berringa cape clear staffordshire reef - golden plains shire cape clear... · gold rush era is...

AREA PROFILE

Berringa Cape Clear

Staffordshire Reef

Golden Plains Shire Council

Northern Settlement Strategy Communty Consultation May-June 2016

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi01-uBiJzMAhVB56YKHVBQBEAQjRwIBw&url=http://www.goldenplains.vic.gov.au/page.aspx?u%3D978&bvm=bv.119745492,d.dGY&psig=AFQjCNFx2QLxcZXMFqCGejkL6-AA-bpMKg&ust=1461202061981194

INTRODUCTION The Northern Settlement Strategy aims to guide Council in determining sustainable areas in the northern half of the Shire to accommodation population growth to 2030. The project study area covers approximately 1,928 square kilometres in the northern part of the Golden Plains Shire. The study area is bordered by the City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong and the Shires of Pyrenees, Moorabool and Corangamite. The strategy will incorporate a Residential Land Supply Review that includes an inventory of vacant land and considers variable factors influencing land use, a Typology of Settlements that recognises different categories of settlement from towns to rural communities and a Strategic Framework to guide future planning decisions linked to growth areas and infrastructure investment.

Northern Settlement Strategy Study Area

ROLE OF THE AREAS BERRINGA

Berringa is located at the intersection of Staffordshire Reef Road and Derwent Jacks Road, approximately 28km south-west of Ballarat and 86km north-west of Geelong. The Berringa locality is 3696 hectares in area. The population is primarily rural lifestyle on small acreage within commuting distance of Ballarat.

CAPE CLEAR

Cape Clear is a rural village on the Scarsdale-Pitfield Road, 33 km south-west of Ballarat. There are a small number of dwellings within the village itself; however the village provides a number of services to the wider farming community. The Cape Clear locality is 3035 hectares in area. The population contained within the village of cape clear is primarily rural lifestyle on small acreage within commuting distance of Ballarat.

STAFFORDSHIRE REEF

Staffordshire Reef is a rural locality and former mining town located on the Staffordshire Reef Road approximately 23 km south-east of Ballarat. The Staffordshire Reef locality is 1886 hectares in area. The population is primarily rural lifestyle on small acreage within commuting distance of Ballarat.

TOWNSHIP AND LOCALITY CHARACTER Townships and localities in the northern part of the Golden Plains Shire are characterised by their strong commuting linkages to Ballarat and the generally dispersed rural residential development based on communities of interest.

The townships and localities of Berringa, Cape Clear and Staffordshire Reef are located in the central west part of the study area.

BERRINGA

Berringa is a former mining town that once had a booming population. This former population is reflected in the present day setting of the locality, with the Berringa Recreation Reserve being surrounded by a traditional township layout. Today many of these blocks remain vacant, and there is now a dispersed rural residential community. The locality itself contains the Berringa Hall (Formally Berringa State School Number 905) and the Recreation Reserve with playground equipment. The Berringa locality adjoins the Enfield State Forest and contains heavily vegetated undulating areas.

CAPE CLEAR

The village of Cape Clear is situated in a pleasant rural setting surrounding by agricultural land mostly used for grazing. Cape Clear offers a country lifestyle within commuting distance of Ballarat. A Primary School, community hall, playground and recreation reserve are located within the village.

STAFFORDSHIRE REEF

Staffordshire Reef is a former mining town that had a population which fluctuated with changes in mining activity. The village itself contains a non-traditional pattern of development along Staffordshire Reef Road. The locality itself does not contain any community infrastructure. The locality adjoins the Enfield State Forest and contains heavily vegetated undulating areas

HISTORY AND HERITAGE The gold rushes were the catalyst for many towns in the northern part of the Golden Plains Shire which saw an influx of people and money that often lasted only a few years. Steeped in gold history these towns and localities commenced their origins as canvas towns and later vibrant communities with an individual history explicitly linked in gold heritage.

