rural residential development if it will
encroach on high quality productive agricultural land or adversely impact on waterways or
other natural resources.
Further guidance for rural residential development is outlined in Ministerial Direction No. 6
6.4.1 Ministerial Direction 6 – Rural Residential Development
Ministerial Direction No. 6 seeks to ensure that a new rural residential development is a
sustainable use of the land. In order to amend a planning scheme to provide for rural
residential use through application of the Rural Living Zone, a Council must demonstrate
that the proposed development:
Is consistent with the housing and settlement strategy of the area;
Is supported by and supports sustainable and viable settlements and communities;
Does not compromise the sustainable future use of existing natural resources, including
productive agricultural land, water, mineral and energy resources;
Protects existing visual and environmental qualities for the area, such as landscape,
water quality, native vegetation, habitat and biodiversity values;
Avoids predictable adverse environmental processes and effects such as flooding,
erosion, landslip, salinity or wildfire; and
Can efficiently be serviced by social and physical infrastructure, at an acceptable and
sustainable community cost.
Ministerial Direction No.6 seeks to address some of the negative impacts of rural living such
as:
Rural living is an inefficient use of land to accommodate growth with fewer persons
accommodated per hectare of land compared to urban settlement.
Rural living is often supplied in a format encircling urban centres which, tends to
perpetuate urban sprawl rather than create distinct green breaks between towns and
rural areas.
Rural living is more costly per household with regard to provision of services and
infrastructure including roads, garbage collection and community facilities compared to
more densely established settlements.
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