Victorian Regional Masterplan
An innovative and genuinely sustainable 50-hectare master planned residential and community development in Horsham, Victoria.
Client :
Private
Location:
Horsham VIC, Australia
Date start:
2018
Date end:
Current
Scale:
Large
Sector:
Land, Residential, Commercial
Services:
Master Planning, Infrastructure Planning, Development Advice & Agreements, Engagement, 3D Modelling, Infographic Presentations, Aerial Photography & Videography, Design, Plan, Land Identification, Build, Interactive Environments
The Brief
Act as the lead consultant and project manager for a regional development known as Avonnefields in Horsham, a thriving regional city set for significant population growth and development. Oversee the strategic planning and advancement of the 50-hectare site to create real prospects for residents to live and work within the area. Contributing to the region's socio-economic growth by establishing new community facilities, a distribution centre, and a community hub.
The Challenges
Engaging with local government, state government, infrastructure providers and stakeholders.
Co-ordinating the large team of consultants.
Rezoning of the land.
Providing a detailed master plan of the site which includes and delivers the following key attributes:
A residential precinct:
Over three hundred (300) dwellings planned to cater for population growth over the next five years.
Housing types to include compact dwellings, multi-units and larger traditional blocks.
Accommodation for the anticipated influx of key workers in major regional construction projects, mining, and renewable energy.
Increase housing diversity and affordability for people of all ages, wages, and lifestyles.
Independent living units & an aged care precinct:
A 1.5-hectare superlot to be set apart to deliver a variety of retirement living options.
Dwelling types to include independent living units and an aged care facility within walking distance from open spaces and local amenities.
Connectivity & open space:
Strengthen the north-south connection within the township of Horsham.
Deliver urban renewal north of the town’s railway in line with the Horsham North Urban Design Framework.
Ensure the development links seamlessly into public networks including roads, pedestrian walkways, and cycling tracks.
Designed with centrality and security in mind.
Provide wide footpaths, generous nature strips, and a smooth flow between green spaces to enhance the character of the neighbourhood and encourage active recreation.
Rectify sense of disconnection in surrounding neighbourhood by linking key nodes into development and adding a pedestrian walkway to Horsham Primary School.
A green link:
Connect the Old Foundry Park to the Police Paddock Reserve.
Define boundary between the residential precinct and community infrastructure.
Wetlands nested between to encourage connection to the Wimmera River and attract local fauna.
Solar energy and sustainability initiatives:
Sustainability initiatives to be in line with Horsham’s Environmental Strategy and Zero Emissions Neighbourhood strategy.
Aim to set a precedent for sustainable living in regional Victoria by generating 25% of electricity from renewable sources.
Provide community battery and microgrid to service over 300 dwellings and an EV charging station (anticipated to be the largest microgrid in Australia!).
Potential for a hydrogen production asset to attach to the solar infrastructure and water supply.
Investigate methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, application of low carbon technologies, and propose new measures and improvements to the existing urban environment.
An education trail:
Recharacterize the area away from industrial and railway infrastructure and attract tourism.
Align with the natural sandbank formation on site.
Celebrate the site’s cultural heritage by integrating stories of the traditional owner’s connection to the region.
Fulfill the requirement for open space and foster opportunities for training and employment.
A distinctive gateway:
Entryway feature to define Avonnefields as a unique community.
A community hub:
Centrepiece hub for people to meet, access services, facilities and programs, and foster a sense of community.
Provide a multi-functional public asset with an option to jointly operate with the Active Recreation Precinct.
Services to include childcare, outreach youth services, and a café supplied with local ‘paddock to plate’ food.
An employment hub consisting of vocational training facilities, a commercial kitchen, offices, and meeting rooms to cater for young and mature workforce members.
Employment opportunities in hospitality and retail.
Active recreation:
High-end sporting venues to best meet community needs.
Hockey court, tennis court/multi-use area, gymnasium, pavilions, and a large playground.
A flower production and a distribution precinct:
Grow, package, and distribute native food and botanicals such as honey and wildflowers.
Provide on-site employment opportunities in floriculture, landscape management, hospitality, tourism-based retail, sports, and recreation.
Engage local youth and First Nation peoples in training and skills development.
Partnered with Outback Academy Australia to form a business strategy in line with Follow the Flowers initiative that connects farms into a national supply chain.
A holistic approach to regenerative farming (Rural Industry) and outcomes to return the country and people to health and wellbeing.
Drone surveying & project visualisation:
On-site drone operations conducted in under five hours.
High level 3D geospatial dataset produced.
Fly-throughs and walk-throughs produced.
Opportunity to identify planning risks and opportunities from a unique ‘on the ground’ perspective.
Highly accurate results within 2.5cm horizontally and 5cm vertically, when compared with data points from a conventional title re-establishment survey.
Inform reporting in areas such as biodiversity, cultural heritage, flooding and drainage, and traffic.
Remote access provided to key consultants.
Partnered with Aivia Group to coordinate drone operations remotely during Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.
Featured in article published by Australian Institute of Project Management. Read more at: https://issuu.com/aipmmagazine/docs/aipm_a4_digital_magazine_spring_2021_singles_fin/44
Solar & glare reporting:
3D interactive environment to visually assess any glint and glare radiating from the solar panels.
Assess different times of day and year.
Assess potential glint and glare from various locations such as neighbouring roads, railway lines, and adjacent sports fields.
Test various solutions to mitigate and potential glint and glare, such as fences, trees and shrubs.
Use of technology to contribute to the wider economic, technological and environmental outcomes of Avonnefields.
The Outcomes
Current project timelines:
Sep 2024-Mar 2025 | Undertake rezoning process. |
Jan-Mar 2025 | Commence Solar Energy Project and Grid Connection construction |
Sep 2025-Mar 2026 | Commence Independent Living Units & Aged Care construction. |
Jan-Mar 2026 | Commence Community Hub construction. |
Jan-Mar 2026 | Commences Active Recreation Assets construction. |
Mar 2026 | Commence Flower Production & Distribution Precinct construction. |