AcknowledgmentWe acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of the Wadawurrung land and waters, their unique ability to care for Country and deep spiritual connection to it. We honour Elders past and present whose knowledge and wisdom has ensured the continuation of culture and traditional practices.We are committed to genuinely partner and meaningfully engage with Traditional Owners to support the protection of their Country, the maintenance of spiritual and cultural practices and their broader aspirations in the 21st century and beyond.

Surf Coast Distinctive Area and LandscapeDraft Surf Coast Statement of Planning Policy & proposed landscape planning controls.

In 2019, the Victorian Government declared parts of the Surf Coast Shire Council and the City of Greater Geelong — Torquay – Jan Juc and surrounds — a ‘distinctive area and landscape’ under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

To give effect to the declaration, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has prepared:

• A draft statement of planning policy (SPP) for the Surf Coast declared area, which creates a framework for the future use and development of land in the area

• Proposed landscape planning controls to implement the landscape policies in the draft SPP.

Public consultation on the draft SPP and proposed landscape planning controls is now underway.DELWP has prepared the draft Surf Coast SPP and proposed landscape planning controls together with Traditional Owners the Wadawurrung, the Surf Coast Shire, the City of Greater Geelong, responsible public entities and other government agencies.

Both documents have been informed by two phases of public engagement, the current Surf Coast and Greater Geelong planning schemes, local councils’ strategic planning work and further technical studies by DELWP.

The draft SPP and landscape planning controls propose long-term protections for the declared area’s unique coastal environments, hinterland areas and township characters. Some settlements will have long-term protected settlement boundaries to contain their growth and protect their valued coastal and rural hinterland settings.

This will provide greater certainty about opportunities for housing, tourism and infrastructure investment that will help create jobs and a strong local economy.

Key proposals

These are the main proposals in the draft Surf Coast SPP and proposed landscape planning controls.

A vision for the next 50 years: the draft SPP’s vision is that the Wadawurrung, governments, public land managers, businesses, residents and visitors work together to ensure the declared area’s unique values and distinctive attributes — the things people love about the area — are protected, enhanced and not degraded over time.

Objectives and strategies to protect and conserve the declared area’s unique values and distinctive attributes, which are its:

• Rich Aboriginal cultural heritage: the declared area is of great significance to the Wadawurrung.

• Environment and biodiversity, including the habitat of endangered and threatened species, and distinctive places (such as Point Addis Marine National Park, Karaaf Wetlands, Breamlea Flora and Fauna Reserve and other coastal reserves).

• Environmental resilience, including climate change resilience.

• Historic heritage: our rich surfing history, culture and international attractions (such as Bells Beach and the Great Ocean Road).

• Landscape significance: our dramatic coastal settings, superb views, woodlands, wetlands and the rural vistas between settlements.

• Natural resources and productive land of significance, which support a flourishing economy based on sustainable and responsible tourism, agriculture and natural resources, manufacturing and other industries.

• Strategic infrastructure and built form of significance: Torquay–Jan Juc is a vibrant and cohesive regional service centre, anddevelopment must be sympathetic to the coastal and hinterland landscape setting.

Torquay – Jan Juc protected settlement boundary: A protected settlement boundary is proposed for Torquay–Jan Juc, with two options proposed for the Spring Creek area — the area is currently subject to a proposed Precinct Structure Plan through Amendment C114. This reflects the

strong division of community opinion identified through public engagement:

• Option 1: designates the Spring Creek area forlow-density, ecologically sustainable development and includes it within the Torquay–Jan Juc protected settlement boundary

• Option 2: designates the Spring Creek area outside the Torquay – Jan Juc protected settlement boundary and has it forming part of the green break between Torquay – Jan Juc and Bellbrae. A protected settlement boundarywould be applied at Duffields Road and the area between Duffields Road and Bellbrae would be rural land.