BERRINGA

Berringa is a former mining town. Gold was discovered there at Kangaroo Gully in 1860, and the settlement was first known as Kangaroo, later as Moonlight, and finally as Berringa (1881). It is thought that the name was derived from an Aboriginal word meaning rainbow or sunset. A Methodist church was opened in the 1860s and a school was opened in 1867. The mining activity resulted in little more than a village until a new find in 1897 stimulated rapid growth. By about 1904 there were numerous shops, butchers, dressmakers, bootmakers, five boarding houses, a coffee palace, a Catholic church and school, a public hall and a local newspaper (1903-20). Cricket, football, tennis and racing clubs were formed in 1902. Mining had nearly 20 good years before shops and houses began to be transported out of Berringa to more prosperous places. Within five years the population fell by about 80%. A railway from the Ballarat area to Colac, via Berringa, ran during 1911-53.In 1937 a new syndicate revived mining, until it ended in 1954. The school was closed in that year and acquired as a public hall. The sense of community was further maintained in 1957-58 when the cricket team was the local premier. 1

CAPE CLEAR

Cape Clear was named by two of the early miners, Reardon and Henry Boardman who were from Cape Clear in Ireland. The original Cape Clear is in Ireland and is the southernmost point of Ireland. The town continued to grow as the discovery of rich gold at “Grand Trunk” opened up mining as far as the Pitfield Planes. At one time Cape Clear had several hotels and a street of shops including a bakery, blacksmiths shop, and general store. The present Cape Clear Hotel has been re-built at least once; the earlier timber hotel dating from the Gold Rush era is shown in the early photograph below, presently on display in the Cape Clear Hotel. The painting bottom left, also on display in the hotel, depicts the remains of the original butcher’s shop at Illabarook. The Bentick family was from there. The building had been derelict for many years and was only pulled down a couple of years back. Alongside this is a sketch of the former Presbyterian Church in Illabarook which still stands.2

1 Victorian Places.com.au - Berringa 2 Victorian Places.com.au – Cape Clear

STAFFORDSHIRE REEF

By 1863 Staffordshire Reef was an established mining and postal township, situated on the prosperous Stafford Quartz reef. Gold was first discovered within the Staffordshire Reef range in the form of alluvial gold deposits in the early 1850s. By 1864, quartz mining was the most successful form of gold extraction, with three quartz crushing mills operating within Staffordshire Reef. In 1865 the population was approximately 500 people, with 150 registered Miners. In common with other towns between Linton and Rokewood, mining declined during the 1870s or 1880s, and revived in the 1890s or around the turn of the century. The population figures chart the changes in mining activity. By the 1920s mining had ended its second period and the school closed in 1926.3

3 Victorian Places.com.au – Staffordshire Reef

LOCALITY MAPS AND RESIDENTIAL LIVING ZONES Zones enable communities to direct the scale of development in different residential areas. A short descriptor of the Residential Zones is provided below. The Township Zone provides for residential and other uses in small towns and enables modest housing growth. Low Density Residential Zone usually refers to low-density development on lots of 0.4 ha which can treat and retain wastewater where sewerage is not connected and subdivided to a minimum of 0.2 hectares where reticulated sewerage is connected. The Rural Living Zone provides for residential living in a rural environment and therefore generally restricts residential change. The 2 hectare Schedule to the Rural Living Zone was introduced to enable high quality rural living development within commuting distance to Ballarat and along the Glenelg Highway.

