Huon Valley Land Use and Development Strategy

GHD and Huon Valley Council have set a new standard for strategic planning, taking out two major awards for their work on the Huon Valley land use and development strategy.

The strategy was undertaken as a precursor to the development of a new single planning scheme for the Huon Valley, which covers a significant portion of the south-western part of Tasmania. Previous planning schemes pre-dated the amalgamation of three former councils. A single document containing modern policy directions for the whole area was seen as a logical and necessary approach for the future.

The strategy prepared by GHD and the council did more than just provide the strategic planning behind the regulatory provisions of a planning scheme. It also identified land use and development opportunities. It set out a clear settlement strategy for the municipal area, identifying urban growth boundaries for its major towns. And it provided a comprehensive approach to resolving planning issues associated with agricultural land and rural residential development. Extensive mapping was undertaken as part of the strategy to help with the visualisation of current and possible land uses. This included the use of Google Earth.

Central to the planning work was the concept that planning is not just about regulatory controls and protecting social and environmental values, but is an important driver for sustainable economic development.

The strategy was the overall winner at the 2007 Planning Institute of Australia (Tasmania) Awards for Planning Excellence. It received the award for excellence in the Rural and Regional Planning category. It was also the recipient of a Commendation for Rural and Regional Planning Achievement in the recent 2008 Planning Institute of Australia National Awards for Planning Excellence.