"To be Australia's most liveable provincial community"

Hamilton Structure Plan

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while now but have been so busy….

 

KeyDirectionsReportMay2011.pdf

 

The Hamilton Structure Plan is Council’s 20 year land use and development plan for Hamilton. The Plan aims to identify land use planning strategies and infrastructure needs to guide Hamilton’s development into the future. The Plan includes an overall framework for how land will be used over the next 20 years. It will also include an Urban Design Framework to guide design in the city centre and six masterplans for key development areas in the city centre and other nominated areas.

Key Precincts Masterplanning
Six precincts across Hamilton have been identified through the Key Directions Report as being ‘strategic redevelopment sites’ or future growth areas that need detailed planning. Council has made additional resources available as part of the project to work with landowners to confirm how these areas should be developed in the future. A series of 2 hour workshops were undertaken with landowners, providing a great opportunity to explain their future aspirations for their land, and ensure that local knowledge about development ‘opportunities and constraints’ are understood and recognised by these plans.

Key Directions Report

A report that outlines the key directions for Hamilton’s future was released in November 2010 and adopted by Council on 11 May, 2011. Copies are also available to view at Council’s Brown Street and Market Place Business Centres.

 

Wannon & Nigretta works

Here is a recent media release regarding work plans for the Wannon and Nigretta Falls, thought it was worth posting. I’d be interested to now what peoples thoughts are on the Wannon and Nigretta Falls and how we should approach future works. They are a great tourist attraction, a beautiful place for locals to visit for picnics and they also hold some rare plant species. One thing for sure is that we need some good signage sooner rather than later…

Media Release 22nd December 2010:

Southern Grampians Shire Council welcomes the healthy debate at a recently held meeting about the proposed works plan for the Wannon and Nigretta Falls according to Council’s Director of Shire Futures, Mr Michael McCarthy.

“The fact that more than 40 people attended a discussion about a work plan demonstrates the community interest and the amenity and tourist values of these Reserves. There were a divergent range of views put and I was very impressed how people respected each others differences. These views will be put in the mix and the Works Plan will be presented to Council early in the New Year.

“Council’s commissioned a detailed works plan to identify the costs and resources required to manage the infrastructure and protect the ecological values of the Reserve. There are many plants protected by State and Federal Government legislation that Council as Committee of Management is obliged to protect on this State-owned land.”

Council’s newly appointed Natural Resource Management Officer, Ms Jenny Hurse said, “More than 250 species of wildflowers abound in the Wannon Falls Reserve. This diversity and the splendour of these wildflowers provide a tourist attraction to complement the magnificent falls.

“Only last month there was a conference organised by the Society for Growing Australian Plants where 120 people attended the Wannon Reserve because of this abundance of the wildflowers.

“One of the reasons for this diversity and large number of species is the healthy soil created naturally on the undisturbed forest floor.

“The Reserves are excellent local attractions which provide a special and unique experience for visitors and locals alike. It would be great if we could get a Friends group happening to support the management of the Reserves and engage the community more in understanding the richness and diversity of flora and fauna in the Reserves. A large proportion of those who attended Tuesday night’s meeting put their names on a list to form the basis of such a group,” she concluded.

Mr McCarthy added, “A key component of the Works Plan is to remove woody weeds which in some areas will reduce the fuel load by up to 50% within the Wannon Reserve in particular. The Council brief required that the proposed works would support effective management of fire risks and we will continue to work with the CFA to ensure that this happens. A Risk Assessment has also been undertaken by Council and new signage will be installed very shortly.”

Southern Grampians Shire Council – Hamilton Structure Plan

Anyone who is even remotely concerned with the future of Hamilton should check this out and have your say. Public comments and a survey are open until 23 Dec. This is a significant strategic plan and is very exciting & well overdue!

http://www.sthgrampians.vic.gov.au/Page/page.asp?Page_Id=1609&h=0

Lake hamilton regional playground

The Planning Group Australia have completed a draft design of the proposed Lake Hamilton Regional Playground and Foreshore beach-area precinct.

