Bellarine DAL Passed – Town Boundaries Protected

Media Release – The Hon Daniel Andrews MP  – Friday, 7 October 2022

PROTECTING THE ICONIC BELLARINE PENINSULA

The Andrews Labor Government is delivering on its promise to protect Victoria’s beautiful Bellarine Peninsula and its cherished environment from overdevelopment.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville today visited Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club to deliver the Labor Government’s Statement of Planning Policy for the Bellarine Peninsula’s ‘distinctive area and landscape’ (DAL) – setting out a 50-year vision for the region to guide development controls and boundaries.

The Bellarine Peninsula is one of Victoria’s most prized tourism and recreation destinations with its stunning beaches, rural landscapes and historic towns including Queenscliff and Portarlington.

The draft policy locks in protected settlement boundaries for all townships, to ensure the Bellarine’s agricultural areas, landscapes, environmental features, small villages and towns are protected from inappropriate development and direct future growth to strategic locations.

The Peninsula was declared a DAL in 2019, recognising that its beautiful coastal environment, unique green spaces, local producers, and lifestyle, were under pressure from urban overdevelopment.

The 2019 declaration triggered the need for a Statement of Planning Policy for the area, to ensure the landscapes, unique environmental and cultural values of the Bellarine are protected and enhanced for many decades to come.

The final draft policy was developed in collaboration with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, the Borough of Queenscliff, the City of Greater Geelong following extensive consultation with community and industry. It was also referred to an independent advisory committee in January 2022.

To view the final draft Statement of Planning Policy for Bellarine visit, engage.vic.gov.au/project/distinctive-areas-and-landscapes-program/page/bellarine-peninsula.

Quote attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“We promised to protect our iconic Bellarine Peninsula – and that’s exactly what we’ve done, boosting the local economy and making sure locals and tourists can enjoy this beautiful part of Victoria well into the future.”

Quote attributable to Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville

“These reforms give confidence to local residents and businesses that what they love about their community, and surrounding environment, is valued and protected for future generations.”

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The ‘Support for the Bellarine DAL’ on 14 August 2022 was a real success

Media release – Rally to Protect the Bellarine Sunday August 14

More than 150 people gathered at Edwards Point Nature Reserve last Sunday to deliver a very clear
message to the State Government – please follow through on your 2018 promise to protect the
Bellarine from uncontrolled and inappropriate development.
Combined Bellarine Community Associations Chair Dr Lawrence St Leger, and Protect the Bellarine
spokesperson Jenny Knox addressed the crowd, urging the Government to move quickly to complete
the Bellarine Distinctive Areas and Landscapes process.
Both emphasised the importance of protecting township boundaries in preserving the Bellarine’s
many special and unique places.
Those at the rally were in strong support of the view that urban development into pristine
environments and rural landscapes is a challenge to the whole peninsula, threatening the loss of
green spaces between Bellarine towns and villages.
Also in the crowd were several Bellarine State election candidates, and Legislative Council MP Andy
Meddick – a strong supporter of the DAL – a sure sign that this is an important election issue.
Decision-making power now rests with Minister Lily D’Ambrosio.

Protecting the Bellarine was one of the State Government’s key regional election promises at the last election.

Community Associations across the Bellarine held the combined rally to ensure the Government is again clearly and loudly reminded of the strong views of the community on protecting the Bellarine through the media coverage a rally could generate.

The rally was held on Sunday 14 August at 10:30am at Edwards Point at St Leonards

This map shows land that may have been purchased by Developers out side town boundaries. It is based on a map produced by the final Bellarine Vic Gov hearings showing locations of presentors. The map has been edited to remove presenters supporting the Bellarine DAL process.


Bellarine DAL map of developer purchased property outside town boundary

5 August 2022. An enthusiastic group of people gathered at the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve on Friday 5th August to show support for the Bellarine DAL , a state government initiative to identify and protect Distinctive Areas and Landscapes across the Bellarine.

Friday’s group photo is advertising a rally being organised by the CBCA (Combined Bellarine Community Association) to show support for the Bellarine DAL Program. It will be held on 14 August at St Leonards.

For this event we need as many bodies as possible, including Committee members, family and friends and interested residents and groups.

This affects all residents of Bellarine towns including Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove, Queenscliff and Pt Lonsdale, Indented Head, Curlewis, Barwon Heads, Clifton Springs, Drysdale, Leopold and Portarlington.

We need a good number of people for a Press photograph to show Dan Andrews and the new Planning Minister, Lizzie Blandthorn that we care about protecting our town boundaries.

A Reporter from Times syndicate is lined up to cover the .14 August at St Leonards.

The Protect The Bellarine website is great – Check it out.

