The LEP, LES and Strategy
What is the LEP?
The LEP is a legal document which will come into force on gazettal by the Minister.
Part 1
Part 1 contains the aims and objectives of the Plan.
Part 2
Part 2 contains information about the various land use zones which have been identified throughout the towns and Shire. In this part you will find the controls over subdivision and development for a wide range of purposes. For each land use zone, objectives are stated, followed by the uses or activities which are permitted.
The new LEP zones are different to those in the old 1987 plan. The new plan has fourteen zones summarised as follows:
RU1 Primary production
This zone covers land used for extensive agriculture, horticulture, intensive livestock enterprises, mining, forestry, and extractive industries. Its aim is to maintain and enhance the Shire’s natural resource base. The minimum lot size has been retained at 40ha.
RU 5 Village
This zone covers Ariah Park and Springdale in which a mix of residential and related uses suited to village needs is supported. In Ariah Park a small extension of the existing Village zone is proposed to cover an area immediately to the north of the railway line bounded by Cemetery Road, Mandamah Street and Mary Gilmore Road. Some of this land is owned by Council.
R1 General residential
This zone covers the bulk of the existing and future residential lands in Temora town. It provides for a variety of low-density dwelling types, as well as local support uses such as neighbourhood shops, small parks and child care centres. The majority of this land has a minimum lot size of 750m2.
R5 Large lot residential
This zone applies to land on the outskirts of Temora town and Ariah Park, and caters for the demand for houses on large lots in a semi-rural setting. In Ariah Park the proposed minimum lot size for housing in this zone is 2ha. In Temora, the four existing Rural Residential Zones will be retained and reclassified as Large Lot Residential, with an initial reduction in the minimum lot size from 2ha to 1ha in the southernmost zone.
B2 Local centre
This zone replaces the old 3(a) Business Zone and effectively covers the town centre of Temora, extending along Hoskins Street from Austral to Grey Streets. Its purpose is to cater for a wide variety of business, commercial and civic uses, residential, tourist and visitor accommodation, recreation, retail, education and entertainment uses.
B4 Mixed use
This is a new zone, located on the western edge of the town centre and designed to encourage a range of business, medium density housing and related uses which do not need a prime town centre location. Its objectives include the promotion of rehabilitation and redevelopment of older properties within the zone. A minimum lot size of 500m2 is proposed.
B6 Enterprise corridor
This is a new zone covering property along Barmedman Road between Kitchener Road and the entrance to the Airport. Much of this area is currently zoned rural, but its actual use and value in any future strategy are seen as being transitional to commerce and industry, with the potential for exploiting links to the railway, the national highway network and the airport itself. The new zone includes a dwelling entitlement for those small scale enterprises whose owners may wish to live on the premises.
IN1 General industrial
This zone covers the existing primary industrial areas on the eastern side of Temora town where there has been significant recent development and continuing demand for further industrial land. Staged release is proposed.
SP1 Special activities
On the western side of town, the existing General Industrial zone is proposed to be enlarged to become a new Special Activities zone. It will cover existing enterprises together with a generous component for future expansion. A similar zone is proposed for the existing grain storage and handling enterprise in the south east adjoining the railway and the old Cootamundra Road. The primary purpose of this new zone is to cater for special activities which cannot easily be accommodated in other zones.
SP2 Infrastructure
This zone accommodates railway and trunk highway lands and the Sewage Treatment Plant in north Temora. It also covers major educational sites, Aged Care facilities, Hospital and water reservoirs. To the north, it includes the airport campus with its growing mix of uses related to recreational aviation and the museum complex itself.
RE1 Public recreation
This zoning covers Nixon Park and a number of publicly-owned parks and reserves.
RE2 Private recreation
This zoning covers the golf course, Greyhound Park and the showground – all of which are privately owned or managed.
E1 National Parks and Nature Reserves
This zone covers existing parks and reserves. Uses which are currently permissible under the National Parks and Wildlife Act will continue to be permissible without consent in this zone.
W2 Recreational waterway
This is a new zone which is proposed to cover Lake Centenary and its immediate environs, given the significant recreational, scenic and ecological values which the lake has brought to the Shire.
Part 3
*Part 3 covers “Exempt and Complying Development”. Exempt development can be carried out without having to obtain Council consent. Consent for complying development can be obtained by the issue of a special certificate. Both these categories have been introduced to speed up the approval process for small dayto- day developments which do not involve environmental risks.
Part 4
*Part 4 provides for development standards such as maximum building heights and minimum lot sizes. In Temora’s case, the Council has decided not to impose rigid standards in the LEP; these will dealt with elsewhere (eg through a development control plan).
Part 5
*Part 5 includes miscellaneous provisions which cover such matters as public land classification, development close to public roads or railways, and development by the Crown. A major element in this Part is the group of clauses governing heritage conservation. The Part concludes with three important clauses covering environmentally sensitive land, water and biodiversity.
*At the rear of the LEP are various Schedules and a dictionary.
The maps
You will notice that the LEP maps are all part of a set and have a standard format. The format is based on an electronic mapping program being introduced State-wide to ensure consistency of mapping in all new LEPs. Individual maps illustrate the land use zones, heritage items, the minimum lot size permissible in certain area, and natural resources. A small key diagram will help you find the particular sheet in which your property is located. If you need help, consult a Council staff member. All mapping data can be manipulated on the computer and printed to any desired scale.
How was the LEP prepared?
The Plan was prepared by senior Council staff, assisted by independent planning consultant James Colman. When necessary, advice was sought from the Department of Planning, the Department of Environment and Climate Change, and other outside bodies.
What is the LES and how was it prepared?
The Study is a comprehensive document which embodies information about the Shire and its past and future plans, and was prepared by Council’s planning consultant and senior staff. It contains comments and suggestions which followed the public release of the draft in 2004, and has since been updated. It was a necessary precursor to the LEP.
What role did the State government have in the preparation of the LEP?
Throughout the entire process, the Council team worked closely with officers of the NSW Department of Planning and key agencies to ensure that the draft plan would satisfy all statutory and policy requirements.
The Key agencies in the process have been:
• Department of Planning
• Department of Environment and Climate Change
• Department of Primary Industries
• Department of Energy/Water
More information
Council will host two information sessions/workshops where the process will be outlined in more detail and residents can raise issues. Workshops will be held on Wednesday, May 13 at: • Temora Town Hall from 5.30pm-6.30pm • Ariah Park Hotel from 8pm-9pm.
Submissions
What is a ‘submission’?
Any concerns, criticisms or ideas about the exhibited documents can be brought to Council’s attention. Submissions can be as simple or as detailed as you wish; but ideally they will contain arguments which support your concerns and which will enable Council to fully understand your position.
What must I do if I want to make a submission on the plan?
Send your written submission to the Council before the 12 June, 2009 deadline. Address it to The General Manager, Temora Shire Council, PO Box 262 Temora; drop it in by hand to the Council offices or lodge it online at www.lep.temora.com.au. Make sure you keep a copy.
After the exhibition
What happens after the exhibition closes ?
The Council will assess all submissions and the results of any public inquiry. It will then decide if any changes to the Plan are necessary. A report to the Director-General of the Department of Planning is prepared, specifying how, if at all, the plan has been amended in the light of submissions; and showing how the Council has complied with all its legal obligations. The Director-General then reports to the Minister, after which the Minister will decide whether or not to endorse the plan. The Minister can also alter the plan, or send it back to the Council for further consideration.
Will there be any more opportunities for community input?
Unless there is a call for a public inquiry, the current exhibition provides the last opportunity for community input.
When will the LEP become law?
Council hopes that the new LEP will be gazetted into law before the end of 2009.