How they're planning for a bigger, better Wonthaggi - have your say

THIS is where the rubber hits the road for the future development of Wonthaggi, when the Bass Coast Shire Council asks for community input into its ‘Draft Wonthaggi Structure Plan 2026’ as they have done this week.

But get your skates on. You have until October 30 to make comment.

The time to have an impact on whether a data centre goes up a couple of streets over from you, whether they clear land for a new industrial estate nearby or they put in a pedestrian crossing where we don’t need one is now.

Not that there is a data centre going in here any time soon.

Despite rumors that companies were “sniffing around down near the desal plant”, the shire told the Sentinel-Times recently that there have been no inquiries of that sort.

But major and minor developments will come our way over the course of the next 15 years, with Wonthaggi designated as Bass Coast’s regional service centre for key roles in housing, health, education, employment, retail and services for surrounding communities.

And we need to be as ready as we can for that, while also saying what we want the town to look like in 10 to 20 years’ time and what it needs to accommodate a projected resident population growth of over 78%, reaching more than 16,000 residents by 2036.

If you can believe that.

And on that score, exciting projects like delivering a new aquatic centre for Wonthaggi in the short term and a mountain bike facility at West Area Road, connecting to the rail trail in the medium term get a mention, as do necessary initiatives like collaborating with South Gippsland Water to deliver water and sewerage for the new industry precinct fronting Inverloch Road.

There’s also making progress on the former secondary school site, developing it for mixed use, potentially including housing, retail and community facilities like a new library and council offices, as well as monitoring progress on Stage 2 at the Wonthaggi Hospital.

That’s only part of what the ‘Draft Wonthaggi Structure Plan 2026’ is aiming to deliver but it is set to become the key planning document for the town.

It’s 45 pages long, it’s hard to read and it’s lacking some of the detail needed to understand why the council is proposing, for example, to investigate the future of the Wonthaggi Caravan Park, to investigate the need to rezone rural residential land in the Farming Zone in Wonthaggi South and how it intends to go about establishing a bypass route around the town, to the north and east.

But it's worth a look, and a comment, all the same.

There’s a series of community consultation sessions coming up as follows:

• Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 9am to 4pm. Wonthaggi Civic Centre Foyer, 76 McBride Avenue Wonthaggi.
• Monday, October 19, 2026, 12 noon to 3pm. Council's Strategic Planning Officers will be in atendance at the Wonthaggi Library, Murray Street.
• Wednesday, October 21, 2026 9am to 4pm Wonthaggi Civic Centre Foyer, 76 McBride Avenue Wonthaggi.

Summary

The Draft Wonthaggi Structure Plan 2026 sets a 15-year framework for how Wonthaggi should grow while retaining the qualities that make it a distinctive regional town.

It replaces the 2018 plan and is intended to guide future planning scheme changes, investment and infrastructure decisions.

The plan positions Wonthaggi as Bass Coast’s regional service with the challenge of accommodating growth without undermining Wonthaggi’s character, environmental assets or infrastructure capacity.

The township had 9155 residents in 2021, and the report anticipates substantial population growth.

However, analysis indicates that existing residential land could provide around 40 years of supply at current demand levels, so the plan does not propose additional residential expansion now.

Instead, it prioritises development in the Wonthaggi North-East growth area and well-serviced locations, with carefully managed infill and a wider choice of housing types, including more affordable and medium-density options.

A proposed Strategic Settlement Boundary will contain urban growth, protect rural and coastal landscapes, and help avoid hazards such as bushfire, flooding and historic coal-mine subsidence.

The recommended boundary changes mainly correct its alignment with the North-East precinct plan and add an industrial expansion area of at least 20 hectares at South Dudley.

This reflects projected industrial demand; commercial land has a modest forecast shortfall, but the plan identifies opportunities to respond if demand increases.

The plan is organised around four pillars:

• Strengthening cultural identity and liveability:

Objective: To reinforce Wonthaggi’s identity as an historic coal-mining township and a thriving regional service hub, while enhancing the streetscape and design quality of the built environment. Empowering First Nations voices, celebrating the arts, and preserving local history to foster a deep sense of belonging.

• Creating an adaptive, inclusive settlement:

Objective: To manage population growth through a balanced approach of targeted infill development and well-sequenced greenfield expansion, providing diverse, accessible housing options for an evolving demographic. By planning for health services, civic services, infrastructure and transport connectivity to enable residents of every age to thrive.

