A Message from the Surf Coast Shire

“We are seeking a swell of community support to help secure government funding for the new Surf Coast Cultural Centre.

Visit www.surfcoast.vic.gov.au/culturalcentre to quickly tell politicians you support the project.

What does the project include?

Stage one works of the Surf Coast Cultural Centre, to be in Torquay’s Surf City precinct, will include:

  • A new library, triple the existing size, providing space for user groups and expanding our collections and programs

  • A new Australian National Surfing Museum and home for Surfing Victoria

  • Upgrading of the Multi Arts Centre, including arts makers’ spaces, rehearsal spaces, for one of Australia’s most creative communities.

  • Recognition and celebration of Aboriginal heritage, art and surf culture

  • A new Visitor Information Centre.

THANK YOU!

After such a long campaign there are many people that need to be thanked.

THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY who have been part of the campaign for over last 14 years including those who wrote submissions to recent the DAL Hearing. Your voice has finally been heard.

It is not often that we say thank you to politicians as a lot of the good work they do is behind the scenes and goes unnoticed:

Thank you Darren Cheeseman MP who reignited our hope that Spring Creek could be saved.

Thank you Damien Cole who stood as an Independent candidate to push both major parties to get the best deal for Spring Creek – support from the Premier.

Thank you Premier Dan Andrews who kept his promise – “ Duffields Road is the boundary, not one foot further. I can’t be any clearer than that – that will be the town boundary, there will be no development beyond that.”

Thank you Richard Wynne MP for acknowledging the community’s wishes and the need to protect our environment.

Thank you Andy Meddick MP who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes and kept us informed and also spoke at the DAL hearing.

Thank you Libby Coker MP who stood up to Mathew Guy as a councilor and Mayor in support of protection for Spring Creek and also spoke at the DAL hearing.

And thank you to the Surf Coast Shire councilors: Kate Gazzard, Liz Pattison, Rose Hodge, Adrian Schonfelder, Mike Bodsworth and Libby Stapleton who proposed and voted to include their support for Option 2 in the SCS’s submission. (those councilors not mentioned did not).

Darren Cheeseman MP Dan Andrews Andy Meddick MP Richard Wynne MP Libby Coker MP Damien Cole

Spring Creek - DAL - Want to know more?

We have been reading through the documents that are associated with the recent announcement from the Planning Minister that explains his decision, the Final Statement of Planning Policy which will be adopted and the Committees report (that wanted development in the Spring Creek valley) despite the overwhelming number of submissions against development.

You can find the documents here: https://engage.vic.gov.au/.../distinctive.../page/surf-coast

14th April 2022 – AT LAST A DECISION on Spring Creek!

We were promised a decision in September 2021 and we finally have the answer to the most contraversial issue with the DAL process - the future of the 1km west of Duffields rd - the spring Creek valley.

The community's hard work has paid off and the fianl SPP shows a Protected Town Boundary set at Duffileds Rd!

We will follow up with more detail after the official announcement later today.

Well done to all involved.

VCAT decision for 42 The Esplanade

As a party to the procedeedings, this afternoon we received the order from VCAT in relation to the Planning Application for a 4th storey to be added to the already approved 3 storey application at 42 The Esplanade.

VCAT has ruled that the 4th storey was not an acceptable design outcome consistent with the surf Coast Shire Planning Scheme and should NOT proceed.

Point 24 "Having regard to the SUZ, DDO6 and the contextual analysis, I am not

persuaded that a fourth storey on this site achieves the DDO6 design

objectives of creating a casual and relaxed built form that reinforces the

general modest, human scale. The fourth storey will be prominent. The

fourth storey does not result in a greater diversity of land use on this site as

the residential apartments remain and the same number of apartments

remain as a result of this proposed change. The proposed fourth storey is

not an acceptable design response."

Need some points for your submission to protect Spring Creek form urban development?

Your submission can be as short as choosing Option 2 or as longer if you wish to add some specific points. This should help.

Surf Coast Distinctive Area and Landscape (DAL)Some Issues to Consider in Your Submission

Despite the Victorian Premier promising Spring Creek would not be developed west of Duffields Road in the 2018 election, the Spring Creek valley has yet to be saved. The decision to save Spring Creek needs to come from the community, not the Premier.

The most important thing you can do is write a submission on Engage Victoria. Go to www.engage.vic.gov.au/dalsac If possible tick the box stating you want to make a presentation to the state government panel. This will increase the chance of the Panel Hearing being held in Torquay rather than in Melbourne.

Write a unique submission. Use the content in this document to create your submission but do not copy and paste what you see here. Petitions and copied submissions will only be counted as one submission irrespective of the number of people that have signed or combined their documents. You don’t have to write about everything, write about the topics that you care about. You don’t have to be an expert and your submission can be as short as you like.

Some key points that may be included in submissions are presented below.

 

Spring Creek

1. Choose Option 2 – Spring Creek Valley

Option 2 can create long term high value jobs that support our visitor economy. It would protect the international brand supporting our visitor economy of the Great Ocean Road which overlooks the entire Spring Creek valley.

Spring Creek, west of Duffields Road should be designated outside the protected settlement boundary and form part of the green break between Torquay and Bellbrae.

The green boundary should be protected by appropriate planning provisions that permanently prohibit urban subdivision.

