Alpine Shire

Rural Land
Strategy

Discussion Paper 3: Rural Visual Landscapes

Purpose
This discussion paper acknowledges that
the rural areas of the Alpine Shire are utilised
for a variety purposes but increasingly
the dominant value of these areas is the
attractive landscape. This discussion paper
aims to explore the communities view on
the value of the key rural landscape features
of the Alpine Shire, the threats that may
compromise the significance of these assets
and mechanisms to protect the amenity of
the rural landscape. The discussion around
this topic is one of many that will contribute
to the development of Councils Rural Land
Strategy.

Landscapes are no longer exclusively shaped by the productive

claims of agricultural interests. More and more, its form is a reflection
of the consumer demand and recreation, tourism and even nature
conservation combine to model the new aesthetics of nature
Source: Wilson, W. (1992), The culture of nature. North American Landscape from Disney to the
Exxon Valdez, Blackwell, Oxford

Definitions
What is a rural landscape?
A landscape is the visible features of an area of land including:
physical elements of landforms and water bodies (eg. snow capped mountains, hills rivers, lakes);
living elements of land cover (eg. indigenous and exotic vegetation, agricultural production);
human elements (eg. existing land use, built form); and
transitory elements (eg. Lighting, weather conditions).

Therefore, for the purposes of this study, a rural landscape describes the rural characteristics
of the Alpine Shire in terms of the above visual elements.

What is meant by visual amenity?

Visual amenity is a measure of the quality of an area. It comprises a broad range of values or
qualities that create the appeal of an area. For the purposes of this study it is the collective
impact of the visual elements of the rural landscape that make the Alpine Shire a pleasant,
attractive and desirable location.
It should be noted that visual amenity can be a subjective observation or perception
depending on the culture, life experience and mood of the observer.

Alpine Shire Council

Great Alpine Road

Ph: (03) 5755 0555

Fax: (03) 5755 1811

PO Box 139

Email: info@alpineshire.vic.gov.au

Bright 3741

DISCUSSION PAPER 3 | JULY 2011

Current Position

Opportunities and Challenges

Alpine Shire 2030 Community Vision

Identifying the Importance of the Rural Visual

Landscape

The importance of the rural visual landscape is documented in and

supported by the Alpine Shire 2030 Community Vision.
Natural attributes such as the mountains and rivers remain an
essential attraction with their beauty and accessibility enhanced.
The Shire has retained its agricultural and rural characteristics and
resisted the move to expand townships into prime rural areas.
The 2030 Vision identifies the key landscape features that warrant
protection as:
Mountain vistas;
Open space and green space within and between towns and villages;
and
Natural features.

Alpine Shire Council Plan

Two of the key directions of the current Council Plan are relevant to
the rural visual landscape:
Place: To ensure our Shire is a great place to live and visit.
Environment: To protect and enhance our unique natural
environment.

Planning Controls
The Alpine Planning Scheme includes particular land use and
development controls relevant to the rural visual landscape. The
Landscape Significance Overlay seeks to identify, conserve and
enhance the character of significant landscapes. There are five
significant landscapes, classified or recorded by the National Trust,
identified in the Alpine Planning Scheme:

The Alpine Shires rural landscapes could be considered important for

the following reasons:
There is a strong cultural tie to the landscape and feelings for the visual
beauty of the mountains, open farmland, rivers, and high country.
The landscape is a major draw card for the tourism industry.
The landscape quality within the Alpine Shire is of national significance, as
it provides a background setting to the Australian Alps.
There are links between healthy landscapes and healthy lifestyles through
the recreational opportunities they provide
Protecting landscape value can sometimes help to protect a range of
other environmental services. Landscape values often have an association
with environmental and natural resource quality; the values that people
appreciate in a landscape are often also important ecologically.

When considering the value of the rural landscape it is important

to also recognise the history of the Alpine Shire. The gold mining,
agricultural and forestry activities of the past have created a unique
cultural landscape, representing an important part of our history.

