Anticipated estate starts construction

Torquay developer Ample will soon break ground on a new 54-lot subdivision to bring much-needed housing supply to Port Campbell.

Warrnambool-based contractor Duggan Civil is the principal contractor for the Arches project and will start construction in early September.

Arches is next door to Port Campbell’s recreation reserve and is within a kilometre to the beach and town centre.

The site has long been earmarked by Corangamite Shire Council as an opportunity to provide more residential opportunities for the coastal township.

Ample said it would aim to fulfil its obligation to the Port Campbell community for the development to benefit the whole town and its region.

“We are aware of the impact that growth can have on a town’s character, and town character is more than just built form; it is also the people who inhabit the region that make it what it is,” a spokesperson said.

“For that reason, we released the allotments to residents of Corangamite Shire first, and we were extremely pleased when three-quarters of sales were taken up by existing residents.

“When taking on this project we made a commitment to deliver outcomes that both protected and enhanced the Port Campbell character.

“After consultation with the Blair family who have owned the land for three generations, and the wider community, Ample developed a vision for Arches Port Campbell which is supported by three key objectives: sustainability, character, and landscape.”

Ample said Arches aimed to limit its environmental footprint, “enhance and protect” Port Campbell’s existing coastal character, and establish more vegetation within and surrounding the estate.

Civil construction at the site will also include road upgrades, with Hennessy Street to extend past the recreation reserve and lead to the new estate.

New landscaping along the campground and relocation of an existing time capsule and historic pier timbers will also be part of the road works.

Streets within Arches will also take names that Timboon Primary School students suggested last year, which draw inspiration from the town, its features and survivors of Lochard wreck: Stargum Street, Mystic Port Lane, Carmichael Street, Pearce Street.

Ample expects construction work to last for about 12 months, with the site closed off to the public during the build.