Cobram 2025 Cobram Strategy Plan - Moira Shire Council

Cobram Strategy Plan
Final Report
6.6 Commercial Land Strategy
6.6.1 Cobram Town Centre
The existing town centre will continue to be the commercial heart of Cobram. This
area should consolidate its focus on intensifying its retail activities for daily and
weekly shopping and higher order shopping. Ideally, traffic management
improvements (refer Cobram Urban Design Framework recommendations and
Section 9 of this Report) will be made to give rise to a more pedestrian friendly
environment within this main retail precinct. Restaurants and cafés should be
encouraged to service locals and visitors, as well as the important office and
business sector.
Whilst there are some vacant retail/business premises and allotments in the town
centre, including Main Street. The recommendations for streetscape
improvements, pedestrian linkages, and traffic circulation as per the Cobram
Urban Design Framework should facilitate the enhancement of the town centre
and in doing so create new opportunities for these premises to become occupied.
It is generally considered that business/commercial premises that occupy large
areas of floor space without “active” shop frontages, such as car dealerships,
major hardware outlets) are not generally suited to a town centre location. These
uses are often better located on the main approach into the town centre, such as
the Murray Valley Highway.
In this regard bulky goods outlets and car dealerships should be encouraged to
locate along the Murray Valley Highway or Broadway Street, preferably in the
areas proposed to be rezoned to Business 4 Zone from Industrial 1 (north and
west of the town centre). The highway/main road exposure would suit these
businesses and these locations offer larger and often less constrained parcels of
land. In addition, land within the town centre is available for more appropriate
uses such as higher order shopping premises. (It is noted that the availability of
land in these areas proposed to be rezoned to Business 4 Zone is limited - this is
further discussed in Section 6.6.3 below).
The Cobram Urban Design Framework made a series of recommendations in
regard to streetscape works (including landscaping, street furniture and
signage/flags), traffic management, open space linkages, establishment of a
village green/town square, walking trails, links to the river and gateway/entrance
statements. With community support and as funding becomes available these
suggestions, which have been prioritised, should be implemented and completed.
The Strategy Plan recommends the following for the Cobram town centre:
− Maintain the compact nature of the Cobram town centre and to intensify retail
and commercial uses within the existing town centre, including the existing
Business 1 zoned land;
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