View Protection
View potential has been studied by designers, environmental
psychologists, economists and many others. The general conclusion
is that the more extensive and more interesting the view, the greater
the value.
Accepting that the quality of a view is the function of many
components, it is generally acknowledged that the views in the
Alpine Shire are worthy of protection. The following actions can be
taken to protect the Shires rural visual landscape:

Upper Kiewa Valley

Happy Valley
Wandiligong Valley
Buckland Valley
Upper Ovens and Harrietville valleys

National Landscapes
The Australian Alps National Landscape Tourism Strategy for the
International Experience Seeker Market, April 2010 recognises the
entire Alpine Shire as one of ten national and cultural landscapes
recognised and promoted by Tourism Australia to the international
experience seeker market. This is because the area has been identified
as one of the Nations iconic National Landscapes that offers a
distinctive, inspiring experience of powerful nature seen in sweeping
mountain ranges, and cultural heritage and lifestyle that reveal the
legendary Australian spirit, played out on a vast stage yet delivered
through intimate, personal encounters and moments.

Rural landscapes have traditionally been under valued in terms of their

visual aesthetic character and qualities, with the perception of value
being considered in terms of economic return. Rural landscapes are
valuable for their intrinsic qualities, for quality of life and enjoyment
of people and also the economic benefit that they generate.

Identify and protect key environmental and landscape features

valued by the community;
Establish view corridors from which the key environmental and
landscape features can be viewed.
Establish critical view areasie. the open pasture and agricultural
areas between key environmental and landscape features and the
areas where these features can be viewed.
Clearly define township boundaries and connections between
residential areas, the town centre and public open spaces.
Identify compatible land uses to enhance the value or quality of
the natural landscape setting.
Identify and prohibit inappropriate development and uses that
detract from the quality of the landscape.

Changes in Land Use and Development

As a key component of the rural visual landscape, land use and
development needs to be managed to minimise the potential
conflict with and threat to the recognised landscape and visual
amenity values of the location. Emerging trends, changing land uses
and associated development that may have impacts on the rural
visual landscape include:
Evolution of Agriculture
Agriculture is evolving: new agricultural land uses and management
practices are emerging to respond to issues and pressures such as
climate change, succession farming, and loss of generational farmers,
corporatised farming and value adding.
Rural Living
Housing in the Shires rural areas is a legitimate land use where it is
properly planned for and/or associated with agricultural activity. The
rural landscapes of the Shire are under pressure due to a combination
of: the multitude of existing small and sometimes isolated, rural lots
in the Shire; the expectations of landowners that they can live on
their land; ad hoc decision making for dwelling approvals; and limited
policy direction in the Alpine Planning Scheme.
Population Growth
Councils Residential Land Strategy identifies that future population
growth should be focussed in and around the existing serviced
settlements in the Alpine Shire. Current growth rates can be
accommodated within this strategy for at least the medium ten
year term and maybe even longer in some locations. Sustained
population growth beyond this period may place pressure on the
rural landscapes immediately surrounding the existing settlements.
Rural Based Tourism
The Shires rural visual landscapes are a major drawcard for the
tourism industry. This is because the area has been identified as one
of the Nations iconic National Landscapes that offers a distinctive ,
inspiring experience of powerful nature seen in sweeping mountain
ranges, and cultural heritage and lifestyle that reveal the legendary
Australian spirit, played out on a vast stage yet delivered through
intimate, personal encounters and moments. Rural based tourism
and particularly agri-tourism opportunities will continue to place
pressure on agriculture and rural visual landscapes.
The impacts of some of these changes on rural visual landscapes
are:
Increased building infrastructure.
Poor or diminished land management.
Increased signage.
The aim should be to accommodate change while maintaining and
where possible enhancing the quality of the rural visual landscape.
Note: Rural based tourism is outlined in Discussion Paper 2.

Further Information
For further information regarding this project, please contact:
Sally Beers
Kirsten McDonald
Strategic Planner

Strategic Planner

Ph: (03) 5755 0561

Ph: (03) 5755 0542

Or visit Alpine Shire Councils website: www.alpineshire.vic.gov.au

Alpine Shire Council

Great Alpine Road

Ph: (03) 5755 0555

Fax: (03) 5755 1811

PO Box 139

Email: info@alpineshire.vic.gov.au

Bright 3741

DISCUSSION PAPER 3| JULY 2011