Council has released for public comment the Draft Saleyards Highest and Best Use Master Plan for public comment.
The draft master plan considers the best uses for the land formerly occupied by the South-West Victorian Livestock Exchange, which closed in January 2023.
The master plan recommends that most of the land within the area should become a general residential zone and that the land could be developed without the need for extensive remediation.
The concept master plan features predominantly residential development of the site, with a small local convenience centre of 4,000 to 5,000sqm on the corner of Coghlans and Caramut roads and adjacent commercial uses making up the balance of the Caramut Road frontage.
The residential area within the saleyards is indicated as being "subject to further investigation and site rehabilitation", due to the need for remediation works to occur as part of an environmental audit to make the land suitable for sensitive uses. Additional land within the precinct is also identified as having opportunity for rezoning to address existing planning anomalies, subject to targeted consultation with the landowners.
The area directly west of the Warrnambool Stadium has been identified indicatively for "potential recreation facility". This would allow Council to retain and use this land for recreational facilities, such as the expansion of the stadium, without needing to buy additional land for this purpose.
The following recommendations are made based on the content of the background work undertaken and to assist in the preparation of the planning scheme amendment for the rezoning of land within the precinct:
1. Undertake consultation with the EPA in relation to potential amenity buffers from existing industrial land uses in proximity to the Precinct.
2. Commence an environmental audit process in conjunction with the preparation of a planning scheme amendment for the rezoning of the Precinct.
3. Undertake targeted community consultation with landowners of properties proposed to be rezoned as part of the planning scheme amendment.
You can read the master plan then have your say online below.
Alternatively you can write to:
Saleyards Land Use Master Plan
Warrnambool City Council
PO Box 198
Warrnambool 3280