 

The design proposal has been created with input from various stakeholders including feedback from Community Information Sessions held on 11 October 2010.

 

The Lake Hamilton Regional Playground and Foreshore design plans include the following features:

• A Regional Playground and picnic area which services Hamilton, the district and tourists.
• A Playground which caters for all ages and abilities through incorporation of elements which allow use by the mobility impaired, visually and hearing impaired and incorporates fencing to most of its perimeter, to assist with containing children with behavioural needs.
• The play space is set into the slope using winding pathways and grading (earthworks) to link the zones and equipment with gradients that meet access of all requirements e.g. 90% of the play space, pathways and picnic areas at 1 in 20 gradients or less.
• A themed play space which reflects / references Hamilton’s unique environment through use of locally occurring materials stone, timber, water. The aim is to create a play space which has its own unique and distinctive character.
• Play space zones which focus on various age groups being:

o   Toddler/sand play zone with picnic shelter etc for adult supervision;

o   Junior play zone with a picnic shelter nearby with views to both the beach area and Junior play area;

o   Senior play zone which incorporates an adventure play equipment

o   Zone for future expansion with a focus on fitness equipment, and adventure play; and

o   Landscape spaces which include a range of planting treatments to provide future play and learning experiences in and around the play space.

• As part of maximising the play and learning environment experience and facilities in particular for visually or hearing impaired the play space incorporates / offers a range of textural / sensory experiences (in more than 50 ways) including sight, sound and touch experiences by using various surface material and textures and auditory elements.
• Maximises the play experience with the playground and its environs including over 100 elements which work together to create a play, learning, discovery and recreational area.
• Utilises landscape treatments such a trees with various trunk textures and groundcover plantings with perfume, prickly texture or velvety foliage to compliment the play environment and create spaces for public art seating and playful exploration in and around the playground and picnic areas.

 

A copy of the design concept is available for inspection at the following locations during normal hours of business:

• Council’s Business Centre, 111 Brown Street, Hamilton;
• Council’s Market Place Business Centre, Market Place, Hamilton;
• Hamilton Branch Library;
• Tourist Information Centres – Dunkeld, Coleraine and Hamilton;
• Licensed post offices within the Shire.

 

A copy of the design can also be downloaded from Council’s website at www.sthgrampians.vic.gov.au/publicnotices

 

Have your say!

Hamilton Structure Plan Survey

It’s all happening in Hamilton! We finally have some strategic planning underway and now is the chance to have your say on the future of Hamilton.

Here is a link to a survey being conducted on the current amenities etc in Hamilton. Fill it out and let us know what you think needs to be changed and what is already good but could be improved.

http://www.sthgrampians.vic.gov.au/page/page.asp?page_Id=1535

Aquatic Study and Strategic Technical Assesment

An aquatic study on all the outdoor pools in the Southern Grampians Shire has been completed and is available here

Please check it out and make any comments by October 7.

I would love to here what people think because the recommendation is to spend a heck of a lot of money!

Nigretta Falls

I often take a drive out to the Wannon Falls and Nigretta Falls which are only 20km W of Hamilton (map). I went again yesterday and they are looking spectacular…and lots of people were there too which was good to see. Often when I go I am the only one there which surpises me as it is a great destination and tourist attraction…I guess so many locals just take them for granted….and I guess too that they haven’t looked all that good for the last few years with no water! But there is plenty of water flowing now.

The signage is very poor which is a big let down but I know there are some fancy photo story boards on the way…we really need them in now.

Anyway I will post some great photos shortly…here is a link to one i posted via twitter

and here is my facebook album

Google street view

gotta love google maps street view…this is a great view of The Roxburgh

View Larger Map

Cool new e-mail feature

I just discovered this e-mail feature for wordpress so I thought i should test it. I can send an e-mail to a ‘secret’ e-mail address and it sends it to a post on my blog. This could be very useful. Not sure how much I will use it but it will save me logging in and posting when its something short I want to post. So see how this goes…