DIRECTING GROWTH: Environment plan released for Geelong’s major greenfield sites

LONG-AWAITED environment assessments for the Northern and Western Geelong Growth Areas (NWGGA) have been publicly released, and are aimed at conserving natural values of the city’s next major growth area.

The City of Greater Geelong has proposed recovering $135 million in costs to implements its plan through an infrastructure levy charged to developers.

It would involve land purchase, conservation works, securing biodiversity offsets, and staff to implement works and to monitor outcomes.

Last week, councillors endorsed a draft Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Plan and Strategic Assessment report for the NWGGA.

The strategy covers 5,500 hectares of land from Lovely Banks to Fyansford that will become housing across nine precincts in coming decades and house an estimated 110,000 residents.

The EPCB plan is an essential step to finalising Precinct Structure Plans that will guide development of the growth zones, the first of which are due next year.

The city entered an agreement with the federal government’s environment department in January last year to consider the potential environmental impacts of significant housing development and mitigation strategies.

The plan has been released for an extended consultation period of eight weeks to allow adequate time to scrutinise the 900-page document.

Cr Jim Mason said the strategy would ensure a “planned approach to the protection of biodiversity values in the growth area”.

“This isn’t the first bit of consultation; the plan has already been developed in consultation with the major state and federal stakeholders, Traditional Owners, environment groups, land owners and developers.

“Careful consideration has been given to opportunities for biodiversity linkages and to incentivise conservation on private land and management of the Moorabool River.”

Cr Belinda Moloney argued the proposed offsets should be strengthened, and urged residents to have their say on the plan.

“At one strategic meeting that we had a long time ago, I asked the question ‘Who are we to elevate our needs over the striped legless lizard and the golden sun moth?’

“I think that this needs to really be careful in gathering together all of our resources and all of our knowledge of what we’ve done in the past and what we’ve done wrong in our previous developments.”

Cr Anthony Aitken said the council’s decision would have major ramifications for the city’s future finances as its population grew.

“It can’t be underestimated how significant this decision is.

“When it comes back to us, it will be a significant decision that council will make.

“It will have multi-million dollar implications for the council and in terms of our cash flow and in terms of how we manage our responsibilities for this future growth area.”

Consultation on the plan is now open until September 25 at yoursay.geelongaustralia.com.au/GGASA