Heritage

Conservation, shire identity and character

The towns, rural landscapes and forested areas are important elements of the Shire’s character and identity. Maintenance of the Shire’s identity and character supports the quality of life, enhances the attractiveness of Moorabool as a place to live, work, invest and visit and provides for improved environmental outcomes. Maintenance of identity and character will be supported by:

• Preventing urban sprawl through the establishment and maintenance of urban growth boundaries through structure planning, the actions such as development and implementation of residential growth strategies, and structure plans for identified growth areas
• Protecting the character and appearance of small towns and urban areas through such measures as development and implementation of neighbourhood character studies and application of Neighbourhood Character Overlays by the identification of key neighbourhood character elements of the Shire’s towns and settlements as an interim measure
• Retaining non-urban breaks between towns and settlements through measures such as implementation of residential growth strategies and the designation of future areas for residential growth
• Protecting and enhancing environmental qualities and features through measures such as the application of Vegetation Protection and Environmental Significance Overlays and actions which support economic utilisation of land based on providing for carbon credits
• Avoiding indiscriminate development in rural areas through such measures as developing and implementing a rural housing policy
• Protecting and reinforcing the Shire’s built and natural heritage by implementation of heritage studies

Moorabool Shire is relatively close to Melbourne, the urban areas of Geelong and Ballarat yet it has a distinctive rural character and provides a clear contrast to these areas. Residents want to retain that distinctive character and ensure that the features that derive from the environmental setting, the rural base, the landscapes of distinctive topography, forested areas, major river valleys, escarpments and productive rural and horticultural use are retained. Within rural areas and particularly towns there are important cultural assets including historic buildings, streetscapes and town and village centres.

The Avenue of Honour on the eastern entrance to Bacchus Marsh set in a horticultural land use, is an outstanding element of national importance. Aboriginal sites within the Shire are important cultural heritage places and it is important to protect, promote and enhance these places. The community has expressed the strong desire to preserve the qualities that make the Shire a distinctive and attractive place in which to live, work, invest and visit.