BERRINGA, CAPE CLEAR AND STAFFORDSHIRE REEF LOCALITIES

BERRINGA

Total Locality (Hectares) 3,695

Township Zone

Low Density Residential Zone

Rural Living Zone 8 HA Overlay

Total Zone Area (Hectares) 26.26 N/A 623.59

Total Dwellings 4 N/A 40

Average Dwelling Age (Years) 33.5 N/A 26.5

Vacant Parcels 66 N/A 85

Total Vacant (Hectares) 22.42 N/A 447.65

Dwellings built last 10 years 1 N/A 11

CAPE CLEAR


Township Zone



Total Zone Area (Hectares) 61.26 N/A N/A

Total Dwellings 17 N/A N/A

Average Dwelling Age (Years) 39.8 N/A N/A

Vacant Parcels 53 N/A N/A

Total Vacant (Hectares) 40.94 N/A N/A

Dwellings built last 10 years 6 N/A N/A

STAFFORDSHIRE REEF


Township Zone



Total Zone Area (Hectares) N/A N/A 398

Total Dwellings N/A N/A 30

Average Dwelling Age (Years) N/A N/A 47.7

Vacant Parcels N/A N/A 58

Total Vacant (Hectares) N/A N/A 200.02

Dwellings built last 10 years N/A N/A 3

UTILITIES AND SERVICES For this project Utilities and Services have been grouped into three main themes: Utilities, Telecommunications and Transport. This section identifies critical utilities and services available in each locality.

Township Utilities Telecommunications Transport

Berringa

Available Electricity Supply Not Available Sewerage Recycled Water Natural Gas

Public Transport N/A

Cape Clear


NBN Fixed Wireless is available.


Staffordshire Reef



INFRASTRUCTURE For this project infrastructure has been grouped into six main themes: Early Years, Education, Medical, Recreation and Retail. This section identifies currently known infrastructure for each locality.

BERRINGA CAPE CLEAR STAFFORDSHIRE REEF

Early Years:

Education:

Medical:

Recreation:

Retail:

ENVIRONMENTAL RISK There are a number of areas in the northern half of the Shire that are particularly susceptible to flood, bushfire and salinity risks, creating potential hazards for development. These areas are mapped and represented in the Golden Plains Planning Scheme through land use controls (overlays). This section identifies mapped hazards in the Golden Plains Planning Scheme for localities in the northern part of the Shire.

PLANNING SCHEME OVERLAY OBJECTIVES

Bushfire Management Overlay BMO

The objective of the BMO is to ensure that development of land prioritises the protection of human life and strengthens community resilience to bushfire.

Land Subject to Inundation LSIO

The objective of the LSIO is to ensure that development maintains the free passage and temporary storage of floodwaters, minimises flood damage, is compatible with the flood hazard and local drainage conditions and will not cause any significant rise in flood level or flow velocity.

Salinity Management Overlay SMO

The objective of the SMO is to facilitate the stabilisation of areas affected by salinity, revegetate areas which contribute to salinity, encourage development to be undertaken in a manner which brings about a reduction in salinity recharge and prevent damage to buildings and infrastructure from saline discharge and high water tables.

BERRINGA

RISKS HECTARES COVERED PERCENTAGE OF LOCALITY COVERED

Bushfire Management Overlay 1488.19 40.28% Salinity Management Overlay 220.32 5.96% Land Subject to Inundation Overlay 56.02 1.52%

CAPE CLEAR


Bushfire Management Overlay 198.87 6.55% Salinity Management Overlay 68.52 2.26% Land Subject to Inundation Overlay 117.4 3.87%

STAFFORDSHIRE REEF


Bushfire Management Overlay 1884.87 99.99% Salinity Management Overlay N/A N/A Land Subject to Inundation Overlay N/A N/A

To view the ordinance that display the overlays contained within the scheme please visit, http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/goldenplains and follow the steps .

http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/goldenplains

ENVIRONMENTAL & LANDSCAPE OVERLAYS The Golden Plains Shire features rich and diverse environmental landscapes and heritage assets. Balancing rural residential development along with natural and important assets in the northern part of the Shire is a key challenge for this strategy. Areas identified in the Golden Plains Planning Scheme as social assets protected through land use controls (overlays) are listed below. This section identifies environmental assets mapped in the Golden Plains Planning Scheme for each locality in the northern part of the Shire.

PLANNING SCHEME OVERLAY OBJECTIVES

Environment Significance Overlay ESO2

The objective of the ESO2 is to prevent the degradation of water quality and erosion and protect habitat and vegetation.

Environmental Significance Overlay ESO3

The objective of the ESO3 is to protect environmental attributes in the area which vary from remnant vegetation, unspoiled habitats, scientific importance, natural beauty, natural heritage and unique geological formations

Vegetation Protection Overlay VPO1

The objective of the VPO1 is to protect areas of remnant grasslands which are significant for their representative nature of the Western Plains Grasslands

Vegetation Protection Overlay VPO2

The objective of the VPO2 is to contain significant remnant vegetation located within bushland reserves and government road reserves.

Heritage Overlay HO

The objective of the HO is to conserve and enhance heritages place of natural or cultural significance.

BERRINGA

OVERLAYS HECTARES COVERED PERCENTAGE OF LOCALITY COVERED

Environmental Significance Overlay Schedule 2 492.27 13.32% Environmental Significance Overlay Schedule 3 1.17 0.03%

Heritage Overlays 10.9 0.28%

Vegetation Protection Overlay Schedule 2 95.81 2.57%

CAPE CLEAR


Environmental Significance Overlay Schedule 2 690.28 22.75% Heritage Overlays 6.54 0.21%

Vegetation Protection Overlay Schedule 2 16.65 0.55%

STAFFORDSHIRE REEF


Heritage Overlays 17.01 0.9% Vegetation Protection Overlay Schedule 2 19.78 1.05%

To view maps that display the overlays contained within the scheme please visit, http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/goldenplains/maps and follow the steps or contact Golden Plains Planning Department (03) 5220 7111.

NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The Golden Plains Municipal Strategic Statement Clause 21.04 identifies that the environment is the most important factor influencing the economy, lifestyle and recreational choices in the shire. Four key challenges are identified that face the shire, these include the degraded nature and condition of the environment, balancing vegetation conservation against protecting people from wildfire, supporting the sustainable management of land and water resources and the need to minimise and manage the effects of flooding. Berringa, Cape Clear and Staffordshire Reef are part of the Woady Yaloak Catchment area. The Woady Yaloak Catchment covers 120,000 ha, with approximately 80% privately owned and 20% under public management. The private land is mainly used for agriculture, with grazing and cropping the dominant enterprises. Very little remnant vegetation remains on private land. The public land is largely forested and used for commercial timber production or conservation.4 Tributaries that are located within these localities include the Woady Yaloak River, Illabrook creek and Mount Misery Creek.

4 Woady Yaloak Catchment Group – Five Year Action Plan 2014-2018

http://planningschemes.dpcd.vic.gov.au/schemes/goldenplains/maps

KEY POLICY REFERENCE Regional Context: Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan: The Central Highlands Regional Growth Plan provides a regional approach to land use planning in the Central Highlands. It covers the north-west section of the Golden Plains Shire as well as a number of neighbouring municipalities. The plan seeks to accommodate growth and manage change over the next 30 years. It promotes a number of measures to protect the rural landscape character, including using planning provisions to create clear urban boundaries and maintain development to locations with minimal landscape impact. The plan recognises a number of key influences that need to be managed within the context of significant environmental and economic assets and risks from natural hazards (especially flood and bushfire). The plan promotes the development of sustainable and vibrant communities and encourages the Golden Plains Shire to capitalise on its close links with Ballarat. Golden Plains Municipal Strategic Statement: Clause 21.03-2 provides a Township Hierarchy Framework. Berringa, Cape Clear and Staffordshire Reef are not identified under this Clause. Clause 21.07-4 relates to the north-west area of the Shire. Future planning of the north west area must take into account the timely provision of servicing and infrastructure for more dispersed communities, the disposal of effluent on-site where reticulated services are unavailable and meeting the need for planned rural residential development according to demand and supply projections to provide for sustainable long term land and environmental management.

berringa cape clear staffordshire reef - golden plains shire cape clear... · gold rush era is...

Documents