Colac West Development Plan
Background
With increased demand for housing in Colac post COVID, creating new opportunities for housing to address the current lack of supply is Council’s highest priority. One of the first opportunities that presents itself to realise new subdivision in Colac is on land to the west of the former High School site between Lake Colac and the Princes Highway (Murray Street).
The land is already zoned General Residential, but is in several different ownerships, and Council has taken a lead role to unlock its development potential in collaboration with the land-owners. Council is now in a position to exhibit a draft Development Plan for this key residential growth area.
The Plan
The draft Colac West Development Plan will ensure there is coordinated residential development across property boundaries, resulting in more efficient drainage and higher quality urban development.
A key focus has been to achieve a north-south road and pedestrian link between the lake and the Princes Highway, and integration of new development with the proposed public open space on land being acquired from the State Government on the old high school site. An east-west link will also be provided as an extension of Moore Street through to Rifle Butts Road that presents an opportunity to extend bus services into the development plan area.
All main collector streets will be provided with signature tree planting and a service lane will be provided along the Princes Highway frontage to provide access to housing lots.
This area is one of the few opportunities for new urban development close to Lake Colac, taking advantage of access to this key Colac asset. The foreshore esplanade open space will extend from the Stodart Street Park across to Rifle Butts Road with a shared pedestrian/cycle pathway.
In addition, the future open space (on the former High School Site) will have road frontage on two sides, and will be highly accessible from the highway to future residents of the development area, and residents of existing residential areas to the east.
It is anticipated in the plan that subject to cultural heritage constraints being addressed, Stodart Street would be extended to provide increased road frontage to the lake, and achieve further development of the lake foreshore for recreational use, linking up with Rifle Butts Road.
The draft Colac Development Plan is accompanied by a Guidance Document that provides more detailed information about the plan and how it will be implemented (see link below)
Exhibition
The plan will be on exhibition for 4 weeks, and we encourage submissions for Council to consider when the plan is revisited by Council for adoption in October/November.
The plan is support with the following documents: