FAQs

A key role for Council is to ensure that sufficient land for housing is provided in the right locations.   The Victorian Government has set a target for Horsham of providing sufficient land for 3300 dwellings by 2051 in its planning blueprint Plan for Victoria: https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/planforvictoria

Housing should provide people with reasonable access to employment and services and social and community infrastructure to ensure we encourage people to connect, reduce social isolation, improve health and well-being and to foster a sense of community.   Appropriate housing is also important to our economic prosperity in terms of attracting and retaining a skilled work force that calls Horsham Rural City home.

To help us achieve these key objectives and meet our housing ‘target’, we have now prepared a Draft Horsham and Natimuk Housing Diversity and Affordability Strategy (Housing Strategy).   The Strategy will coordinate our approach to housing delivery.  It contains an Implementation Plan that includes a range of Actions that will align Council activities, such as infrastructure planning, to support vibrant, healthy, connected and activated communities.

A Housing Strategy:

• Identifies how much housing is needed and where it could go
• Guides planning scheme changes and rezoning decisions
• Supports advocacy for infrastructure and funding
• Encourages housing diversity and affordability
• Helps Council meet State Government housing targets

A Housing Strategy:

• Does not approve specific developments or subdivisions
• Does not guarantee funding for infrastructure or housing projects
• Does not override existing planning controls without further consultation
• Does not force development in areas without community input or infrastructure planning

It identifies a need for at least 650 new social and affordable dwellings by 2041 and supports partnerships and advocacy to State and Federal Governments to help deliver them.

The strategy promotes a mix of housing types, such as townhouses, units, and accessible homes, to meet the needs of singles, families, older adults, and people with disabilities.  Housing should generally be in locations that are accessible and provide people easy access to jobs, shop, services and facilities (including parks, open space).

Yes. One of the key directions is to manage rural residential development to protect high-value agricultural land and maintain the rural character of the municipality.   Growth within rural settlements that supports consolidation and helps to maintain the vibrancy and sense of community connection continues to be supported.  Continued urban sprawl into rural areas is contrary to State policy.

Challenges include high construction costs, limited infrastructure, housing market economics (including housing rental availability and rents) and a lack of investment in social and affordable housing. The strategy outlines potential interventions and seeks community input on solutions.

There are multiple ways to participate. You can complete the online survey, upload a submission, make a comment on our interactive map, ask a question, attend a drop-in session or talk to us. Your feedback will help refine the strategy before it is finalised.