YOU probably heard something about it last week, how residential development in Cape Paterson will no longer be allowed to extend beyond Seaward Drive.
But what’s going to happen, or more precisely, what’s not going to happen in Cape Paterson over the next 50 years is only a small part of what’s contained in the new Bass Coast Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) coming out of the State Government’s very long-winded Distinctive Areas and Landscapes process for this area.
Far from just being a document that sets out where residential growth can take place in the shire’s 24 settlements, indications from the 136-page glossy brochure which accompanied the Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny’s announcement last week, are that it will have a hand in almost everything we do here in the future.
From the self-determined transfer of decision-making powers to the Bunurong traditional owners, adaptation to climate change, rising sea levels and coastal erosion, and the establishment of strategic biolinks, to reducing agricultural run-off, stopping access to some areas for fishing, providing community infrastructure such as public transport and new building envelope rules… it’s a lot!
And the jury is still out on the success or otherwise of the government’s response to the DAL process.
For example, we’ve already seen what political intervention has done at Cape Paterson, where the Standing Advisory Committee could see no reason why “further urban development will lead to adverse environmental impacts on the land or the Bunurong Marine Park”.
But it’s a done deal now. Cape Paterson will stay pretty much the way it is right now for the next 50 years, except for infill housing and where beach shacks are pulled down and replaced with updated homes.
There’s no doubt that the devil will be in the detail of the regulations rolled out for development and protection of our significant landscapes and we haven’t yet seen what exists beyond that glossy brochure.
But it’s mostly good news.
Housing growth will be directed towards Wonthaggi, the Waterline towns will be protected, as will Cape Woolamai, and while there’s modest expansion at Newhaven, in general terms, Cowes and Phillip Island must grow within existing limits.
The exception is San Remo which according to the independent planning panel, is going to be doing “the heavy lifting for the Phillip Island and lifestyle market” as available blocks there start to dry up.
San Remo will effectively be doubled in size under the new scenario which extends the town boundary to Punch Bowl Road.
And while it’s good news they’re not allowing housing over the ridgeline to the south, towards the George Bass Walk, and are calling for more sensitive development of housing in the new area than we’ve so far seen in San Remo; there’ll need to be some serious investment in infrastructure and community facilities before the flag drops on 900 additional homes.
And it’s also becoming obvious that $50 million to patch up the concrete cracks in the Phillip Island Bridge is not going to cut it.
