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Campaspe Shire councillors will vote on whether to develop a new Regional Rural Land Use Strategy at a council meeting tonight.

Last month councillors voted in favour of a motion to rescind the controversial strategy which aims to preserve farming land by restricting subdivision and development of dwellings.

The rescission motion could not be acted on as it had already been actioned, a law set out in the Local Government Act.

Councillors will decide the new direction for the strategy, which is used as part of the Campaspe Shire’s planning scheme.

Three options before councillors are to either:

■Review the strategy to address any previous shortcomings, but council staff believe this would not provide the ‘‘clean slate’’ desired.

■Discontinue future use of the strategy, which council staff are against because it would leave a deficit in strategic planning framework.

■Start its strategic work anew, which staff believe is the most constructive way forward.

Last month councillors raised concerns with the strategy, which was first adopted in October 2008.

Amendment C69 to Campaspe Shire’s Planning Scheme, which calls for the land use strategy to be used as a reference document, was adopted in June last year.

The amendment is before Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy for consideration.

The decision to adopt the amendment cannot legally be rescinded.

Councillors Robert Danieli and Greg Toll were opposed to the strategy, saying it needed review because it was written during the height of the drought and at the start of the Global Financial Crisis.

Councillors have also been in discussion about setting up a farm advisory group to support council’s planning activities.

After Local Government laws were questioned at the last council meeting, councillors will also seek to review Campaspe’s Local Law No 1 to provide clearer direction for future council decisions.

The Rural Land Use Strategy is one of 27 decisions before councillors at tomorrow night’s meeting at Echuca Civic Centre, starting at 5pm.