• Protecting natural systems and landscape values:

Objective:  To protect local biodiversity, safeguard significant landscape vistas, and build environmental resilience against climate change by embedding conservation principles into the town’s spatial layout. Enhancing ecological richness, cultural connections to Country by honouring First Nations knowledge and practises into land management.

• Supporting an integrated, prosperous economy.

Objective: To capitalise on Wonthaggi’s position as a regional economic hub by securing a stable supply of commercial, industrial, and tourism-focused land that drives employment and business investment and invests in an education system that ensures a resilient and skilled workforce for every generation.

Community feedback, they say, supports thoughtful growth, heritage protection, housing diversity, safer walking and cycling, improved public transport, accessible open space and upgraded civic, aquatic and other community facilities.

“Significant concerns were raised,” they say, “regarding utility capacities, particularly water pressure and sewerage systems, with a clear mandate that future developments must not outpace current infrastructure limits.

Four “game changer” projects are highlighted redeveloping the former high school site as a civic, cultural and community hub; refreshing CBD design and heritage controls; redeveloping the aquatic facility; and improving active transport and stormwater infrastructure.

Delivery depends on Council, state and federal funding, private partnerships and ongoing advocacy.

Recommended actions include

• Progress redevelopment of the former secondary school site for mixed-use, civic and cultural purposes.
• Advocate for and deliver a redeveloped Bass Coast aquatic facility.
• Investigate the relocation of the central Wonthaggi Bus Stop and explore the potential of a second bus top in conjunction with Department of Transport and Planning.
• Recommence the Traders Association to prioritise businesses in all tenancies
• Upgrade walking and cycling links between the CBD, schools, health services, reserves and rail trails.
• Improve crossings at priority locations, including Billson, McKenzie, Cape Paterson, Watt and Wentworth roads.
• Advocate for more frequent buses, a bus terminal and community on-demand transport options.
• Prepare a Wonthaggi heritage gap study and strengthen protection for significant buildings and places.Finalise and implement Wonthaggi’s Strategic Settlement Boundary.
• Include South Dudley land for at least 20 hectares of future industrial expansion.
• Work with Bunurong Traditional Owners on cultural values, access to Country and land management.
• Develop a public open-space strategy and improve connections to existing reserves.
• Masterplan the Wonthaggi Wetlands for safety, access, transport links and community use.
• Implement natural-environment and climate-change strategies, including habitat restoration and biodiversity links.
• Update land-subsidence hazard information and revise the relevant planning controls.
• Engage with stakeholders and advocate for expanded further education facilities and offerings in Bass Coast
• Work with relevant authorities to ensure implementation of the Bass Coast Social and Affordable Housing StrategyPlan for a new public library, cultural and ArtSpace in Wonthaggi
• Prioritise water, sewerage and road infrastructure in the North East precinct.
• Introduce CBD urban-design controls for high-quality development, active frontages and heritage-sensitive design.

By 2036, the Wonthaggi-Inverloch Census Statistical Area is expected to reach over 34,000 people.

It is now time to again chart the future of the Wonthaggi township and determine our future directions.

Recommended Strategic Settlement Boundary

In accordance with Planning Practice Note 99, this Plan recommends extension of the Strategic Settlement Boundary of Wonthaggi in three locations:

• Carneys Road – to include industrial zoned land already within the PSP area within the settlement boundary
• Kirrak Road – to include land already within the PSP area within the boundary
• South Dudley Investigation Area – to provide at least a 20 hectare expansion of future Industrial land supply in line with demand set out in the Bass Coast Industrial Land Use Strategy 2024

The Carneys and Kirrak Road extensions seek to correct misalignment between the settlement boundary and the PSP and are considered procedural matters.

The South Dudley extension is the result of a consideration of alternative options to meet Bass Coast’s industrial land supply shortfall.

No additional land is required for residential or commercial land supply as this can be accommodated within the existing boundary.

What have they missed?

Does the CBD need more parking? How about a multi-level carpark next to the Wonthaggi Workers' Club, opposite the Union Theatre?

What about offering bicycle access to the nearby coast?

What's your suggestion? See Sentinel-Times' Facebook post HERE