Equine Business Development Guidelines
Horses are big business. They are widely recognised by government agencies as being Victoria’s third largest industry and, in dollar terms, sit not far behind tourism in the Macedon Ranges Shire.
Horse owners are as diverse as the many disciplines that they follow. Horses can be used for both recreation and generating income, so deciding whether a property is, or can be used for business may not be easily evaluated by the infrastructure proposed. While one equine business may want comprehensive infrastructure another may be held back by budgetary constraints and put forward a more basic concept.
Purpose of the guidelines
The Equine Business Development Guidelines(PDF, 3MB) have been designed to provide an understanding of the needs of the equine industry and the level of infrastructure and investment required to seriously pursue a business proposal.
The document is also to inform and provide information for Council officers when assessing proposals for the establishment of an equine facility, and sets out requirements for applicants to consider when preparing an application.
What to do next
If you are considering establishing and/or expanding an existing equine business in the Macedon Ranges or are seeking to purchase property for development, we encourage you to first seek advice by:
This is highly recommended and can provide you with the necessary guidance and the steps that would need to be undertaken to achieve your goal.