Golden Plains Shire Council

## Golden Plains Shire Council Planning Department Analysis **Golden Plains is notably developer-friendly** with a clear pro-growth agenda, particularly supportive of subdivision applications in designated growth areas. The council actively encourages residential development to meet their ambitious target of 12,500 new dwellings by 2051, making them one of the more accommodating rural councils for developers. **Processing times are generally reasonable** for a smaller council, with pre-application meetings readily available and typically productive. Standard applications usually process within 60-90 days, though complex subdivisions may extend longer due to infrastructure referrals to authorities like VicRoads and water corporations. **Common delays center around infrastructure capacity assessments** rather than planning objections. Referrals for major subdivisions to utility providers and road authorities create the primary bottlenecks, particularly in Bannockburn where growth is outpacing infrastructure delivery. **The planning department operates with limited resources** but maintains a pragmatic, solution-focused approach. Staff are generally **flexible in their interpretation** of planning provisions and work collaboratively with applicants to achieve compliant outcomes rather than taking rigid stances. **Strategically, the council strongly favors applications** in Bannockburn, Smythesdale, Meredith, and Lethbridge while being protective of rural character areas. Developers can expect **genuine support for well-designed residential and subdivision projects** in designated growth corridors.