Community and stakeholder engagement commenced early in the process with two drop-in sessions held in the Longwarry Town Hall in April 2021. These sessions were the first phase of the consultation, where many engaged community members discussed their thoughts and aspirations for their township.
A second phase of consultation included drop-in sessions so that the community had the opportunity to provide comment and ask questions on the draft Structure Plan responded to by Echelon Planning and Council officers. These drop-in sessions were supplemented by an online survey and webpage updates to ensure those who were unable to attend in person were still represented. Engagement for the draft Plan was undertaken in February/March 2022 for a period of 4 weeks.
There were 10 written submissions received to the draft Structure Plan, as well as 22 responses via the Have Your Say (HYS) platform.
Community members also provided verbal feedback which was noted at the engagement sessions. The main matters raised in the submissions included:
• Seeking a mix of residential housing, including some low density lots
• New developments to respect the rural character of the town
• Drainage/flooding issues
• Fire management
• The Employment Investigation Area and the need for more employment land in Baw Baw
• Location of the Saleyards and the 500m EPA buffer
• More community facilities and open space, including sporting oval
• Greater retail options
• Improved pedestrian network
• Environmental, ecological and renewable energy considerations
• The ‘Longwarry Triangle’ and its current/future zone