Surf Coast Shire Council has endorsed the Surf Coast Statement of Planning Policy (SPP) as part of the Distinctive Areas and Landscapes Program.
The Minister for Planning presented the policy to Council, responsible Ministers and responsible entities, including the City of Greater Geelong and Barwon Water, requesting their endorsement.
The request follows the Victorian Government’s decision not to allow land in Spring Creek to be developed, after an extensive community consultation process.
Council endorsed the SPP at its 23 August 2022 meeting.
The final step in the planning process is approval by the Governor in Council. After approval, the Minister for Planning intends to enact a planning scheme amendment, which would implement the SPP into the Surf Coast Planning Scheme and rezone Spring Creek Urban Growth Zone area to an appropriate zone suitable for land outside of the settlement boundary.
The appropriate zone would be determined at that time, however, the SPP is enacted from the time it is approved by the Governor in Council.
The Surf Coast Shire was declared a Distinctive Area and Landscape in 2019 and again in 2021. The declared area includes Torquay, Jan Juc and Bellbrae.
The Statement of Planning Policy is a strategic plan that will guide the future use and development of land in the declared area for the next 50 years. Its purpose is to create a framework that ensures the protection and conservation of the distinctive attributes of the declared area.
The Distinctive Areas and Landscapes Program is a Victorian Government initiative.
