THE diversity of people involved in the Protect Spring Creek campaign was on show last week at a face-to-face gathering at Patagonia’s Torquay store.<\/p>\n
Organiser Graeme Stockton said the group was a “mixture of business owners, private and public organisations and individuals all throwing their weight behind the campaign”.<\/p>\n
The public submissions process regarding the draft statement of planning policy (SPP) set up by DELWP, offering alternative plans for Spring Creek Valley, has been open for three weeks.<\/p>\n
The meeting enabled community leaders, scientists, environmental consultants, local residents and business owners to discuss campaign tactics for the remainder of the submission process and beyond.<\/p>\n
“We are now starting to build up an awesome collection of interdisciplinary skills, which we need to prosecute our case,” Mr Stockton said.<\/p>\n
According to Mr Stockton, if the DAL outcome prevents further housing development, there could be an opportunity for residents to share ownership through a Community Trust arrangement in Spring Creek Valley and manage its preservation and its ecological restoration.<\/p>\n
“This is all doable. It’s a matter of choice,” he said.<\/p>\n
“People have been \u2026 enthusiastic would be an understatement.”<\/p>\n
“The development directly threatens our social, economic and ecological prosperity,<\/p>\n
Also present at the meeting was Matt Fox, the Secretary for Surf Coast Energy Group (SCEG), who said the vision for Spring Creek Valley has to be community driven.<\/p>\n
“We feel that endless housing developments are not the way to stimulate economic activity within the community,” he said.<\/p>\n
“SCEG are interested in exploring the whole suite of more sustainable economic activities which could be done in the Valley and that are compatible with nature conservation.”<\/p>\n
One such possibility is creating a wildlife corridor connecting Freshwater Creek to Spring Creek. Freshwater Creek resident and meeting attendee Mary Rose Coleman has been “re-wilding” Freshwater Creek for a decade.<\/p>\n
Ms Coleman has seen a dramatic increase in bird life with regular visits from falcons, blue wrens, willy wagtails, flame robins and honey eating birds.<\/p>\n
“Historically, this area was a connected grassy woodland,” she said.<\/p>\n