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Between a Red Rock and a hard place

18/8/2017

10 Comments

 
Picture
Driving along Settlement Road you could easily imagine yourself in Pakenham, writes Michael Whelan. He argues that state planning policies are killing the character of Phillip Island.

By Michael Whelan

AT THIS week’s meeting, councillors affirmed their commitment to the principles set out in the Phillip Island and San Remo Visitor Economy Strategy. The issue before the council was an application to subdivide a block in Red Rocks Road, Cowes, into 10 residential allotments. Councillors unanimously rejected the proposal on the grounds that the dwelling density would be too dense for this location, that it did not respect the neighbourhood character and failed to protect the biodiversity and ecological values of the land.

It is interesting that this rejection was contrary to the recommendation of the officers who recommended approval with nearly 12 pages of conditions to be attached to the approval. I moved the motion to reject the application, arguing that the State Planning Policy Framework, with the requirement to provide 15 years’ of land supply for housing development, is killing the character of the Island and undermining the beauty and attraction of Phillip Island as a natural tourism destination.

The proposed development in Cowes is three kilometres from the town centre. Driving along Settlement Road you could easily imagine yourself in Cranbourne or Pakenham. The advice tendered to Council argued that the neighbourhood character should be derived from the 600-800 square metre blocks to the east of the development. I argued that the block is located in an area of 2000 sq m blocks and generously treed, and, as such, a development of two to four blocks was appropriate.

The land is located at the western extremity of Cowes, separated from Ventnor only by a nine-hole golf course. Nearby is a significant area of banksia woodland and wetland that was under threat from development earlier this year. Further intense development adds pressure to these areas and the nearby Red Rocks beach.

I argued that the planning approach was too narrow and did not take account of key council policies; in particular the Phillip Island and San Remo Visitor Economy 2035 Strategy and the Cowes Activity Centre Plan. The strategy notes that on Phillip Island the environment is the economy and so we need to preserve the environment to support tourism into the longer term.

Similarly, the Cowes Activity Centre Plan envisages a hospitable town with people being able to walk to the town centre. It also encourages infill and greater development density ahead of the usual spread into undeveloped rural land.

The latest Census figures show that 60 per cent of houses on Phillip Island are unoccupied against a statewide figure of just 16.3 per cent. Development at the edge of the Cowes urban sprawl will be mostly holiday houses, mainly occupied during the main holiday period when Cowes is already busy. At a distance where most people will drive into town, they will only add to the congestion.

Up to 250,000 new residents are expected to move into areas to the north and east of our region in future years, putting enormous pressure on the Island. Policy approaches that add to the congestion will only compound the difficulties, and we should avoid them.

Some argue that housing development is crucial to our economy. While the council must support a thriving local industry, the current approach does not necessarily do this. About 60 per cent of the builders operating in the new estates are from out of town, they purchase in bulk at big discounts and probably from outside suppliers. The question is whether they are here for the long term. I favour an approach that supports builders who employ locals and buy local.
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Where to from here? The project will probably go to VCAT and may indeed be ruled in favour of the applicant but it is important to register the claim for a more sympathetic treatment of the Island, to preserve it for future generations and for its natural value.

Paradise lost By Doug Elms

10 Comments
Chris Day
18/8/2017 02:18:56 pm

Michael, Congratulations if councillors don't take up issues on behalf of the community who will?
In San Remo we border "Keams" property. Its within existing town boundary's and we all knew it would be developed. When Keams original sub division lapsed because of their inaction over many years , we we're suddenly hit with a new plan which would have brought "Pakenham to San Remo to a large parcel of land that can be seen to every person crossing the bridge and beyond.
When the San Remo community challenged what was planned we were told it was all a "done deal" Council Officers recommended it to go ahead. Bradley Drew as at the time our new local councillor managed to convince other councillors that Council should challenge. History shows it went to VCAT and the community successfully challenged the application. The VCAT ruling is worth reading for any of the new councillors if they haven't seen it. It was damning of the whole process. While their are still elements of the revised application now approved by VCAT that could be better in my opinion, it's still a far better outcome for the community that what what we looked like having to live with for ever. Developers walk away once it's sold, even Council officers etc are most likely not themselves affected but we the community are left with the problem for ever.
The response at the time of one new councillor made a big difference to San Remo and the Bass Community for ever.

