Town identity key to future Port developments, says group

THE Park Street Group has a vision for Portarlington – to preserve its valued sense of identity and character, community spirit and the coastal feel.

The group of residents formed last year after receiving a communication from the City of Greater Geelong, indicating a developer had applied for a building permit to build five threestorey neighbouring dwellings on a house block in Park Street, Portarlington.

Following extensive community reaction, media coverage and objections to the City of Greater Geelong, the developer withdrew the application.

Members of the Park Street Group say they have heard from many residents expressing their concern about future developments in the town.

“They continue to say ‘I moved here because it is a quiet seaside village, I wanted to escape suburbia, I do not want to live with Gold Coast type towers’,” a group spokesperson said.

“Frequent media reports indicate many residents of the coastal towns on the Bellarine and Surf Coast also share these concerns about future development. “We believe any development should be on a similar scale to its neighbours.

“It should protect the local environment and embrace the identity of the local township.”

The group states that town planners need to retain the low to medium housing development with plenty of open space for recreational use by residents and develop existing residential blocks to meet the needs of the older members of the community with suitably designed affordable housing, footpaths and off-street parking.

Future development would need to sustain the permanent population, its local businesses and the service industries required by residents, and it should include appropriate infrastructure, access roads, footpaths, street car parking and public transport.

The transition from seaside living to rural landscape should be ensured by retaining existing town boundaries, and ensure access to views by residents is maintained.

The group believes that given Portarlington’s topography, the north and west facing views should be considered a unique feature of the coastal town.

Summarising their argument, the group states that Neighbourhood Residential Zones as defined in the City of Greater Geelong’s planning scheme include the statement “to manage and ensure that development respects the identified character, heritage, environmental and landscape characteristics”.

“We believe the above Neighbourhood Residential Zone should forthwith replace the confusing number of various structure plans, zones and overlays currently applying to Portarlington before the character is irrevocably lost.”

For more information on the Park Street Group, email [email protected].