Consultation ramps up on crucial housing strategy

COMMUNITY members have wasted no time in having their say on the shire’s Housing and Neighbourhood Character strategy. 

Feedback began last week with in-person sessions held at Inverloch and Phillip Island.

A key aspect of the strategy highlights that with the population expected to hit almost 50,000 residents by 2036, the demand will see the need for almost 10,000 additional dwellings. 

According to shire documents, the Neighbourhood Character Study involves a detailed assessment of neighbourhood character in Bass Coast’s residential areas and the preparation of preferred character objectives, and design guidelines that will guide the character of new residential developments.  

The Housing Strategy will be a long-term plan to manage housing growth and change across all residential areas in Bass Coast. It will identify what housing needs are required, where housing growth will take place and changes to residential density.

While the Residential Development Framework will balance the outputs of the Housing Strategy and Neighbourhood Character Study to identify minimal, incremental, and substantial change areas for all residential settlements. 

The three strategies will also build on the state government’s State Government’s draft Statement of Planning Policy, as part of the Bass Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes project.

The report indicates that 534 – 656 additional dwellings will be required per year over the next 15 years, with the overall capacity of residential zoned land in Bass Coast townships suitable for occupation by new dwellings estimated to be 4952 lots.

Community feedback

The Sentinel-Times spoke with some residents at the Inverloch session last week, who highlighted they were surprised to see no mention of homelessness and how the shire will manage the issue. 

Cheryl Padgett, who has campaigned heavily against overdevelopment in Cape Paterson, said she believed the strategies seemed to be developer-led in regards to Cape Paterson. 

“The community voice is not in the document,” she said.

“There’s no discussion against constraints about development in Cape Paterson.”

Ms Padgett added while she was not against development and understood the need for housing, she questioned if housing demand would continue at the high rate seen over the pandemic. 

“We had a peak when new industries came such as the Desalination Plant, and we then we had COVID and it peaked,” she said.

“I wonder if that demand is going to continue.”

Dozens of comments have also been contributed by locals via the shire’s Engage website, where they are asked to detail what characteristics residents like about their neighbourhood and where new housing should be directed to. 

Here’s what some residents had to say:

“Keep the current town boundaries and don’t allow residential subdivision beyond the Bass Highway boundary in the north. Inverloch is currently expanding in the east and west, we don’t need it in the north too,” one resident stated. 

“Keep new houses to two storeys. There is a current trend of knocking down old beach houses and building big mansions taking up the entire block. Inverloch is quickly turning into another Torquay and losing its beach charm,” another added.

“I moved from the suburbs to Kilcunda to enjoy the open space, beach lifestyle and community feel but with the continued subdivision of land the area is at risk of losing the character residents value.

Development should come in conjunction with supporting infrastructure but continued development in small communities is a concern,” said another.

An outline of the strategy includes: 

• October - December 2022: Preparation of draft Neighbourhood Character Study, Residential Development Framework and Housing Strategy

• December - January 2023: Public consultation

• March - April 2023: Preparation of final Neighbourhood Character Study, Residential Development Framework and Housing Strategy

• Mid 2023: Council meeting to consider final Neighbourhood Character Study, Residential Development Framework and Housing Strategy

Feedback closes on Friday, September 16, 2022.

For more information, visit engage.basscoast.vic.gov.au/neighbourhoodcharacterhousing