ONE of the features of the draft Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) for the Bass Coast Shire issued by the Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny last week is the prominence given to the Western Port Woodlands.

That’s down to the efforts of the ‘Save Western Port Woodlands’ group, only established in 2020 when the Bass Coast community became aware of the threat posed by a surge in sand mining operations and applications in the coastal woodland corridor between Lang Lang and Bass.

That the Bass Coast Shire Council also got on board the campaign in March 2023, urgently calling for ‘Extractive Industry Interest Areas be removed from Bass Coast and that sand mining ends here’ has also been crucial.

“We’re happy with it from a Western Port Woodlands point of view. It doesn’t solve it but it does give direction on how to solve it,” said spokesperson for the group Catherine Watson.

“It well and truly recognises the value of the woodlands. That’s no longer in dispute.

“Council is going to have to do a lot of work but we have already done a lot of research which will help.”

Ms Watson said a key to the draft SPP was the establishment of a Western Port Woodlands Investigation Area, stretching from just north of Bass, almost to Jam Jerrup, on the eastern side of the highway.

“That is pretty much the area we identified to the panel that encompasses the woodlands but also the areas we hope will be revegetated to join up. It’s crucial that the biolink is open for that whole corridor,” said Ms Watson.

The Save the Western Port Woodlands group is meeting on Tuesday this week to discuss the SPP and will also meet with the council the following week to discuss how the group can support council’s endeavours in that regard.

“There’s a power of work that’s already been done getting it to this stage but a lot more to do. Honestly, we doubted the value of the DAL process (Distinctive Areas and Landscapes) in the beginning but the energy, time and effort we put into it has paid off. It wasn’t an empty exercise afterall.”

The final draft Bass Coast Statement of Planning Policy says this about the Western Port Woodlands Investigation Area

“There is a need to identify and confirm if there are areas with high biodiversity value within the Western Port Woodlands to help conserve them and inform land use planning, including planning for managing strategic extractive resources. Further investigative work is needed to understand the intrinsic values of the woodlands and the efficacy of current protections.

The investigation may include:

• A strategic environmental assessment to determine the geographical extent and significance of biodiversity within the woodlands.
• An assessment of the effectiveness of the protection of high biodiversity values under the existing planning and extractive industry regulations. It would address the work authority and planning approvals processes. Consideration would be given to best practices regarding biodiversity and extractive industry planning and whether new or revised regulations (such as planning controls or other interventions) are required to better protect areas of high biodiversity values within the woodlands to ensure a balance with the development of extractive resources to support Victoria’s growth.

“Any investigation would need to be carried out in collaboration with Traditional Owners. It would involve engagement with landowners and occupiers, community groups, industry and other relevant stakeholders.”

It’s worth noting that the report also says this about the sand mines: “Extractive industries are of state significance, particularly for their contribution to Victoria’s supply of sand.”

But it also says this: “Remnant native vegetation within the Western Port Woodlands provides habitat for threatened species, and there are long-standing community concerns about the potential impacts of expanded extractive industry activity on the biodiversity values of the Western Port Woodlands.”

From that you’d say the existing industries will stay, but with little prospect for expansion in the Western Port Woodlands Investigation Area until further notice.

Check out the summary of the draft Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) for the Bass Coast Shire HERE