Reply
Doug Elms
18/8/2017 09:55:02 pm

It is both gratifying and reassuring that our Councillors are so concerned about the ongoing condition of our beautiful Island and its flora and fauna. Well done to all who opposed this proposed over-development.

Reply
Vicki Breen
19/8/2017 08:06:11 am

It is wonderful that our councillors will fight to preserve the nature of Phillip Island and its diminishing open spaces and vote against high density development.It is after all why visitors come to Phillip Island and what the community is increasingingly becoming very concerned with."When it is gone,it is gone for good"

Reply
Garry Busowsky
19/8/2017 03:01:10 pm

I also fully agree and congratulations on the council stand to oppose this type of development.

Reply
Pamela J Gill JPWelldone
19/8/2017 04:12:08 pm

Well done Michael,this is what we need,
councillors who are prepared to stand up for our environment.
It would also be a step in the right direction if you all got behind the lack of infrastructure re;unmade roads throughout the shire and take the politics out of it.

Reply
Mark Robertson
20/8/2017 05:38:16 pm


The Island councillors should perhaps pause for a moment and reflect what the situation would be if they stood alone . There would need to be a 15 year supply of housing sites available on the precious Phillip Island . Fortunately good old Wonthaggi is available to soak up the demand- we have zero environmental values at risk....... By the way, whatever happened to the Stand Alone proponents? They were most vocal before the last municipal elections, but since then, not a peep. I hope that our shire recognises that the entire Bass Coast deserves proper scrutiny of any and all proposed developments - North Wonthaggi and Mahers Landing , for example.

Reply
Sue Saliba
20/8/2017 09:35:21 pm

Thank you to Councillor Michael Whelan and to the other eight councillors for standing up for what is important on Phillip Island - our natural environment and our community. Well done, Bass Coast Shire councillors!

Reply
Trevor Brown
22/8/2017 09:36:59 am

Councilor Whelan, it is gratifying to see that some councilors are prepared to do what is, in actual fact, their duty and do the right thing on behalf of the residents who voted for them, not just accept the dictates of council officers. We all understand that the council has a large area to administer and a relatively low population base to extract funds from. Therefore it needs to continue to create additional ratepayers. However this council's officers seem to regularly overlook its own published strategies and criteria in order to allow for developments that may or may not be in the best interests of the community at large. They seem to leave these issues to residents, waiting for objections instead of applying their own criteria and strategies. Once again it is gratifying to see that some councilors are prepared to recognise that they are in fact, on behalf of the residents, the employers of council officers not the other way round and that councilors are representing their community and not answerable to council officers.

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Mark Robertson
24/8/2017 06:06:36 pm

Well done Sue -it is so important that the local residents stand up to protect the special and irreplacable parts of our Bass Coast home. Hope that the AGL intrusion of Westernport is as easily dispatched. All power to those who care.

Reply
Linda Cuttriss
2/9/2017 11:08:10 am

Thank-you to Bass Coast Councillors for taking the time and effort and having the courage to weigh up conflicting objectives of local and state government policies and the advice of council officers and come out on the side of protecting neighbourhood character and biodiversity and ecological values. The incremental loss of mature trees within town boundaries on Phillip Island makes a mockery of strict vegetation clearance controls. A subdivision of this large "generously treed" block into two or four larger blocks would enable retention of at least some mature trees while a subdivision into ten blocks would invariably mean loss of all the trees. There is undoubtedly a market for higher-priced larger treed blocks which give a good return to the landowner without requiring a total loss of another pocket of Phillip Island's dwindling remnant bushland.

Reply



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