LABOR has flagged a considerable strengthening of planning laws for the Surf Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula if it wins November\u2019s state election, pledging to protect the area from overdevelopment.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Planning Minister Richard Wynne announced that a re-elected Labor government would declare both the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula \u201cA Distinctive Area and Landscape\u201d under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.<\/p>\n
The Macedon Ranges became the first declared area earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Under the act, the declaration triggers a requirement for a Statement of Planning Policy, which will set permanent height controls and town boundaries to protect the environment, landscape and local lifestyle.<\/p>\n
Any attempt to change these town boundaries must be agreed to by Parliament.<\/p>\n
The Statement of Planning Policy would be developed within the first year of a re-elected Labor government in consultation with local councils and the community.<\/p>\n
Mr Wynne said the planning protections would be enshrined in law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means locals will be permanently protected from the kind of overnight deals with developers that flourished under Matthew Guy and the Liberals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bellarine MP Lisa Neville said the pledge aimed to \u201cprotect our treasured communities and everything that is great about them\u201d.<\/p>\n
Labor candidate for South Barwon Darren Cheeseman said there was a desire in the community to revisit planning decisions that had been made over the past 10 years, and said he welcomed the opportunity for people to give feedback.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are a lot of different views out there, but I do think we need to review where we\u2019re going to protect the real seaside nature of our villages.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a special place \u2013 we don\u2019t want to wreck it. We don\u2019t want to see Torquay become the Gold Coast on the Surf Coast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Labor\u2019s pledge comes coincidentally at the same time that a number of Surf Coast community groups have announced their decision to form the Greater Torquay (GT) Alliance to push back against what they say is inappropriate and unplanned development in Torquay and surrounds.<\/p>\n
The GT Alliance is lobbying for several things, including an independent impact assessment about the effects of growth on the Torquay area, permanent town boundaries, and the removal of Torquay\u2019s status as a growth node.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LABOR has flagged a considerable strengthening of planning laws for the Surf Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula if it wins November\u2019s state election, pledging to protect the area from overdevelopment. On Tuesday, Planning Minister Richard Wynne announced that a re-elected Labor government would declare both the Surf Coast and Bellarine Peninsula \u201cA Distinctive Area and […]<\/p>\n