Did you know that the DAL Advisory Committee hearing the time allocated to developers and their associates was approximately 80% . Many were represented by QC’s costing $1000’s per day. 20% of the hearing time was allocated towards to non commercial interests like concerned environment groups and Bellarine Community Associations.

https://www.protectthebellarine.com/about-2

We loose this farmland if Dan breaks his promise

This map illustrates the land on the Bellarine that may be subject to future development if the State Government doesn’t honour its election promise to protect the Bellarine.

It is based on a map from the Bellarine DAL process.

The illustrative map depicts land owned by owners or developers who oppose the proposed settlement boundaries is shown.

You can gauge for yourself the potential future look and feel of our towns if the Andrew’s State Government breaks its promise to protect The Bellarine.

BELLARINE PENINSULA STATEMENT OF PLANNING POLICY

OCEAN GROVE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Inc – SUBMITTER #067
SUBMISSION TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Thank you for the opportunity to provide a submission to The Committee.

WHO DO WE REPRESENT

1. The Ocean Grove Community Association’s membership model has been progressively moving to a hybrid model combining social media based free membership with conventional paid membership for those that chose to pay the small once off fee. This hybrid model better reflects current community trends with the high usage of social media communication by many people in the community.

2. Our membership base is 2,9281 followers on social media and 125 paid membership.

3. In addition to our community membership reach, we have been running an online petition – online because of the Covid-19 limitations. This petition advocates for the retention of the current Ocean Grove Settlement Boundary as reflected in the City of Greater Geelong Settlement Strategy.

4. This petition has 8,417 2 – which we believe demonstrates a clear and loud statement of the community’s desire. All of these people have taken the time to read our online flyer and have decided to sign this petition.

5. The electronic petition, through change.org, was launched on 26 November 2019 and this subsequently allowed people to record their support while maintaining the Covid 19 physical contact restrictions that commence in early 2020. The graphic in the petition was taken from Ocean Grove Structure Plan. The petition highlighted “Developers want the land to the west of Grubb Road, the land east of Banks Road and the strip of land to the north between the current Oakdene housing development and the Bellarine Highway to be included in the Ocean Grove Town Settlement Boundary”.

6. The poster (a copy is included as an attachment to this submission) was produced in January 2020 and was used as a letter box drop across Ocean Grove supported by emails and displaying the poster by some Ocean Grove business. A simplified graphic was used 1 Correct as at 9 May 2022 2 Correct as at 16 May 2022 Page 2 of 13 Submitter # 067 – Ocean Grove Community Association in the poster. A second letter drop of the poster was undertaken in April 2022. In the second letter box drop we used the same poster for consistency of messaging. The poster QR code was linked the Change.org petition which featured the more detailed graphic.

7. In all our efforts and messaging to engage with the community at large the key focus was and continues to be the major risk on the significant landscapes by residential development outside the Ocean Grove Settlement Boundary, in particular:

a. to the west of Grubb Road into the attractive backdrop to the town and as a settlement break with Wallington,

 b. into the non-urban break north of Ocean Grove to the Bellarine Highway, and

c. into the open rolling the farm land east of Banks Road

Unofficial: Bellarine Peninsula ‘Distinctive Areas and Landscapes’ in-person information session announcement

In-person information sessions: draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy

I am emailing to confirm that we are planning to hold four in-person information sessions where you can learn more about the draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) and ask questions. 

Attendees must register for a 30-minute session. This will be capped at 15 people to meet density limits. All attendees must follow the current Victorian Government’s public health advice regarding the use of masks, contact tracing and social distancing.  

The in-person public information sessions will be held as follows    

·       22nd July 2021 Leopold Library, 31-39 Kensington Rd, Leopold - please register for a 30-min session at this event via  https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/bellarine-peninsula-draft-spp-in-person-information-session-leopold-tickets-163004788711 to attend.  

·       27th July 2021 Bellarine Anglican Parish, 45 – 55 Collins St, Drysdale - please register for a 30-min session at this event via  https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/bellarine-peninsula-draft-spp-in-person-information-session-drysdale-tickets-163019043347 to attend.  

·       29th July 2021 Bellarine Training and Community Hub, 1 John Dory Drive, Ocean Grove – please register for a 30-min session at this event via https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/bellarine-peninsula-draft-spp-in-person-information-session-ocean-grove-tickets-163021468601 to attend.  

·       30th July 2021 Queenscliff Uniting Church, Corner of Hesse and Stokes St, Queenscliff - please register for a 30-min session at this event via  https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/bellarine-peninsula-draft-spp-in-person-information-session-queenscliff-tickets-163022192767 to attend.  

A range of times in the afternoon and evening are available. Please register as soon as possible to ensure you get your preferred time.

The in-person information sessions may help inform your written submission. Please note it is preferred that you do not lodge your submission at the information session. Please follow the guidance below on how to lodge your submission.  

Have your say 

You are invited to view the draft Bellarine Peninsula SPP and provide a written submission. 

