Amendment C60 - Forest Street to Forest Creek Heritage Study

This amendment proposes to introduce heritage overlays to the Forest Creek Channel, the Eastern and Western Reserves, and 15 industrial and residential buildings, as recommended by the Forest Street to Forest Creek Heritage Assessment.

The Minister for Planning has approved Amendment C60 to the Mount Alexander Planning Scheme. The Amendment came into operation on 13 October 2016 when the amendment notice was published in the Government Gazette.

The amendment implements the findings of the Forest Street to Forest Creek Heritage Assessment Report May 2016. The amendment applies a Heritage Overlay (HO1214) to land along Forest Street from Kennedy Street to Urquhart Street and along Forest Creek in Castlemaine. It also amends local planning policy to include the report as a reference document.

Council commissioned a Heritage Study for the edge of the Castlemaine CBD between Forest Street and Forest Creek in 2014. Parts of this area are in the Commercial 1 Zone, and are likely to experience development pressure in the future.

The study area is bounded by the railway line and Urquhart Street to the east and west, and Forest Street and Forest Creek to the south and north. The east west boundaries were chosen for consistency with the existing Castlemaine Central Heritage precinct, the southern boundary as the topographical feature of the creek, which is also the boundary between Commercial and Residential zonings.

Community consultation sessions held during the preparation of the study, and the draft study was released for public feedback in March and April 2015.

The amendment was exhibited from 22 June to 10 August 2015. The amendment recommended three separate overlays, one for the Forest Creek Channel, one for Eastern and Western Reserves, and a serial listing over a number of significant residences and industrial buildings in the western half of the study area.

Council received submissions to the amendment requesting changes. The amendment was referred to an independent planning panel who recommended a number of changes to the amendment. The most notable change being the panel recommended one precinct overlay over the channel, reserves and private residential and industrial buildings.

Full amendment documentation is available from Amendments Online through the Victorian Government's Planning website.