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