Dunes blow for Cape Paterson developers

PLANS by developers to add as many as 980 additional houses in a new growth area north of Seaward Drive at Cape Paterson have been dealt a number of blows as the State Government gets set to establish ‘Protective Settlement Boundaries’ around most of the towns in Bass Coast.

At this Wednesday’s council meeting, a new report, prepared for the Department of Transport and Planning by Peter Haack Consulting, following a directive by the Minister, raises doubts about the suitability of a “regionally significant” dunes area, on the eastern side of the growth area, for housing.

At best, according to the Haack report, this area may be able to accommodate low density housing in the future, not the sort of residential block yields the developers were hoping for.

When considering the ‘recommended extent of development’ the Haack report says this:

“The analysis demonstrates that the form of the low dunes to the southeast corner of the Study Area, which also run to the northwest through the Study Area, are rare in the hinterland area and the region. The vegetated section of the dunes in the very southeast corner are particularly of regional interest and worthy of protection.”

The report goes on to offer an alternate scenario for the dunes area:
“…an alternative scenario would be to allow very low-density, environmentally sensitive development on the area of dunes between the sensitively designed residential development area and Cape Paterson Road”.

It’s not all good news for those opposing any form of residential development north of Seaward Drive, either within the existing settlement boundary growth area or beyond it.

The Haack report recommends that an expansion of Cape Paterson housing can occur beyond Seaward Drive “as a logical extension of the Cape Paterson settlement” and further, that an additional parcel of land, to the north of the Eco Resort might be added to compensate for the loss of developable land within the existing settlement boundary.

As well as the release of the Haack report this week, as part of the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) assessment of Bass Coast, the Bass Coast Shire Council is set to formalise its complete opposition, at this Wednesday’s meeting, to any residential development beyond Seaward Drive.

In a report prepared for the council’s consideration this week is the following response to the Haack report and the government’s preferred option for Cape Paterson:

“Council was disappointed the draft SPP did not resolve the long-standing contention surrounding the Cape Paterson settlement boundary and that the required work to inform a decision was not undertaken by the Department.

“It was clear to Council that:

• Bass Coast Landscape Assessment Report Vol 1, Bass Coast Landscape Assessment Report Vol 2, and Bass Coast Township Character Report suggested that the expansion of the settlement north of Seward Drive is inappropriate and will be to the detriment of the village character.

• The community has provided strong support for Cape Paterson being a low-growth coastal village and wanted the existing boundary to be contracted to exclude Cape Paterson north of Seaward Drive.

• A shire wide residential land supply and demand assessment and housing strategy had not been undertaken to understand if the land north of Seaward Drive was required to secure a municipal supply of land. Council required further technical work be undertaken before a decision can be made about the location of the protected settlement boundary.”

The Council believes that approval of Wonthaggi’s north-east development precinct, adding a further 5000 centrally-located home sites to the shire is a game changer and expansion of Cape Paterson beyond Seaward Drive is not needed.

Councillors will be asked, at this Wednesday’s council meeting to formally endorse their complete opposition to any Cape Paterson expansion, 
while also making some determinations about San Remo expansion and limiting growth at Ventnor on Phillip Island along these lines:

“Council strongly recommends the Minister for Planning:

• Does not extend the Ventnor protected settlement boundary (PSB),

• Does not extend the PSB north of Seaward Drive in Cape Paterson, and

• Extends the San Remo PSB to Punchbowl Road, only including land north of the ridgeline.

Council has also “accepted the proposed PSB for all settlements, except for Cowes and Silverleaves, San Remo, Grantville, Inverloch, Cape Paterson and Newhaven. Council required further strategic work be undertaken before it would support the proposed PSB at the abovementioned locations.”

A spokesperson for the Cape Paterson Ratepayers and Residents Association, Pete Muskens, has cautiously welcomed the response from the council but said there is still a long way to go in offering Cape Paterson’s sensitive landscape the protections it needs.