G21 welcomes pledges to toughen planning laws

GEELONG advocacy group G21 has welcomed the bipartisan approach to stronger planning laws for the Surf Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula, saying it was similar to the group’s own strategies.

Ahead of November’s state election, both Labor and the Liberal Nationals pledged, within days of each other, to legislate town boundaries and height controls in the two regions if their party was victorious.

Under both of the new policies, any attempt to change the town boundaries would need to be passed by Parliament.

In a statement issued earlier this month, G21 stated the announcement was “in line with public comment received by G21 during its extensive consultation when developing the G21 Regional Growth Plan.

“The G21 Regional Growth Plan, developed in 2013 with an outlook through to 2050, acknowledges the importance of the region’s unique coastal settlements to the lifestyle, environment and economy of the region.

“While growth across the region is inevitable, the G21 Regional Growth Plan sets out a strategy to manage that growth in an environmentally sensible and sustainable manner.

“That includes protecting those things that make our region unique, such as the coastal villages and towns.”

The Regional Growth Plan does not predict a growth rate or forecast population sizes at specific times but instead “accepts there will be steady growth in the region and that the population is likely to reach, and potentially exceed, 500,000 in the next 30-40 years”.