Living and Building in Loddon

Generally, the quickest and most cost effective way to move to Loddon Shire is to purchase an established residential property. This property may be in one of the towns, rural living or farming areas.

Please be mindful that some properties may have buildings on them that are being used as dwellings, but may not have the appropriate approvals to be used as such. This is more common on rural properties, for example where a shed may have been converted for residential use. Please confirm with the Loddon Shire Council planning department that you are able to live on the property prior to purchase to avoid later issues. Approval is required even if you only intend to use the property as a “weekender”.

The towns of Loddon Shire include vacant land suitable for the construction of new dwellings. If the land is zoned Township, has access to the necessary infrastructure and has no overlays you may not even need a planning permit to use and develop the land for a dwelling. A building permit will be required.

In searching for vacant residential land check that it has an appropriate zone for residential use (Township, Low Density Residential or Rural Living). Zoning information can be obtained from the Section 32 Statement, via a phone call to the planning department or from https://mapshare.vic.gov.au/vicplan/ or https://loddon.pozi.com/ .

If you are intending to build a dwelling it is also important to check that the necessary infrastructure is available.

Water:

Reticulated water is available in the towns of Boort, Bridgewater, Inglewood, Pyramid Hill, Wedderburn, Korong Vale, Tarnagulla, Borung, Mitiamo, Dingee and Serpentine. Coliban Water provide urban water in Loddon Shire. Please contact them for confirmation that the property can be connected and has ready access to a water main. Extension to a water main can add significantly to development costs.

Sewer and septic tanks:

Reticulated sewer is only available in the towns of Boort, Bridgewater, Inglewood, Pyramid Hill and Wedderburn. Coliban Water provide the sewer system in these towns. Please contact them for confirmation that the property can be connected and has ready access to a sewer main. Extension to a sewer main can add significantly to development costs.

Other towns and rural areas rely on septic tank system for effluent disposal. If you will need to rely on a septic tank for effluent disposal you will must ensure that the property is of sufficient size to treat and contain effluent. Generally a lot size of around 0.4ha (1 acre) is required. If the lot is smaller than this you will need to provide a land capability assessment to demonstrate the ability of the land to retain waste.

https://www.loddon.vic.gov.au/Our-Services/Public-health-services/Wastewater-disposal/On-site-wastewater-management-Septic-Tank

Power: Powercor is the power supply company that services Loddon Shire. Off grid is an option in rural areas, however generators can only be used for back up of a solar system and must not cause a noise nuisance to any adjoining property.

Road:

All weather road access is required for a residential property. If the property does not have access to an all weather road (sealed or appropriate standard gravel road) you are unlikely to be able to build. In some cases, Council may permit you to build, however you are likely to have to pay to construct the road. Council cannot construct new roads that are not in the works program or budget. Road construction costs are significant, as are ongoing maintenance costs. To minimize expense to rate payers Council limits additions to their road network liabilities.

Information about the standard of the road can be obtained from https://loddon.pozi.com/ or a phone call to the Loddon Shire Council planning department

Other:

The towns of Loddon include a diverse range of infrastructure and services, with some towns having a higher level of services than others. Council is consistently investing in community facilities, with a new sporting complex recently opened in Wedderburn. The State Government is investing in our schools with significant upgrades underway at East Loddon P12 and Wedderburn.

Community infrastructure and services available in Loddon Shire include hospitals and aged care (Boort and Inglewood); pools; sporting grounds, complexes and clubs (bowls, tennis, football, hockey, cricket, waterskiing, equestrian and croquet); kindergartens, primary and secondary schools; childcare (family day care is available in a number of towns and a childcare centre is being constructed in Wedderburn); community houses; and senior citizens clubs, facilities and activities.

Choose a Loddon town that suits your needs!

Urban subdivision

The Loddon Shire Settlement Strategy supports further residential subdivision within the townships of Boort, Bridgewater, Inglewood, Pyramid Hill and Wedderburn as these towns contain the necessary infrastructure to support this growth, including reticulated water and sewer. There is no minimum subdivision size in the Township zone that applies to these towns. Lot size will be determined by market demand, neighborhood character and the dimensions to accommodate a dwelling and outdoor space requirements. Larger residential lots with an existing dwelling can be further subdivided, as well as vacant residential lots.

If you are considering subdivisions in one of these towns, this is the process to follow:

1. Contact Council’s planning department to discuss your proposal.
2. Contact service providers (Coliban Water and Powercor) to determine infrastructure connection requirements and costs.
3. Engage a land surveyor to prepare plans and supporting documents for your planning permit application. The land surveyor can support you through the entire process.
4. Lodge your planning permit application and await assessment.
5. On receipt of your permit, implement the permit conditions. These conditions will include requirements to connect services and possibly other works.
6. Once all works and other requirements have been completed, the subdivision can be finalized through the issue of a Statement of Compliance from Council.
7. Documents are lodged with the titles office and new titles are issued.
8. Land can then be sold or developed.

Small Secondary Dwellings

Small second dwellings can be constructed on existing residential properties without a planning permit, except where flooding, bushfire or other environmental or special planning controls apply.

A small second home is a dwelling that is 60 square metres or less with a kitchen, bathroom and toilet, located on the same lot as an existing home. Anyone can live in these small dwellings. They could be developed to accommodate a family member or to rent out for additional income.

Prefab housing or in-situ builds could be used to deliver this form of housing, and there are a number of builders operating in Loddon Shire that offer a quality product. Although planning approval is not required, building approval is required for small second dwellings.

A small secondary dwelling will need to be connected to services. If reticulated sewer is not available to the property, the new dwelling will need a separate septic tank and disposal field (unless the existing effluent disposal system has capacity.)

https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/strategies-and-initiatives/small-second-dwellings