“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