Torquay -Jan Juc housing change areas:To accommodate housing supply while retaining the highly valued coastal character of Torquay–Jan Juc, areas are proposed for:

• Minimal or incremental change: existing residential areas are mostly identified as such;

• Substantial change: an urban consolidation area around Torquay Town Centre and areas along the Surf Coast Highway are identified as such.

Bellbrae and Breamlea:Protected settlement boundaries are proposed to limit these settlements to their existing areas.This will maintain their village-like characters and protect the state-significant landscapes in which they are located.

Armstrong Creek Urban Growth Area:The finalisation of a protected settlement boundary will be informed by strategic planning work ledby the City of Greater Geelong in consultation with DELWP once amendment C395 – Settlement Strategy and Northern and Western Geelong Growth Areas Framework Plan has been completed.

Significant Landscape Overlays:These are proposed to better protect most areas of the state-significant Torquay Coast, Coastal Saltmarsh and Woodland landscape and the nationally significant Bells Beach to Point Addis landscape.

2 Draft Surf Coast Statement of Planning Policy Information Sheet

Have your sayDELWP invites written submissions from the general public, community groups, responsible public entities, industry representatives and other interested parties about the Draft Surf Coast Statement of Planning Policy and the Draft Surf Coast Statement of Planning Policy: Proposed Landscape Planning Controls.

These documents can be found at Engag e Vic t oria .

The submission process is independently managed by Planning Panels Victoria.

A submission must state the name and address of the person making it, and it will be treated as a public document. Proforma submissions and petitions will only be counted as one submission, and any contact will be made through the first- named person.

Submissions must be lodged through the Engage Victoria platform at Engage Victoria before 4.00 pm Friday 22 January 2021.

Where a submitter is unable to lodge a submission online, they must contact Planning Panels Victoria through the DELWP Customer Service Centre on 136 186 (select option 6) and request a hard-copy submission coversheet. Each hard-copy submission must be accompanied by a coversheet issued by PPV.

Submissions will be treated as public documents and will be published on the Victorian Government’s engagement website. Do not include any personal information in the body of your submission (suchas your email address or phone number). Your submission and your name will be made public.

Advisory CommitteeThe Minister for Planning has appointed the Distinctive Area and Landscapes Standing Advisory Committee, which will consider all submissions, hold public hearings (at which submitters can present) and provide an independent report to the Minister for Planning.

The Advisory Committee will hold a Directions Hearing on Thursday 11 February 2021. Its Public Hearings will commence from Monday 15 March 2021 and are likely to go for several weeks. If you would like to appear before the Advisory Committee, you must make a written submission and complete the relevant sections on the online form. Hearings are likely to be held in both Torquay and Melbourneif convened in person, or by video conference if COVID-19 restrictions remain.

Upon receipt of the Advisory Committee’s report, the Minister for Planning will consider the findings anda final draft Surf Coast SPP will be prepared and provided to responsible public entities and Ministers responsible for those entities for endorsement. The Minister for Planning will then seek the Governor in Council’s approval for the final draft Surf Coast SPP.

Once approved, the Surf Coast SPP will form part of the standard provisions of the Victoria Planning Provisions, with immediate effect. Planning scheme amendments will also be progressed to implementit into the Surf Coast and Greater Geelong planning schemes, to provide a consistent approach to land use planning and development across the declared area.

© The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning 2020.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. You are free to re-use the work under that licence, on the condition that you credit the State of Victoria as author. The licence does not apply to any images, photographs or branding, including the Victorian Coat of Arms, the Victorian Government logo and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) logo. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ISBN 978-1-76105-318-4 (Print)ISBN 978-1-76105-319-1 (pdf/online/MS word)

DisclaimerThis publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is

wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.

AccessibilityIf you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format, please telephone DELWP Customer Service Centre 136 186, email customer. service@delwp.vic.gov.au, via the National Relay Service on 133 677 www. relayservice.com.au .This document is also available in Portable Document Format at www. delwp.vic.gov.au/planning

3 Draft Surf Coast Statement of Planning Policy Information Sheet