Bellarine planning policy sets town boundaries, land use in 50 year vision

Hectares of land for housing have been carved out of the Bellarine Peninsula as the state government locked in town boundaries. See the plans.

Areas where new homes can be built, where in-fill development can occur and protections for the farming-residential divide have been locked in through the state government’s recently released 50-year vision for Bellarine Peninsula planning.

The Bellarine Distinctive Area and Landscape (DAL) plan sets town boundaries for Drysdale, Clifton Springs, Curlewis, Leopold, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff.

It also sets zones within those towns for development and creates wedges between farming and residential areas.

The release of the final DAL brings to an end a three-year process of community consultation and expert assessment.

Retiring Bellarine MP Lisa Neville and Premier Daniel Andrews released the plan at the Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club on October 7, 50 days out from the November 26 state election.

The government has ruled future urban areas can be established at:

- Curlewis near McDermott Rd across about 100ha, and between Portarlington Rd and the Bellarine Rail Trail across 50ha; and

- Leopold across 50ha off Ash Rd near Estuary Boulevard.

Other features of the DAL include increased housing density at:

- Barwon Heads in the area bordered by Geelong Rd, Golf Links Rd, Bridge Rd, Flinders Parade and the Barwon River;

- Portarlington between Newcomb St, Fisher St, Willis St and Stevens St; and

- St Leonards in the area bordered by Bluff Rd, The Esplanade and First Ave.

Geelong Mayor Peter Murrihy, MP Lisa Neville, candidate Alison Marchant, Premier Dan Andrews and Queenscliff Mayor Ross Ebbels discuss new town boundary arrangements. Picture: Alison Wynd

The DAL will dictate how the Bellarine Peninsula population will grow by keeping Drysdale’s urban boundary at the bypass and focusing on in-fill development at sites west of the town; and by allowing more housing to be built at Ocean Grove around shopping precincts at The Parade and Shell Rd.

Ms Neville said the DAL ruled out rural living areas on the Bellarine, and parameters set by the DAL including town boundaries and development zones could only be changed through support of both houses of state parliament.

“The town boundaries are now settled, these are now boundaries that cannot be changed other than through legislation,” Ms Neville told 20 Bellarine community representatives.

Victorian Farmers Federation Bellarine branch secretary Fiona Conroy said the DAL was a good move for the community but said some would be disappointed small acreages were ruled out.

Combined Bellarine Community Association chair Lawrence St Leger said the DAL struck the right balance between residential, agricultural and natural land use.

“You’ve got to do something constructive, it’s about saying ‘finish’ (to development),” Mr St Leger said.

“There’s already 10 to 20 years (of development) in the pipeline. We’re going to see a lot more development on the Bellarine, but (the DAL) is about saying enough is enough.”

The DAL is due to be approved by the planning and other relevant ministers before it is adopted into law. The full DAL is here: https://bit.ly/3fOOrMT

Originally published as Bellarine planning policy sets town boundaries, land use in 50 year vision