Photo: Jim Worrall
By Neil Daly
ALONG with, I suspect, many hundreds of people, I followed the Bass Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) advisory committee hearing. It ended on Thursday 27 April, 2023 after 27 days of proceedings, 747 submissions, 72 personal presentations, 32 expert witnesses and 570 documents.
The committee’s report will be presented to the Andrews government and, by the end of this year, Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny will make the final decision, presumably based on the committee’s report.
ALONG with, I suspect, many hundreds of people, I followed the Bass Coast Distinctive Areas and Landscapes (DAL) advisory committee hearing. It ended on Thursday 27 April, 2023 after 27 days of proceedings, 747 submissions, 72 personal presentations, 32 expert witnesses and 570 documents.
The committee’s report will be presented to the Andrews government and, by the end of this year, Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny will make the final decision, presumably based on the committee’s report.
The Minister’s decision will determine Bass Coast Shire’s future for the next 50 years, thus giving it a head start on the other shires bordering Western Port.
For some time now, I’ve advocated that all shires bordering Western Port should be gazetted as a Distinctive Areas and Landscapes region, for it beggars belief that a distinctive area can arbitrarily end at the border between Bass Coast Shire and Cardinia Shire.
I’ve spoken about this issue in my article Caring for Western Port Country and, following the DAL hearing, I believe my thesis is worthy of further consideration.
Over the past months I’ve been involved in community discussions centring on environmental and economic issues concerning those in Cardinia and Mornington Peninsula shires and the City of Casey. There is a sense of foreboding hanging over these communities. No matter what they say about protecting the long-term wellbeing of the area, they fear adverse decisions will continue to be made by authorities, thus prolonging the ongoing and tiring battle the community must wage to have its voice heard.
The recent Bass Coast Shire DAL process has highlighted that the people can take part in a positive decision-making process and that their views are just as important as those of the bureaucracy, business enterprises and land developers. All have an interest in shaping the future – the same opportunity should now be afforded to the people in the other council areas.
I urge the minister to act now, for Cardinia, Casey and Mornington Peninsula are all part of the Western Port catchment area and all have common economic, environmental, tourism and agricultural interests.
These interests do not stop at council borders and neither should the minister’s vision.
If the status quo is not changed, we’ve learnt nothing from the fact that land, sea and water are interdependent and we are ignoring 70,000 years of custodianship that is pointing the way in how to manage Country and adjust to climate change.
The pressure of an expanding Melbourne urban environment and those seeking lifestyle changes are already affecting Western Port and its region.
Through the DAL process, the Bass Coast Shire has looked to the future; it’s time for the others to follow suit.
For some time now, I’ve advocated that all shires bordering Western Port should be gazetted as a Distinctive Areas and Landscapes region, for it beggars belief that a distinctive area can arbitrarily end at the border between Bass Coast Shire and Cardinia Shire.
I’ve spoken about this issue in my article Caring for Western Port Country and, following the DAL hearing, I believe my thesis is worthy of further consideration.
Over the past months I’ve been involved in community discussions centring on environmental and economic issues concerning those in Cardinia and Mornington Peninsula shires and the City of Casey. There is a sense of foreboding hanging over these communities. No matter what they say about protecting the long-term wellbeing of the area, they fear adverse decisions will continue to be made by authorities, thus prolonging the ongoing and tiring battle the community must wage to have its voice heard.
The recent Bass Coast Shire DAL process has highlighted that the people can take part in a positive decision-making process and that their views are just as important as those of the bureaucracy, business enterprises and land developers. All have an interest in shaping the future – the same opportunity should now be afforded to the people in the other council areas.
I urge the minister to act now, for Cardinia, Casey and Mornington Peninsula are all part of the Western Port catchment area and all have common economic, environmental, tourism and agricultural interests.
These interests do not stop at council borders and neither should the minister’s vision.
If the status quo is not changed, we’ve learnt nothing from the fact that land, sea and water are interdependent and we are ignoring 70,000 years of custodianship that is pointing the way in how to manage Country and adjust to climate change.
The pressure of an expanding Melbourne urban environment and those seeking lifestyle changes are already affecting Western Port and its region.
Through the DAL process, the Bass Coast Shire has looked to the future; it’s time for the others to follow suit.