East Gippsland Shire Council is moving to strip away complex planning controls surrounding the Lakes Entrance Northern Growth Area (LENGA), aiming to jumpstart residential development first earmarked more than a decade ago.
The LENGA precinct was rezoned for residential housing in 2014, but local development has stagnated under overly complicated planning mechanisms. Council has now prepared Planning Scheme Amendment C161egip to streamline these controls, supporting residential land supply over the next 30 years while taking the planning burden off individual property owners.
By removing outdated overlays and taking on background planning assessments itself, council aims to make it significantly easier for landowners to bring housing lots to market.
East Gippsland Shire general manager of projects and planning, Chris Stephenson, said the proposed adjustments would deliver long-overdue clarity for the Lakes Entrance community.
“We’ve seen the pace of development over the years, and these proposed changes peel back some of the complex planning controls, which will allow landowners to develop much more easily,” Mr Stephenson said.
Under the proposed amendment, two outdated planning layers—the Development Contributions Plan Overlay and the Native Vegetation Precinct Plan — will be removed from land within the growth area. Schedule 8 of the Development Plan Overlay will also be simplified and removed from previously developed land outside the LENGA boundary.
Additionally, an Environmental Audit Overlay will be applied to 135 Palmers Road following recent site assessments that identified potential contamination risks, alongside minor administrative updates to the regional planning scheme.
Planning Scheme Amendment C161egip is currently on public exhibition, with community submissions open until close of business on Monday, September 21.
Submissions must reference amendment number C161egip, include the submitter’s full name, address, and contact details, and outline their position on the proposal.
Feedback can be submitted via email, by mail to Strategic Planning, East Gippsland Shire Council, PO Box 1618, Bairnsdale VIC 3875, or delivered in person at any Council Service Centre.
Further information and full project documentation are available on the Your Say East Gippsland portal.
