|
|  | |
Living Together in Rural Victoria
Tips for Purchasing Rural Land
Rural and regional Victoria offers a quality of life that many people find hard to resist. But it is important to understand life in a rural zone before buying a property and living on it. Remember, although it may look peaceful, rural Victoria can be a busy, noisy, odorous place at certain times and in certain areas.
This information sheet outlines the main things to consider before buying land in rural Victoria.
Realistic Expectations
Have realistic expectations of life in rural Victoria and do your research about the use of land surrounding your intended property.
- Much of rural Victoria is, in effect, an industrial zone, where the industry is agriculture. Many agricultural landuses impact on neighbouring properties and can affect residential amenity.
- Odours, noise, dust and smoke are common outputs of legitimate agricultural and other land management activities and you should expect to experience the impact of them.
- Before you buy, make sure you consider the industries in the area and understand the farming practices that are part of those industries. Visualise how they may affect you and your property.
- Identify any intensive animal industries, sewerage treatment facilities, processing plants or other high impact landuses within a several kilometre radius. Get information on prevailing wind directions and assess the likely impact of odours.
- Understand that there are no guarantees that the pleasant pastoral or bushland scenes that exist today will remain in the future.
| |
Be Realistic about Options for Managing Amenity Impacts
When you have identified the impacts from surrounding landuses, consider whether you can take any actions on your own property.
- Planting wind breaks and vegetative buffers can often reduce noise, dust, visual impacts, and sometimes odours – but be realistic about what you can achieve and don’t necessarily rely on action from your neighbours.
- There are not many formal requirements for farmers to minimise the normal impacts arising from the legitimate agricultural enterprises they may run. And there are few requirements for them to formally notify you of what they intend to do.
How Secure are Your Views?
Many people move to rural Victoria for the picturesque landscape. But remember:
- the land you look out on may be owned by someone else who has rights to dramatically alter how it is used and how it looks;
- be prepared for your views to change if you live next to a commercial farming enterprise; and
- understand the alternative landuses that could be developed on neighbouring land.
Have Realistic Expectations of Travel on Rural Roads
If you are considering commuting to the city for work, remember, sharing the road in rural areas takes on a whole new meaning.
- Understand the road rules that apply to stock movements and grazing of stock along roads.
- Be prepared for delays at certain times of the year.
- Understand that the onus is on you to give way to livestock.
- Road surfaces will vary and can be unpredictable.
- Sharp corners might not always be sign-posted and crests of hills can reduce visibility.
Be Prepared for Your Land Management Responsibilities
If you own land in rural Victoria:
- you will be legally responsible for managing pest plants and animals on that property – be prepared to meet these and other obligations;
- rabbit and fox control and weed management can be expensive and time-consuming;
- your rural neighbours may be able to provide you with advice and assistance regarding pest control;
do your research before you buy to fully understand the extent of weed and pest infestations; and
- understand that you will have to take responsibility for fire control, including reducing the amount of fire fuel around your home, and possibly establishing fire breaks around your boundary.
Access to the Road, and to Water, Gas, Telephone and Electricity Services
Rural land does not necessarily have all the services connected that you might expect:
- check whether the services you require can be accessed or constructed and the expenses involved;
- also check the distance from the service to your preferred home-site – it can be very expensive to run power lines from the main supply to your home;
- make sure that your land has appropriate access to the road – it could be that an easement will require to be established through someone else’s land, or there may be other local Council controls that restrict where your driveway can connect to the road.
Recommendations
- Do your research about the industries and landuses surrounding your intended property.
- Have realistic expectations of life in a rural industry area.
- Be prepared to spend time and money on your land management responsibilities, especially weeds and pests.
- Get information, advice and assistance from the Department of Primary Industries, the local council and other government and non-government sources to ensure you make an informed choice about living in rural Victoria.
- Buy your land knowing that you can build a house upon it.
- Check the location of water, gas and electricity services and their proximity to your preferred choice of building site.
- Check the access to the local road.
Who to Contact
- Department of Primary Industries
| 136 186 |
- Real Estate Institute of Victoria
| (03) 9205 6677 |
|
|  |
|
| for advice on fire prevention and control |
Further Information
Other information sheets in this series, including:
And More Information at
Please Note: By electing to visit the sites linking from below you will be leaving the DPI website.
Catchment Management Authorities
|
Page Top
|
