The city of Wodonga sits in attractive undulating topography at the foothills of the Great Dividing Range.
Most of the city has been built to date on the gentle slopes along the Murray River valley. However, as it continues to grow it is expected to move into the foothills and increasingly have to address the impacts of sloping land on streets, houses and public spaces.
It is estimated that more than 25 per cent of future residential land is subject to significant slope of more than 18 per cent (10 degrees) across several development fronts. A significant cost component when building on sloping land includes those for earthworks and engineered retaining walls. Choosing the right house design for a sloping site can assist in keeping these costs to a minimum.
To better address building on sloping land, these guidelines have been prepared to assist land and housing providers to deliver more site responsive streets and houses, and for council in reviewing and assessing applications for these.