Elsie Lange
Results of the Romsey Emerging Options Paper (EOP) community consultation about how the town will grow into the future were presented at a Macedon Ranges council meeting last week.
The EOP provided further information and background about the development of Romsey’s forthcoming structure plan, with residents invited to have a say on different scenarios over six weeks earlier this year.
Submissions to the EOP questioned why Romsey’s population was earmarked in the Macedon Ranges Planning Scheme to potentially grow to 10,000 – 30 per cent of 417 survey responses preferred a “no growth” scenario.
In response to a public question raised at the meeting, council planning director Rebecca Stockfeld said the options presented in the paper were aimed at stimulating debate with the community and stakeholders.
“They were for testing and discussion purposes only,” she said.
“With the current population… of 4935, all options and growth scenarios provided are looking at the parameters of a large district down.”
There were three growth paths until 2050 highlighted: an option for development within the existing Romsey town boundary, growth to the north and west, or to the south and east, labelled options one, two and three respectively.
Of the three suggested growth options, option one, or infill development, was preferred by 35 per cent of survey respondents, and option three, to the south and east, was the second most preferred by 15 per cent of participants.
Concerns were raised during consultation about the capacity of the Romsey Waste Water Treatment Plant, with respondents arguing the plant needed upgrading before any growth occurred in the area.
Other issues raised included anxiety about the landscape and natural environment, the need for increased community services in town and a lack of transport infrastructure.
The report to council on the EOP said it was likely the draft Romsey Structure Plan will be developed throughout the rest of this year and released for community consultation in “early to mod-2023”.
Council voted unanimously to endorse the EOP as work continues on the Romsey Structure Plan, to notify submitters and subscribers of council’s decision and to continue quarterly project updates.
“Council has identified a significant amount of further work in response to community and agency feedback,” the report said.
