Rural Land Use Strategy

Overview

The Rural Land Use Strategy will identify potential areas for rural activities, rural conservation and rural living as well as provide guidelines for development on these lands.

Specifically, it will create a planning vision, a strategic framework and provide planning policy recommendations for the use, management, and development of rural land within Mount Alexander Shire.

Why do we need the strategy?

This work will support agriculture and other rural industries, including rural tourism, identify areas for rural living, and protect important environmental, cultural and landscape values. This might include recommending changes to the Mount Alexander Planning Scheme to improve providing better decision-making processes for rural permit applications.

We also want to make sure we meet current and future farming needs. There is concern that productive agricultural land is being lost to other uses like rural living and low density residential development. We also want to reduce conflicts with other land uses due to agricultural activities such as noise, dust and odours.

Development of the Rural Land Use Strategy will help us to protect these lands by encouraging sensitive development, recognising the values of hilltops, ridgelines and biodiversity corridors, and responsive planning to climate change and its impacts on productivity. 

Where are our current rural areas?

The strategy will apply to all rural zoned land (Farming Zone, Rural Living Zone and the Rural Conservation Zone) within the Mount Alexander Shire area. These areas support agriculture, horticulture, tourism, conservation and living areas. 

To find out if your property is in a rural zoned area, visit the VicPlan website, type in your address and read the planning property report. 

How will the community be involved?

We are actively seeking feedback from businesses and the community during two key phases:

• An online survey and targeted stakeholder discussions, informing the Draft Background Paper (September-October 2025)
• Responding to the draft Rural Land Use Strategy when it is on public exhibition (early to mid 2026)

Find out more on Shape Mount Alexander.

Shape Mount Alexander

Project timeline

More information and documentation

For further information visit Shape Mount Alexander or contact Council’s Strategic Planning team on 03 5471 1700 or email strategicplanning@mountalexander.vic.gov.au.