DAL under fire? Clifton Springs development sparks debate over protected areas

SOME residents in Clifton Springs are bracing for what they believe is the township’s first challenge to the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) statement of planning policy.

Gazetted last year, the DAL outlines protected settlement boundaries for all townships on the Bellarine Peninsula to prevent inappropriate development and direct future growth to strategic locations.

Construction of 15 dwellings and an associated subdivision has been proposed for 20-22 Hill Street, Clifton Springs, but some community members claim this contravenes the DAL’s guidelines.

The application, as outlined in planning documents before the City of Greater Geelong, states that the land is “underutilised in its current form” and offers the development as an “affordable housing solution in the current housing shortage crisis”.

The Drysdale, Clifton Springs, Curlewis Association (DCSCA) have decided to formally oppose the development and have lodged an objection with the city.

The objection states four key concerns:

• The proposal is an overdevelopment of the medium-density in-fill site and does not align with the character of the surrounding residential properties
• The area does not have the infrastructure to service the increase in housing
• The proposal is contrary to the principles set out in the DAL, and
• The proposal risks setting an “undesirable precedent for intensification” on the street’s surrounding properties.

“No one’s against the in-fill development. It’s the density of the in-fill development that’s not within keeping with this area,” DCSCA president Jacky Noble said.

“It’s a terrible indictment to think that we’ve got to keep an eye on [developers] and we’ve got to keep the authorities accountable.

DCSCA vice-president Lynne Sutton said residents valued the town’s relaxed, country town feel, heritage and natural landscapes and wanted to ensure they remained protected.

“We love where we live and we want to keep it this way.

“I didn’t really know my backyard until COVID…that’s when I discovered what a beautiful place it is and that’s why I joined the DCSCA, to hopefully maintain that for future generations and that’s what the DCSCA wishes to do in the long-term.”

She said while she understands the town would continue to evolve, it needs to be done in “a reasonable manner”.

“If this one gets through, the rest of Hill Street is screwed. It’s that simple.”