THE issue that put Wangaratta Council on the path to its eventual dismissal two years ago _ the rural land strategy _ will be re-visited by the city's administrators on Tuesday.
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The rule book of how rural land can developed was the hot-ticket item in the lead-up to the 2012 elections which led to a purge of sitting councillors and put their replacements on a collision course with senior council staff who played a major part in framing the original strategy.
One of the first acts of the sacked council was to take no further action on the strategy pending a review of its contents.
Less than 12 months later, the Victorian Government dismissed the council following the departure of the council's senior management.
A review carried out by the incoming council staff taking into account revised rural zones introduced by the state government in 2013 and other legislative changes affecting the rural sector will be presented to administrators at their upcoming meeting next week.
Administrators Ailsa Fox, Rodney Roschellor and Irene Grant will decide whether to put the updated strategy out for public comment before voting on its introduction.
“Our current diversity of zones doesn’t take advantage of the flexibility offered by available rural zones," Mrs Fox said.
“The revised zones support farming activity, allow more tourism activities and encourage population growth in rural communities.
“The best way to look at how these revised zones can be used to help the community is through an overall strategy and is why the draft rural strategy 2015 will be presented to us next week.”
Mrs Fox said administrators were aware of the strategy's sensitivity and its impact on a large section of ratepayers, predominantly those living in rural areas.
The key planks of the latest draft strategy is retaining farming zone as the predominant zone across rural areas, retain 40 hectares as the minimum lot size for an “as-of-right” dwelling in the farming zone and retaining 40 hectares as the minimum lot size for subdivision within the farming zone.
It also proposes the introduction of the rural activity zone in selected areas around Milawa, re-zone selected areas of high conservation value where agriculture is not the primary use to rural conservation zone and re-zone selected areas around Glenrowan, Oxley and Milawa to rural living zone.
Former councillor Julian Fidge welcomed some of the changes proposed in the updated strategy.
"It is generally in keeping with what the elected council had intended, increasing the flexibility of land use around the townships," he said.
"But the overlays are draconian."
