No cause for alarm on planning maildrop
A letter about the DAL was delivered to all Bass Coast residents.
Residents have been thrown into confusion by a state government letter in mailboxes detailing upcoming planning changes.
The letter details the draft Bass Coast Statement of Planning Policy (SPP), currently out for community feedback until April 29. This follows the government declaration of Bass Coast as a Distinctive Area and Landscapes in 2019, to guide future land use.
The draft SPP locks in Phillip Island’s current town boundaries – while San Remo’s will expand – while there will also be a series of beefed-up landscape planning controls to protect significant landscapes around the island, including the coast and hinterland between Cape Woolamai and Ventnor, as well as the Rhyll Inlet, and areas north of Cowes-Rhyll Road to Newhaven.
But a letter drop into all Bass Coast mailboxes has seen more than 130 calls to the state government’s information line, and people take to social media to get clarity.
“Very confusing and not well explained not easy to follow links for more information regarding our property,” wrote Steve on Facebook.
Some were more cynical, with Mark commenting it was a way for governments “to control more of our lives” and “stop the little guy from doing stuff. But if a consortium comes in and there's money in it, it will get done.”
Others’ comments were misleading saying, “it is like making your property heritage listed” with restrictions even on gardens, and many blaming Bass Coast Shire, even though it is a state government initiative.
However, many took the time to study the SPP documents and understand the implications.
Don Callen did his homework.
“I have downloaded them and spent some time reading them. Basically, in great detail, they show proposed boundaries for potential future developments in Bass Coast,” he correctly wrote.
“Depending on which township/hamlet you live in, it lists its environmental features and proposed future growth limits in order to prevent inappropriate development. There are some places where very little, if any, new real estate may be developed. If you are prepared to spend time on this, don't rely on social media for this information. Go to the site, check out all the information about your own area and respond to council if you are worried.”
Rick Tuckett summed it up saying “I gather it’s about over-population of areas and keeping some areas as natural habitats which is a great thing”.
And Anne Schade, too, was clear on what the letter drop was about. “It's the moratorium the government is finally implementing to curtail the expansion of further housing developments which are continuously encroaching on our natural bushland which is also having an impact on wildlife,” Anne wrote, adding the SPP was not about “government asking you to rip out your front garden”.
Jeff Floyd said the SPP was a “significant step” to stop the expansion of town boundaries on Philip Island, albeit written “in shocking bureaucratese”.
This map – released with the draft SPP in March – shows proposed planning controls of Phillip Island, with significant landscape overlays in purple, with expanded areas of control. Public comment is open until April 29.
Property rights
A public online meeting about the draft SPP in late March saw one questioner ask what the impact on people’s property rights would be from the proposal?
The respondent from the state government’s Department of Environment Land Water and Planning (DELWP) said existing property rights remained the same and encouraged the questioner to look at an interactive map on the DELWP website to identify existing and proposed settlement boundaries and significant landscape overlays (SLOs): mapshare.vic.gov.au/basscoast/
“Once finalised the SPP will ensure coordinated decision making across public land managers enabling the improved conservation outcomes for Phillip Island and all of the Bass Coast,” DELWP said.
Another resident asked what the implications of the amended SLOs would be, to which the DELWP respondent said – where it impacted a property – they would be considered in planning permits to protect landscapes.
“The proposed landscape planning controls are SLOs that will conserve and enhance significant landscapes, including views and green breaks between settlements.”
A resident asked if there would be an increase in native conservation areas for Phillip Island, with the respondent saying there would be no change in the zoning to land into public ownership.
“The Victorian Government is ensuring the ongoing protection of the environmental and cultural values of the Bass Coast and all the things that make the region much loved and unique,” the DELWP spokesperson said.
One resident was concerned that, because of Covid, there was no in-person meetings about the draft SPP, with DELWP offering the option for residents to book face-to-face online sessions with project officers up to the April 29 deadline.
Given the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Cooperation were project partners in the delivery of the draft SPP, their section is not for public comment, the meeting heard.
