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What we'll do
We’ll apply new guidelines for setting and amending regional city and town boundaries. Boundaries will only expand outward if this is consistent with the vision for these places and if and when councils and other authorities can provide the necessary infrastructure (such as water and sewerage) for more people. This means many small places won’t expand.
Why this is important
Most new homes in regional Victoria will be built in Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong and the largest cities and towns of the other regional local government areas. The regional targets can be achieved without threatening the great lifestyles regional Victoria now offers.
In recent years, we’ve planned to protect the things people most value about Bass Coast, Surf Coast, Bellarine Peninsula and Macedon Ranges, which now have (or will soon have) protected settlement boundaries. These boundaries protect the unique values and distinctive features of these areas – their Aboriginal cultural and historic heritage, biodiversity, landscapes, natural resources including quarries, productive land, strategic infrastructure and built form – against overuse, overdevelopment and climate change impacts.
Melbourne also has a defined boundary, the Urban Growth Boundary, to limit its outward expansion. No changes are proposed to Melbourne’s boundary or any protected settlement boundary.
Boundaries for regional cities and towns can limit their outward expansion, so they have compact urban forms and we protect values beyond their boundaries, including our natural resources, biodiversity, landscapes and agricultural land.
Responsibility
Department of Transport (DTP)
Short term milestone
How we will do it
- Amend PPF Clause 11 (Settlement).
- New Planning Practice Note Boundaries as VicPlan layer.
Facilities and services
Leading pillar
Page last updated: 28/02/25