You can view the draft Bellarine Peninsula SPP, as well as supporting technical documents, by visiting the Bellarine Peninsula Engage Victoria project page.

You can choose to complete either a short or long form submission and attach further information as part of your submission. Submissions will be treated as public documents and will be published on the Victorian Government’s engagement website. Proforma submissions and petitions will only be counted as one submission, and any contact will be made through the first-named person. 

Submissions must be received by 5.00pm on Friday 20 August 2021 and must be lodged through the Bellarine Peninsula Engage Victoria project page. 

Further information 

·       Call 136 186 (open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday)  

·       Email planning.implementation@delwp.vic.gov.au  

·       Visit Bellarine Peninsula Engage Victoria project page 

·       Read our Frequently Asked Questions that are available on the Engage Victoria project page 

Kind regards,  

Mia Davison  

Project Director, Distinctive Areas and Landscapes  

Planning | Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning  

8 Nicholson Street East Melbourne 3002  

Bellarine Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) draft Statement of Planning Policy

 “Association applauds boundary strengthening”.

The Association has welcomed the recent and much awaited release by the Government of the Bellarine Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) draft Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) for community consultation. The draft SPP is proposing that permanent long term protected settlement boundaries be applied around Ocean Grove and all Bellarine Peninsula towns.

Our Chairperson, Mr Phil Edwards has praised the Government and our local Member Lisa Neville saying “it is very pleasing to see that the Government is now delivering on its election promises to protect the Bellarine Peninsula’s highly significant rural landscape and environmental qualities and it has clearly listened to the local community and responded to their wishes.”

“The draft SPP is exactly what the Association’s “Enough is Enough” campaign, which has gathered over 4,800 signatures, was hoping to achieve…that is, to restrict Ocean Grove boundaries to their current location and prevent further urban sprawl into the surrounding rural countryside. The proposed protected settlement boundary for Ocean Grove is shown in the map from the DELWP draft SPP. The Association is aware that developers and landowners to the north and west of the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve, east of Banks Rd and north up to the Bellarine Highway have put forward proposals for further development despite the Geelong Council’s Settlement Strategy putting these areas clearly outside our town’s settlement boundary. The Association continues to strongly oppose the developers’ positions.”

The Association acknowledges and supports the proposals that the bulk of the town’s future population growth will be accommodated in the Kingston Estate area that is already zoned residential and where there is more than 10 years of housing green field development land still available for people who want to move to Ocean Grove. Other growth capacity is also available in the designated Increased Housing Diversity Areas, particularly around the Ocean Grove town centre. The Increased Housing Diversity Areas, subject to strict height, site coverage & design provisions applied to respect the town’s coastal character and significant environment and landscape qualities, are not new and already form part of Geelong Council’s existing planning policies which have been in place for some time.

We are encouraging all interested members of the public to review the draft SPP and make an on-line submission because it is important for the Government to continue to hear directly from as many community members as possible. Bellarine Peninsula | Distinctive Areas and Landscapes Program | Engage Victoria

The Association intends to strongly press the widespread community views expressed in its “Enough is Enough” campaign and will be making its own detailed submission to Government. 

If you are pressed for time to read the full draft SPP we suggest you read the “Bellarine Peninsula Frequently Asked Questions” on the engage.vic.gov.au website which provides a really good summary of the background and key points of the draft SPP.

We are encouraging individual community members can make their own submission online through engage.vic.gov.au website until 5pm 20 August 2021

Ocean Grove DAL proposed boundary

Draft Bellarine Statement of Planning Policy Released

3 July 2021

From Mia Davison  Project Director, Distinctive Areas and Landscapes  

Public consultation on the draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy is now open 

Thank you for your interest in our Bellarine Peninsula Distinctive Area and Landscape project. On behalf of the Victorian Government, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is seeking your feedback on a draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) to guide the future of land use and development on the Bellarine Peninsula for the next 50 years. It has been developed by DELWP in collaboration with the Borough of Queenscliffe, the City of Greater Geelong Council and the Traditional Owners, the Wadawurrung, and other government agencies. 

The iconic Bellarine Peninsula is known for eye-catching coastlines, unique habitats, rural landscapes, primary producers, historic villages and a relaxed coastal lifestyle. From busy towns like Ocean Grove and Drysdale to the small laidback villages of Queenscliff and Indented Head, the Bellarine Peninsula is a place where Victorian’s can live or holiday, enjoying coastal views and locally grown produce. The characteristics that make the Bellarine Peninsula such a desirable place to live and visit, however, are under threat from over-development, increased visitation and the effects of climate change.  

The draft SPP provides an important step towards protecting the valued attributes of the Bellarine Peninsula declared area. It will help ensure environmental resilience, provide certainty for investment, and build a strong economy for current and future generations. Once finalised and implemented, the SPP will provide the highest level of state planning protection.  

