A distinct wait: Next phase of Bellarine Distinctive Area and Landscape process delayed

THIS week marks the one-year anniversary of the Bellarine being declared a Distinctive Area and Landscape (DAL), but the coronavirus pandemic has delayed the next step in public consultation, including the promised draft Statement of Planning Policy (SPP).

Ahead of the 2018 state election, Labor pledged to protect regions including the Bellarine by balancing growth while preserving their distinctive features.

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) began work on the project in April 2019, eventually deciding that the Bellarine DAL would include the entire Bellarine Peninsula, including 600 metres seaward of the low-water mark, and extend east as far as Armstrong Creek and Moolap.

The gazetting of the DAL by the Andrews Government on October 29, 2019 triggered the development of a statement of planning policy (SPP), which is a framework for the future use of land in the declared area to ensure its landscape and township characters and other distinctive attributes and values are protected and enhanced.

This SPP was supposed to be produced within 12 months. However, the impacts of COVID-19 have slowed matters considerably.

According to DELWP’s Bellarine DAL website, the third phase of public engagement on the DAL – public submissions about the SPP – will now begin in late 2020, with the final SPP to be produced in late 2021.

“We are currently looking at the best way to consult given current social distancing requirements.”

A resolution to the long-running question about town boundaries and population growth on the Bellarine has been put on hold until the DAL process is complete, with the City of Greater Geelong noting that its Settlement Strategy for the entire municipality was dependent on the final SPP.

“The City considers the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes the most appropriate process to determine long-term boundaries for the Bellarine,” an August 25 report to councillors stated.

“If long-term boundaries are not resolved, the City will need to determine long-term boundaries via a separate consultative process for the district towns with regard to Statement of Planning Policy.”

Bellarine MP Lisa Neville acknowledged there had been some delays due to coronavirus but said “we will be delivering these landmark reforms for the Bellarine as soon as possible with further community consultation to commence later in
the year”.

“This is about better protecting the unique features of the area for current and future generations, including long-term protected settlement boundaries.

“To ensure locals can have further input, I have directed the department to alert the community as soon as the next round of consultation gets under way.”

It is not clear whether submissions to the draft SPP, when it is released, will be made public, but Ms Neville said she would continue to push for this to be the case.

The Surf Coast DAL process is experiencing similar coronavirus-related delays and related pauses to associated council (in this case, the Surf Coast Shire) planning policy.