Cobram 2025 Cobram Strategy Plan - Moira Shire Council

Cobram Strategy Plan
Final Report
Many of the uses along the Murray Valley Highway to the west of the town centre
and along Broadway Street east of the highway are more akin to a Business 4
Zone rather that the existing Industrial 1 Zone. The Industrial Land Review
undertaken by Maunsell Australia appropriately recommended that these areas be
rezoned to Business 4.
Whilst this recommendation is supported, it is recognised that there are limited
opportunities for new business to establish within these areas as the majority of
properties are occupied.
Outlets within the Business 4 Zone generally prefer/require properties with
highway frontage to obtain high exposure. Further, peripheral sales uses do not
directly compete with traditional retail uses within Business 1 Zones. Peripheral
sales outlets are dominated by customers arriving in vehicles, and generally have
particular goods in mind when visiting peripheral sales precincts.
Therefore, the co-location of bulky goods/peripheral sales outlets is encouraged.
However peripheral sales precincts need not necessarily be co-located with
traditional retail precincts. This being the case, it is appropriate to create a
Business 4 Zone precinct, adjacent to the Cobram town centre, and establish a
consolidated precinct that has a significant highway and/or main road frontage.
This can be achieved through the rezonings as recommended in the Industrial
Land Review Report.
However in recognising the limited opportunities within these areas it is further
recommended that a ‘business park’ be established in the triangle defined by The
Murray Valley Highway to the south east, Cobram Koonoomoo Road to the north
east and Ritchie Road to the west. These three roads are main arterial roads and
afford high exposure, particularly the former two. Subject to traffic and transport
assessment, it is expected that Ritchie Road will carry increased traffic volumes,
especially to provide access to the existing and proposed industrial areas to the
north and west of the town centre.
This recommendation builds upon the rezonings as suggested in the Industrial
Land Review and facilitates the provision of a consolidated business park activity
within a site defined by main roads. Premises which will front to Cobram
Koonoomoo Road and Ritchie Road should be accessed via a service road. An
internal road from either of these roads could provide access to the central part of
the site. It is suggested that this area be included in a Development Plan Overlay
or similar control to ensure the co-ordinated planning of lot layout, access, design
of built form, advertising signage, logical release of land and the like. This
proposal provides the opportunity for an attractive business park to be established
in Cobram, to complement the industrial precincts to the north and to provide
ample space for business which prefer main road exposure and are more akin to
a Business 4 zoning rather than being located within an industrial precinct.
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