VicSmart Clause 59.13 – Decision Guidelines

59.13 – Building or works in a rural zone is the clause in local planning schemes that sets out the following for VicSmart planning applications:

• Clause 59.13-1 Information requirements – what you must provide to support your application and repeated in VicSmart Checklist 13: Construct a building or works in a rural zone.
• Clause 59.13-2 Decision guidelines – the decision guidelines by which the council assess your application.

Click here to save or print a PDF of VicSmart Clause 59.13

59.13 BUILDINGS AND WORKS IN A RURAL ZONE

59.13-1 Decision guidelines

31/07/2018 VC148
In assessing an application the responsible authority must consider as appropriate:

• The impact of the siting, design, height, bulk, colours and materials to be used, on the natural environment, character and appearance of the area, landscape features, major roads, vistas and water features and the measures to be undertaken to minimise any adverse impacts.
• Whether the proposal will have an adverse impact on adjoining and nearby land uses.
• The need to protect amenity of existing residents.
• The need to locate buildings in one area to avoid any adverse impacts on surrounding agricultural uses.
• The likely environmental impact on the natural physical features and biodiversity of the area, including the need to retain vegetation and faunal habitat and the need to revegetate land including riparian buffers along waterways, gullies, ridgelines, property boundaries and saline discharge and recharge areas.
• The capability of the land to accommodate the proposed development.
• Whether the development will support and enhance agricultural production.
• The location of on-site effluent disposal areas to minimise the impact of nutrient loads on waterways and native vegetation.
• Any Regional Catchment Strategy and associated plan applying to the land.
• The impact of the proposal on any wetlands or waterways.
• Any integrated land management plan prepared for the site.
• Whether the development will require traffic management measures.
• For buildings and works associated with a dwelling:
  • Whether the dwelling will result in the loss or fragmentation of productive agricultural land.
  • Whether the dwelling will be adversely affected by agricultural activities on adjacent and nearby land due to dust, nose, odour, use of chemicals and farm machinery, traffic and hours of operation.
  • Whether the dwelling will adversely affect the operation and expansion of adjoining and nearby agricultural uses.
  • The potential for the proposal to lead to a concentration or proliferation of dwellings in the area and the impact of this on the use of the land for agriculture.

 Source: Victoria Planning Provisions – VicSmart Clause 59.13 by the State of Victoria