Option 2 provides a protected area which enables the restoration of habitat in Spring Creek valley for flora and fauna. Destruction of threatened species habitat in Australia continues to accelerate due to the loopholes and failures of our national nature laws - the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. Australia has the world’s highest rate of mammal extinction and preservation of this ecosystem for so native species is important for the environmental values and communities of the region.  Protection of Spring Creek is not just for the benefit of Torquay and Jan Juc but for all Victorians. The Spring Creek valley contains critical habitat for a number of listed, critically endangered, endangered, threatened and vulnerable species including,

Grey-headed Flying Fox, Southern Brown Bandicoot, Growling Grass Frog, Swift Parrot, Powerful Owl, Little Galaxia, Grey Goshawk, Southern Pygmy Perch, Baillon's Crake, Lewin's Rail, Eastern Great Egret, White-footed Dunnart, Brown Toadlet and the Bellarine Yellow Gum

 

Option 2 in the DAL protects the aboriginal cultural significance of the Spring Creek valley.

Summary – Short Form Doc

1. Spring Creek Valley

Choose Option 2 for Spring Creek (no urban development west of Duffields Road and protection of habitat, species and the Great Ocean Road economy and Bells Beach visitor experience) and reject Option 1 (urban development in the valley).

2. Building Heights and Coastal Character

Maximum 2 storey / 7.5m in Residential areas, maximum 3 storey / 10.5m in commercial areas, no four storey buildings in the Town Centre, no increase in building or housing density, more open space requirements around buildings which allows for large canopy trees.

3. The Karaaf Wetlands

Say no to developing the Torquay North East ‘investigation area’ as stormwater runoff will negatively impact the Karaaf Wetland.

4. Bells Beach and Winki Pop

Request that views from the water in the Bells beach overlay area be considered such that coastal amenity and viewsheds are not impacted by infrastructure.

5. Transit Corridor

Say no to a train line to Torquay from Armstrong Creek and support a system of electric buses and a dedicated bicycle lane if a transit corridor goes ahead.

 For more information check out,

www.protectspringcreek.org/ (plus their facebook and Instagram pages)

www.3228ra.org and their facebook page, and The GT Alliance facebook page

www.engage.vic.gov.au/dalsac

We choose Option 2

Need some points to help with your submission and don’t have time to read all the documents?

If you are just concerned with stopping urban developent west of Duffields Rd then just say you choose Option 2 - you don’t have to say why but if you want to add some points you can use one/all the points below. Put them in your own words if you can.

Why Option 2?

1.Choosing Option 2 does not stop development –from FAQ document on the engage vic website - https://engage.vic.gov.au/distinctive-areas-and-landscapes-program/surf-coast -   “future residential growth would be accommodated elsewhere within the Torquay–Jan Juc urban area, within the Surf Coast Shire local government area and/or the region.”

2.We need to better protect the state and nationally significant landscapes found along the coast and surrounding Torquay-Jan Juc.

3.Spring Creek valley has now been declared a state significant landscape which also includes areas of aboriginal cultural significance and the endangered Yellow gum.

4.Responds to one of the 4 stated objectives “to enhance the conservation of the environment in declared areas including unique habitats, ecosystems and biodiversity.

5.Spring Creek, west of Duffields should be designated outside the protected settlement boundary and form part of the green break between Torquay–Jan Juc and Bellbrae.

6.Spring Creek, west of Duffields should be rezoned to prevent future urban development and the necessary overlays to protect existing vegetation.

Reject Option 1 because –

 1.It does not provide any detail as to how development would differ to what has been proposed.

2. It is in conflict with the statement ‘Further outward greenfield growth will occur in designated areas that do not compound impacts on surrounding areas of high biodiversity value, Aboriginal cultural heritage, state and nationally-significant landscapes and natural resources.’

If you are also concerned about Town Character - add some points about building heights.

Building Heights and Coastal Character

Maximum 2 storey / 7.5m in Residential areas

Maximum 3 storey/10.5m  in commercial areas

No 4 storey buildings in the Town Centre

Support a review of requirements for landscaping, building site coverage, private open space and permeability to provide enough space for landscaping and large canopy trees.

Concerned about the Karaaf Wetlands, which are of international significance? - the proposed Investigation Area ( the Flower farm on Horseshoe Bend Rd) on the map could accommodate 2500 extra people. The runoff from extra development would most likely end up in the Karaaf Wetlands that are already being impacted by polluted runoff from the new developments to the west of the Sands. Say no to development of the investigation area.

Proposed Transit Corridor - marked in green on the map - support an electric bus system and separate bike path. So no to a train line.

Bells Beach and Point Addis- acknowledged as nationally significant and internationally renowned surf spots. The declared area extends 600 metres out to sea from the shore line and the view from the water back towards the shoreline should be protected. Say no to any more intrusive infrastructure (proposed Winki Platform.)

HAVE YOUR SAY –to make your submission or read more - https://engage.vic.gov.au/distinctive-areas-and-landscapes-program/surf-coast

If you would like to speak before the Advisory Committee then you must make a written submission and complete the relevant sections on the online form. The more people who indicate they wish to speak the more likely we will have hearing in Torquay.

Hearings are likely to be held in both Torquay and Melbourne if convened in person, or by videoconference if COVID-19 restrictions remain.

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