Council last night voted to accept all 13 recommendations of an independent panel and adopt Amendment C395.
While the Settlement Strategy is committed to directing long-term growth away from the Bellarine Peninsula, Amendment C395 does not lock in permanent settlement boundaries.
That is set to be determined through the Distinctive Area and Landscape declaration process, which is overseen by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
The process will decide on long-term settlement boundaries and review height controls within townships on the Bellarine.
Amendment C395 implements the Geelong-wide Settlement Strategy and the Northern and Western Geelong Growth Areas Framework Plan into the planning scheme.
Following a City-record 28 days of hearings that considered 102 public submissions, the independent Panel found:
Amendment C395 was a well-considered and visionary response to logically cater for the region’s predicted growth; and
There was a high level of support for the overall direction of the Amendment, and particularly the Framework Plan.
In accepting the panel’s recommendations, Council has supported a number of changes to the exhibited Amendment, including:
Recognising Boral’s Waurn Ponds land as an ‘investigation area’ for future development if further land needs to be identified due to higher than expected take-up;
Changing the location of the Northern Geelong Growth Area’s sub-regional activity centre and splitting a neighbourhood centre into two centres; and
Confirming that the Precinct Structure Plans (PSPs) in the Framework Plan are at a preliminary concept stage and that details and features of the PSPs are subject to change.
Urban Geelong’s settlement boundaries (including suburbs such as Waurn Ponds and Armstrong Creek) will be determined via a consultative review process.
Council has adopted updated versions of the two major land-use strategies and resolved to send Amendment C395 to the Minister for Planning for final approval.
With an updated Framework Plan in place, the City will now focus on the first two of the nine PSPs – Elcho Road East (Northern Geelong) and Creamery Road (Western Geelong).
The PSPs will identify important features of the new neighbourhoods, such as transport networks, employment precincts, schools, community facilities and open space.
Updated versions of the two documents can be found on the Amendment C395 webpage at www.geelongaustralia.com.au/amendments
