Environmentally Sustainable Design
We've joined forces with seven Councils across the Goulburn Murray Climate Alliance to push for more sustainable development outcomes in greenfield subdivisions, by employing a Sustainable Subdivisions Advisor to work with us.
Participating Councils include Alpine Shire, Greater Shepparton, Indigo Shire, Mitchell Shire, Murrindindi Shire, Strathbogie Shire, Towong Shire and Rural City of Wangaratta.
The dedicated shared Sustainable Subdivisions Advisor resource will support planning staff for a 12-month period, assessing subdivision applications to use the Sustainable Subdivisions Framework (SSF) resources and assist developers to increase sustainable development outcomes.
Additionally, the Built Environment Sustainability Scorecard (BESS) is a dedicated tool in Victoria for assessing sustainable design at the planning permit stage. As Indigo Shire Council subscribes to BESS, anyone within the Shire can access this tool at no cost. Permit applicants are encouraged to prepare a BESS report for any development located within the Shire. BESS can also be used by any member of the community to assess the design of their home and find ways to make it more sustainable.
Arrange a meeting
If you are in the preliminary stages of preparing a subdivision plan or ready to lodge an application, contact the Planning Team on 1300 365 003 to arrange a meeting (no fee) with the Sustainable Subdivisions Advisor who is available to assist developers with delivering sustainable subdivision outcomes.
Resources for applicants
Applicant kits and Sustainable Subdivisions Framework (SSF) templates are available for applicants to access, along with information and instructions relevant to your subdivision. Additional information can be accessed on the Council Alliance for a Sustainable Built Environment (CASBE) website.
More about the Sustainable Subdivisions Framework (SSF) project
Additional information is available for applicants regarding the SSF trial and its objectives. There is no fee for developers to utilise the Sustainable Subdivision Advisor and SSF resources.
We invite you to talk to us about opportunities to apply the SSF to your subdivision application. We acknowledge implementing any recommendations within the SSF is voluntary. We do, however, strongly encourage developers to utilise the SSF to frame your thinking when preparing the initial concept subdivision design and then implement any opportunities identified during the detailed design process.
We welcome all feedback on the SSF and welcome collaboration with the development community to improve the SSF and deliver beneficial outcomes for our community.
Please contact the Planning Team on 1300 365 003 to discuss the SSF and how your subdivision might benefit from the Sustainable Subdivision Advisor.