Have your say 

You are invited to view the draft Bellarine Peninsula SPP and provide a submission. 

Submissions must be received by 5.00pm on Friday 20 August 2021 and must be lodged through the Engage Victoria platform at https://engage.vic.gov.au/distinctive-areas-and-landscapes-program/bellarine-peninsula 

You can view the draft Bellarine Peninsula SPP, as well as supporting technical documents, by visiting the above Engage Victoria website page. You can choose to complete either a short or long form submission, and attach further information as part of your submission. Submissions will be treated as public documents and will be published on the Victorian Government’s engagement website. Proforma submissions and petitions will only be counted as one submission, and any contact will be made through the first-named person. 

Public information sessions 

DELWP is continuing to deliver the Victorian Government’s Distinctive Areas and Landscapes program while being guided by the Victorian Government’s public health advice at the time. We propose holding in-person and online public information sessions where you can hear more about the proposals and ask questions. These sessions will take place during the public consultation period. Visit the Engage Victoria project page, https://engage.vic.gov.au/distinctive-areas-and-landscapes-program/bellarine-peninsula, for dates, times and locations of these information sessions.  Please subscribe to email updates to stay up-to-date on the project and the timing of information sessions. 

Further information 

·         Call 136 186 (open 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday)  

·         Email planning.implementation@delwp.vic.gov.au  

·         Visit Engage Victoria page Bellarine Peninsula Engage Victoria project page 

·         Read our Frequently Asked Questions that are available on the Engage Victoria project page. 

Enough is Enough 2021 – Protect Our Town Boundary – Update June 2021

Oakdene Winery

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Stop developers changing the Ocean Grove Town Settlement Boundary.

Ocean Grove Community Assn Inc started this petition to Lisa Neville MP and 3 others

Developers and some landowners are currently seeking to change the Ocean Grove Town Settlement Boundary to allow even more housing development.

If you’d like to stop the sprawl of Ocean Grove and help us retain the seaside town and natural environment we all love about our town, please sign this petition.

Developers want the land to the west of Grubb Road, the land east of Banks Road and the strip of land to the north between the current Oakdene housing development and the Bellarine Highway to be included in the Ocean Grove Town Settlement Boundary. 

We are in the critical window now in June 2021 with the release of a draft Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) document by DELWP expected this month (June) for community consultation and feedback. This SPP is part of the Bellarine Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL)process. This SPP must include the establishment of the permanent settlement boundary for our town of Ocean Grove and not open up yet more green spaces to developers.

Say NO to this – ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Sign up on our on line petition at:

https://www.change.org/p/lisa-neville-mp-enough-is-enough-stop-developers-changing-the-ocean-grove-town-settlement-boundary

The Ocean Grove Community Association Inc considers that the Ocean Grove Town Settlement Boundary as depicted in the Geelong Council graphic in this petition should be retained and reinforced as the long-term settlement boundary for Ocean Grove through the position currently contained in The City of Greater Geelong Settlement Strategy Amendment C395, and through The Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning (DEWLP) Statement of Planning Policy for the Bellarine Distinctive Areas and Landscapes.

The City of Greater Geelong’s Settlement Strategy plan is to keep the Ocean Grove Town Settlement Boundary as it is.  Developers, unsuccessfully challenged this strategy at an Independent Panel Hearing (Amendment C395). Developers still want more land for development and will try again through the Bellarine DAL process being run by DELWP.

The Ocean Grove Community Association Inc says ENOUGH IS ENOUGH and supports the Council’s position of no change to our existing town settlement boundary.

What can you do about it?  If you share our view don’t sit back and watch as our town is changed forever – make your voice heard – if you think ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

  • Add your name to this petition.
  • Email the Member for the Bellarine Lisa Neville MP, and tell her “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” and you don’t want the Ocean Grove town settlement boundary changed to allow more development and you strongly support the Geelong Council’s current position in Amendment C395. Email:  lisa.neville@parliament.vic.gov.au
  • Email the Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne MP and tell him “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” and you don’t want the Ocean Grove town settlement boundary changed to allow more development and you strongly support the Geelong Council’s current position in Amendment C395. Email: richard.wynne@parliament.vic.gov.au
  • Share your concerns with your friends on social media or over coffee. Encourage them to have a voice and sign the petition and participate in the email campaign. Ask them to tell their friends and colleagues.  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

The best way for people to keep in touch is:

  • Like or follow the Ocean Grove Community Association Facebook page.
  • Become a member of Ocean Grove Community Association at:
  • Follow our regular updates in local newspapers.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, stop the sprawl of Ocean Grove and help us retain the seaside town and natural environment we all love about our town. Please sign this petition and tell your friends.

These grape vines subdivided
These grape vines to be subdivided into houses