Preserving the beauty of our townships

In our neck of the woods, the barometer of local population and the marker of the state calendar for school holidays is the Coles carpark.

And it’s not necessarily the number of cars, it’s the direction they travel once in the car park. Much like our one-way main street, it becomes very easy to spot non-locals as they head in the wrong direction.

Since March last year, there have been many instances of wrong-facing traffic providing evidence of the stealthy migration to our beautiful peninsula during COVID-19 restrictions.

I can’t say I blame anyone. Moving to Ocean Grove more than 20 years ago to raise our family was the best decision we’ve ever made.

The Bellarine Peninsula and our broader Greater Geelong region are fabulous places for families. The beach lifestyle is incredible, it’s commutable to everything and the people are amazing.

Of course, we all know that it’s not only in the past year; for the past two decades our special corner of the world has exploded in popularity as more people realise just how good it is to be here.

And based on ABS figures reported last week, that trend is not about to stop.

Our region recorded the third highest net migration figure in all of Australia during the 2019-20 financial year – that’s largely before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a further shift away from capital city living. I don’t doubt that the figures for 2020-21, when they’re eventually released, will confirm an even larger surge in people making the change from Melbourne to Geelong or the Bellarine.

Indeed, last week I learned from local developer and Geelong Authority member, Rory Costelloe, that sales of newly developed properties were roughly 500 per year in 2019, yet they have been running at 400 per month since the pandemic changed our lives.

With this growth realisation comes challenges in managing the influx and the infrastructure needs, and protecting our natural environment and the character of townships.

In response, the council is budgeting for record investment in capital infrastructure over the next four years as we look to provide new and upgraded facilities that will help the community lead happy and healthy lives.

Last year, council adopted Amendment C395 and our Settlement Strategy, which sets out where our population growth will be directed over the coming decade and beyond.

That Settlement Strategy deliberately and consciously commits to directing long-term growth away from the Bellarine Peninsula, with the majority of new housing to be built in Armstrong Creek and our planned Northern and Western Growth Areas.

It also sets an aim for an increased share of growth to be urban infill, such as in central Geelong where there is a target of 10,000 permanent residents. The strategy and amendment are very important steps in protecting the Bellarine, but they don’t quite lock in permanent settlement boundaries – which has been a clear request from the community.

This is where the Bellarine Peninsula Distinctive Area and Landscape (DAL) declaration comes into play.
Overseen by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), the process will decide the long-term settlement boundaries and review height controls.

Engagement opens this month on the DAL’s draft Statement of Planning Policy, which will include a 50-year vision and land use strategies to better protect the region’s unique features.

The City of Greater Geelong will make a submission, focusing on setting protected and permanent settlement boundaries, to ensure more infill development to protect green areas, and implementing our Settlement Strategy.

Since the DAL was declared in 2019, we’ve had a lot of feedback about ensuring the character of townships is protected, that the natural environment is safeguarded and limits and directions are set for growth.

It’s critical DELWP hears this feedback straight from the horse’s mouth, so please visit https://engage.vic.gov.au/ and make a submission when the time comes.

This is our chance to ensure our beautiful Bellarine Peninsula remains protected and enhanced for generations to come.

In the meantime, the council will continue to plan and invest in the new growth areas to ensure they, too, are unique and appealing places to live.

We want Geelong’s growth areas to be leading examples of environmentally and socially sustainable planning, so that our newest residents get to experience the joy of belonging in their unique communities.

There really is no better place to live, with all the attributes and the lovely people of this region.
Let’s keep it that way.