GREATER BENDIGO PLANNING SCHEME
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Proposed C217
SCHEDULE 4 TO THE SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPE OVERLAY
Shown on the planning scheme map as SLO4.
MANDURANG VALLEY SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPE AREA
1.0
Statement of nature and key elements of landscape
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Proposed C217
Mandurang Valley is a broad, gently undulating valley to the southeast of Bendigo, set
among the Box Ironbark forests of the national and regional parks that surround the City’s
urban areas. From within, Mandurang Valley feels like a ‘hidden valley’ with a strong
sense of seclusion.
Parts of the Mandurang Valley have an open, pastoral character, with a distant backdrop of
the forested valley walls. At the interface with the national and regional parks, the heavy
vegetation of low density, rural residential allotments merge with the surrounding Box
Ironbark forests. There is remnant native vegetation throughout paddocks, around
dwellings and along roadsides. Limited development, with buildings typically well
integrated with the landscape or concealed by vegetation, has retained a strong natural
landscape character for the area.
The Mandurang Valley landscape is highly valued for its aesthetic, cultural, historic,
environmental/scientific and social values. It is also valued as a productive agricultural and
horticultural landscape.
2.0
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Proposed C217
Landscape character objectives to be achieved
To retain the secluded rural feel and natural landscape character of the Mandurang Valley.
To maintain views to the forested hill slopes of the surrounding valley walls.
To sensitively design buildings and structures within the open pastoral areas and the
forested interfaces of the Mandurang Valley to minimise impacts on natural and landscape
values.
To ensure a high standard of design responsiveness to the identified significant landscape
character and values of the Mandurang Valley.
To minimise the visual impact of signage and infrastructure, particularly when visible from
identified significant viewing corridors and viewing locations.
To retain existing locally indigenous vegetation and encourage natural regeneration where
possible.
To encourage additional planting of locally indigenous vegetation along roadsides and
within private properties that will assist in strengthening wildlife and landscape corridors to
the surrounding forested areas having regard to ensuring this does not increase the bushfire
risk to existing and future residents.
3.0
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Proposed C217
Permit requirement
A permit is not required for:
 Additions or alterations to an existing dwelling or building used for agriculture where
the additions or alterations are not more than 5 metres in height above natural ground
level and not more than 50 square metres in additional floor area.
 A building used for agriculture that is not more than 5 metres in height above natural
ground level and not more than 100 square metres in floor area.
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GREATER BENDIGO PLANNING SCHEME
 A building ancillary to a dwelling, up to 5 metres in height and 50 square metres in
floor area.
 Construction of a farm access track.
 Works undertaken by a public authority relating to watercourse management or
environmental improvements.
 Construction of a timber post and wire or timber post and railing fence up to 1.8 metres
in height.
A permit is not required to:
 Remove vegetation that is dead; or
 Remove, destroy or lop the minimum extent of vegetation necessary for the
maintenance of existing fences, to a combined maximum width of clearing for either
side of the fence of 4 metres.
An application should be accompanied by the following information, where the
Responsible Authority considers it necessary, to assess the potential impact of a proposal
upon the landscape:
 A detailed site evaluation which considers the existing landscape context including
topography, existing vegetation (species, location and character), and views to the site
from public roads, the railway line, settlements, publicly accessible waterways and
recreation and tourism locations and potential bushfire hazard.
 A landscape plan that proposes the use of locally appropriate species (e.g. indigenous or
non invasive native / exotic plants that are a feature of the character of the area) and
how the affected area will be remediated after the development.
 A visual impact assessment of the proposal from major viewing corridors and identified
significant viewing locations to demonstrate how the proposed siting, scale, form and
detailed design of the development will relate to the surrounding landscape.
4.0
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Proposed C217
Decision guidelines
Before deciding on an application, the responsible authority must consider, as appropriate:
 The visual impact of building or works from the viewing corridors of Mandurang South
Road and Diamond Hill Road and from One Tree Hill.
 Whether the building or works are sited:

To maximise clustering of new buildings with existing buildings where possible.

To avoid visually prominent locations such as ridgelines and escarpments.

Among established vegetation and/or screened with substantial landscaping of
locally appropriate species, and whether appropriate consideration of bushfire
protection measures is demonstrated.

To be set back sufficient distances from roads to minimise visual intrusion.

To be set back 30 metres from watercourses.

To minimise the extent of hard paving and impervious surfaces.
 Where the siting of a building cannot be avoided on prominent hill faces and other steep
locations, whether the building or works:

Is located in the lower one third of the visible slope.

Utilises existing or proposed new vegetation to screen it from view.
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GREATER BENDIGO PLANNING SCHEME

Is designed to follow the natural contours of the land or step down the slope to
minimise earthworks.

Is articulated into separate building elements to avoid visually dominant elevations.
 Whether the building or works are designed:

Utilising building forms, design detailing, colours and finishes that best immerse the
building within the landscape and minimise contrast with the surrounds.

To follow the natural contour of the land or step down the slope to minimise
earthworks.

To minimise the extent of hard paving and impervious surfaces.
 The scale of a building and its impact on its surroundings, including its relationship to
the existing or future tree canopy height.
 The visual impact of signage on landscape features.
 The scale and character of fencing and gates and whether they reflect the rural character
of the landscape.
 The effect of removing vegetation on the landscape character and significance values
and whether the loss of vegetation can be managed onsite through rehabilitation or
replaced with native vegetation that will grow to a similar size.
 Whether the vegetation is isolated or part of a grouping.
Reference document
Bendigo Landscape Assessment Big Hill & Mandurang Valley Final Report, 2013.
SIGNIFICANT LANDSCAPE OVERLAY – SCHEDULE 4
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