The Precinct Structure Plan: what we know so far

THE Spring Creek Precinct Structure Plan (PSP) was adopted by the Surf Coast Shire council on October 24, 2017.

It covers about 245 hectares of land in Torquay located to the west of Duffields Road and bounded by the Great Ocean Road to the south and Grossmans Road to the north.

It will include, at present densities, about 1,700 new houses. The council says, in summary, that the PSP:

• Maintains lower housing densities while providing modest opportunities for housing diversity through the provision of a greater number of smaller lots around the neighbourhood centre school and local activity centres
• Maintains larger lot sizes (1,500-2,000sqm) along the western precinct boundary, on the steep northern slopes of Spring Creek and along Grossmans Road
• Maintains generous creek buffers of 75 metres wide each side of Spring Creek and 50 metres wide each side of the northern tributaries, except for a reduction in width of part of the northernmost tributary on Grossmans Road properties
• Maintains an open space network that incorporates creek corridors and conservation reserves, and provides for walking and cycling trails
• Protects significant vegetation (in particular Bellarine yellow gums) within creek corridors, conservation reserves and road reserves, including along Grossmans Road, Duffields Road and Great Ocean Road
• Does not include traffic lights at the Great Ocean Road / Strathmore Drive East intersection, and
• Includes mandatory design controls for future dwellings, with minimum setbacks and maximum site coverage to ensure sufficient space is available for landscaping on each lot.

The progress of the Spring Creek PSP (or not) has been put on hold until the resolution of the Surf Coast Distinctive Area and Landscape process, which is expected to start its third phase of public consultation with the release of a draft Statement of Planning Policy sometime later this year.

For more information, head to vpa.vic.gov.au/project/spring-creek.