Mayor's Message

By Cr Clare Le Serve

I have met and chatted with many people around the region during the holidays and one of the topics that keeps coming up is the lack of rentals and affordable homes to buy.

The popularity of Bass Coast as a place to live and work has many upsides for new jobs and investment, but it has certainly put a strain on housing availability.

We're not alone as it is a national issue, but that doesn't make it feel any easier.

I was therefore pleased the State Government last week officially gave the green light to the new Wonthaggi North-East housing development.

This project is a game changer and will create new homes for more than 12,000 people on 500 hectares of residential land.

The Wonthaggi North-East Precinct Structure Plan will double the size of Wonthaggi over the next 30-50 years and expand business and industry precinct to provide major investment and new jobs for the region.

The precinct was identified as a project on the Victorian Planning Authority's (VPA) Fast Track Program, following significant population growth in the last five years. Victoria's Covid lockdown period was a major contributing factor to those favouring alternative regional living.

One of the biggest balancing acts for Council is growing investment to ensure jobs for future generations, while at the same time not taking away the very thing about a region that people fell in love with in the first place like green open spaces.

This development has been carefully thought out and will deliver community facilities, a new primary school and kinder, local parks, shared paths and a new sports reserve for residents.

The plan will ensure that new communities are integrated with the existing town through road connections and tree-lined streets. The extensive pathway network will connect residents to parks, sporting and community facilities, bushland, the existing township and the Bass Coast Rail Trail.

The project reinforces Wonthaggi's role as a regional centre and sets up the area ready to fully take advantage of the opportunities presented in proximity to the metropolitan area, tourism, improved infrastructure and the surrounding Gippsland region. It will unlock huge opportunities for the region and guide the development of a new growth area in Wonthaggi for future generations.