Planning for a growing Central Goldfields

Over the past three years, more than 2,000 community members have told us they want our Shire to grow because of the benefits it will bring. To plan for this, we’re looking at areas where growth can occur and where we might be able to accommodate new housing in our Shire.

Four key areas that were identified in Council’s Population, Housing and Residential Settlement Strategy, as potential sites for future growth include Maryborough North, Maryborough East, Flagstaff and Carisbrook

Through the land use framework plan (LUFP) project, we're specifically looking at how we might facilitate housing growth in Maryborough North, Maryborough East, Flagstaff and Carisbrook, while managing bushfire and flood risks, potential conflicts with industrial activity and facilitating community connectedness.

A Draft Issues and Opportunities Paper for the project is now available for public comment until 5pm, 19 July 2023. The paper contains important information to help us understand where we might safely grow to meet future housing and industrial needs and the need for community facilities is also highlighted.

For further information about the project, see the fact sheets (right) or contact General Manager Infrastructure, Assets and Planning (see contact details on this page).

Community workshops

In June, we hosted two community workshops – one in Carisbrook and one in Maryborough.

Thank you to everyone who attended and took the time to find out more about the project and provide input.

Some key themes of the feedback so far include:

• Residents value the current rural lifestyle and amenity of our existing townships and ensure these values are preserved in any new development; and
• Residents were keen to see that any development and growth is complemented with supporting provisions such as transport infrastructure, key services (shopping, medical etc.) and flood protection infrastructure to maintain the liveability outcomes they enjoy