The Coldstream Community generally supported some expansion of its township residential areas and a significant growth in population of the township at the recent Community Structure Plan meeting.
Subsequent to the community meeting, the Planning Minister's department (DELWP) have advised they will not support expansion of the Urban Growth Boundary of Coldstream. This will prevent any urban residential expansion of Coldstream from being considered as part of the Structure Plan process and Council's Draft Structure Plan proposal adopts this stance.
There may still be opportunity for rural residential expansion in the rural areas abutting the Township, vide rezoning of the existing rural zones into the Green Wedge A zone or Rural Living Zones, as this may enable some population growth through rural residential lifestyle properties or Tourist accomodation development around the township.
Group accomodation uses are often currently restricted, as many of the existing allotment sizes are not in accordance with the typical rural allotment size contained in the zoning minimum area requirements. Reforms of the minimum subdivision allotment size vide rezoning, may provide the temporary population increase in the Coldstream area from locally based overnight tourist stays, that would help support and invigorate the local Coldstream Business area, whilst also providing a modest influx of additional rural residential development surrounding the town.
We would encourage Council to consider rezoning of these surrounding Rural areas as part of the Coldstream Structure Plan process, as a potential alternative to the community preferred urban expansion that has been rejected. This would not require any amendment of the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) of Coldstream, and thus might be supported by the Planning Minister with sufficient justification.
Council recently adopted the Draft Coldstream Structure Plan. I would encourage local residents to continue to voice their opinions to Council in regards to improvements & revitalisation projects for the Coldstream Structure Plan.
