MOYNE Shire Council has moved closer to creating more space for housing settlements through rezoning farmland, in order to address the shortage of housing and affordability.

In a motion that was passed in the ordinary council meeting earlier this week, the planning includes anything from 1-40 hectares in multiple proposed settlement sites in the shire.

Councillors voted to send over 70 submissions it received from Moyne Shire residents on the C70 Planning Scheme to a State Government appointed planning panel.

The proposed settlement zones include land around Hawkesdale, Bushfield, Wangoom, Tower Hill, Grassmere, Koroit, Southern Cross, Crossley, Kirkstall, Mailors Flat, Woolsthorpe, IIllowa and Grassmere.

However, controversially, it also included land adjoining Budj Bim National Park (formerly Mt Eccles) - an ancient, volcanic landscape with deep cultural connections to the Gunditjmara Traditional Owners, who are co-managers of the UNESCO World Heritage Listed site.

That land is currently zoned as a Rural Protection Zone, some of which is already farmed, but also includes remnant bushland sites with native vegetation around the national park.

Councillors Karen Foster and Jordan Lockett voted against the motion because they would have liked to have had that area around Budj Bim excluded from the planning.

However, the motion for the C70 planning amendments, which received around 70 submissions to the planning scheme from shire residents, will now go to a State Government planning panel to approve the amendments, which is expected to be later in the year.

Cr Karen Foster acknowledged the huge process that goes into rezoning land for housing and was concerned that a shorter-term view had been taken regarding the remnant native bushland around Budj Bim National Park.

“It’s always a delicate balance,” she said.

“People who farm there can continue to do so – but I would have liked to have seen that remnant land of native vegetation protected into the future, as Budj Bim is internationally significant.

“The number one issue people tell us they care most about in the shire is the environment, so as custodians we have an obligation to listen to that.

“Future generations will either condemn or applaud the decision we make as caretakers today.”

Mayor Ian Smith said that the planning process was complex.

“Each proposed area is subject to specific variations which makes it difficult to generalise.

“But the motion has been passed and the area of farmland and remnant bushland at the interface near Budj Bim National Park is now included in the planning proposal.”

Mayor Smith also voted against the motion to have the area of farmland near Budj Bim National Park included in the planning proposal sent to the State Government, however the motion passed in a 4-3 vote.