Mansfield Shire Council has entered an election period in the lead up to the October 2024 Council elections. To comply with our Election Period Policy and the Local Government Act 2020 we are moderating material being published by Council.
Published on 09 September 2024
We’ve had a lot of questions about whether we have completed our Heavy Vehicle Alternate Route (we have) because of the short unsealed section remaining on Dead Horse Lane. The reason that this section was not completed as part of Council’s scope of works was due to an industrial subdivision proposed to the north.
When a landowner puts in a permit request for a development, Council puts conditions on the permit. This is so that any development comes with the infrastructure needed to service our community. This infrastructure may include footpaths, drainage, parks, landscaping and sealing of unsealed roads. For industrial subdivisions, this would include the developer sealing the road.
Council rezoned land on the corner of Dead Horse Lane and the Midland Highway (Benalla road) from farming to industrial land. This provides a significant increase in value to the landowner. Farming land, on average, is valued around $1.20 per square metre, while industrial land may be worth $100-120 per square metre, or more. Although industrial land values can vary depending on the location and size of the land, the rezoning of land typically provides a significant windfall gain to the landowner. There is currently an application for subdivision on Dead Horse Lane for approximately 78 proposed lots, at an average lot size of 2,617.5 square metres.
The HVAR project is now completed - it is gazetted for use on the National Heavy Vehicle Register. Council does not believe that developers should profit at the cost of our ratepayers and community. That’s why we won’t use ratepayer funds to subsidise private development costs. However, Council always tries to work collaboratively with landowners seeking to develop their land.