Rural tourism strategy engagement sessions underway

A NUMBER of engagement sessions will be held this week for the community to learn more and have their say on the shire’s Unlocking Rural Tourism Draft Strategy.

The strategy seeks to facilitate sustainable tourism development, with objections including:
* Reviewing the planning scheme to understand gaps, barriers and constraints on rural tourism investment; 
* Provide recommendations to resolve key land-use issues and infrastructure barriers; 
* Assess demand for rural tourism uses; 
* Identify locations suited to rural tourism development; 
* Provide strategic direction about future tourism land use in appropriate rural areas; 
* Recommend changes to the planning scheme and/ or council processes and strategies to support rural tourism.

The draft strategy recommended that council replace the ‘Rural Tourism Precincts’ as currently applied across the Bass Coast Planning Scheme, with the following ‘Rural Tourism Subregions’: 
* Phillip Island and San Remo 
* Bass Hinterland 
* Waterline and Bass River 
* Kilcunda to Inverloch Coastline

During an engagement session at Inverloch last week, a council representative said most attendees had been seeking further information to properly understand the strategy.

“It’s a very complicated and technical document, but we want to hear what the community has to say,” the representative said.

At the session, examples of rural tourism opportunities from throughout the state were presented as a comparison, such as the well-known Milawa Cheese, located near Wangaratta in North East Victoria.

“The (examples) are not necessarily going to be appropriate in the farming zone, it’s just to identify these kinds of things that the consultants think would fit in with the character of these areas,” the representative said.

Another example given for the Waterline and Bass River area included farmgate opportunities, produce, provedore and farm stays.

During the session, attendees highlighted the complexity of trying to understand the draft strategy, saying that council should create a simpler ‘framework’ to provide feedback.

The policy also seeks to rezone all Rural Activity Zones to the Farming Zone, relying on local policy to guide tourism land use outside settlement boundaries.

The draft also includes outcomes that land use policy must achieve for sustainable tourism development, such as: 
* Deliver sufficient tourism infrastructure in rural areas, particularly accommodation, with the scale and capacity to meet growing demand. 
* Direct tourism investment to rural areas to relieve the pressure on overcrowded destinations and attractions such as Cowes, Penguin Parade and Inverloch. 
* Improve the diversity of events, product and experiences that will facilitate year-round visitation and develop the night-time economy.
The costs association with the appointment of consultants for this project were funded by a 2021 grant, from the Victorian Planning Authority. 

Any future costs associated with amendments to the planning scheme will be included in the 2022/23 council budget.

The final strategy, with input from community, is expected to be prepared late this year with implementation in 2023. 

Further sessions will be held on Thursday, July 14, 2:00pm – 7:00pm at Kernot Hall and on Saturday, July 16, 12:00pm – 3:00pm Corinella Community Hall.

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