SURF COAST PLANNING SCHEME

21.01 INTRODUCTION 19/01/2006 VC37 21.01-1 Surf Coast Shire 19/01/2006 VC37 Surf Coast Shire is located in the south-west region of Victoria, 21 kilometres south of Geelong and an hour and a half drive from Melbourne. The Shire was proclaimed on 9 March 1994 with the amalgamation of parts of the former municipalities of Barrabool, Winchelsea and South Barwon. The Shire has an area of 1,560 square kilometres with some 55 kilometres of coastline defining its south-eastern boundary. It shares municipal boundaries with the City of Greater Geelong to its north and east, Golden Plains Shire to its north and the Colac Otway Shire to the west. The Shire is strongly influenced by physical and topographical features, which impact on urban development and land use management. It is characterised by a diverse range of environments including rugged coastline, dense native forests, rolling rural plains and important rivers, lakes and wetlands. In the course of time these features have contributed to creating distinctive communities with quite different expectations about how their areas should develop. The southern part of the Shire is characterised by a linear pattern of coastal townships along the Great Ocean Road including Torquay, Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Fairhaven and Lorne. Save for Torquay, these towns are sited on the coastal edge of the Otway Ranges and are surrounded by substantial tracts of public land comprising heathlands, heathy woodlands and forest, restricting the development of roads and infrastructure. North of the Otways is a large and distinctive rural community including the townships of Winchelsea, Deans Marsh and Moriac. The township of Torquay is the main administrative centre and is located at the eastern end of the Shire on a double lane highway, within 20 minutes of Geelong. As at the 1996 Census Torquay-Jan Juc was the fastest growing urban area outside Metropolitan Melbourne.

21.01-2 Regional Context 19/01/2006 VC37 Surf Coast Shire forms part of the wider Geelong region. Geelong is the major population centre and economic focus in the region. The Shire is inextricably linked to Geelong by major road and rail ties, this link having been strengthened with Torquay through duplication of the Surf Coast Highway. Until its demise in 1993 the Geelong Regional Commission was responsible for the economic, social and environmental planning for this region which included the former Barrabool and South Barwon municipalities. The demise of the Commission in no way diminishes the influence of the region on the Shire and vice versa. Development of the region has historically been guided by the 1988 Geelong Regional Development Strategy. This provides a background to the strategic planning policies which have shaped the development of the Shire. With the restructure of local government boundaries, the regional context has not greatly altered from the 1988 strategy. The City of Greater Geelong has recently confirmed a number of the 1988 strategic directions, including designation of the Mt Duneed - Armstrong Creek growth corridor and protection of the rural environment from indiscriminate subdivision. The Shire acknowledges its unique geographical location and the strengths of its regional position. These include proximity to major road and rail networks, the Port of Geelong and Avalon Airport. Surfing and leisure equipment, construction, design, tourism, agriculture and horticulture are all major businesses of the municipality. These complement the regional economy, and the Shire will capitalise on this position and establish a reputation for producing quality products associated with a quality lifestyle.

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The Shire’s coastal location is one of its key assets, both from economic and environmental perspectives. The Great Ocean Road is a tourist attraction of international significance and the Shire recognises its responsibility to manage population and tourist activity so that environmental and landscape qualities are not diminished. The Victorian Coastal Strategy provides a comprehensive guide for decision making and promotes the co-ordination of management activities between the various agencies that are responsible for the coast and its hinterland. In the pursuit of sustainable economic growth for the municipality, the Shire has developed a strong relationship with its local and regional business community. Regionally it is represented on the Geelong Chamber of Commerce and the Area Consultative Committee. The Shire also has an active working relationship with Industry Victoria and employer groups such as the Victorian Employer Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Small Business Council of Victoria and the Victorian Farmers Federation. The Shire is acutely aware of its tourism strengths and potential. In recognition of this potential, the local business community and the Shire have established Surf Coast Tourism which reports directly to the Council and is responsible for tourist marketing and infrastructure development. Surf Coast Tourism is supported by a number of local tourist groups who communicate ideas, suggestions and problems on a regular basis. It is also an active member of Geelong Otway Tourism, which is the regional body established to promote the Geelong Otway Region both at a national and international level. The Shire maintains an important working relationship with Parks Victoria due to the significance of parks and reserves to the environmental, cultural and economic well-being of the Shire. The Angahook-Lorne State Park Management Plan provides a strong basis for the future for the State Park and the use and development of adjacent land. The Shire acknowledges the importance of its future relationship with the new Corangamite Catchment Management Authority and will work cooperatively to ensure that strategies and policies in the planning scheme take account of the overall objectives and recommendations in the Regional Catchment Strategy.

21.01-3 The Structure of the Municipal Strategic Statement 19/01/2006 VC37 The Municipal Strategic Statement outlines future directions and strategies for land use planning and resource management over the next fifteen to twenty years. It compiles a wide range of strategies, structure plans and policies which have formed the framework for decision making following proclamation of the Shire in 1994. It also includes strategies and policies that have been developed in the course of preparing this scheme. The Municipal Strategic Statement recognises that the natural environment is the Shire’s greatest asset. The environment provides a quality lifestyle for both the permanent and non-permanent population, and is the basis of a thriving tourist industry and broad agricultural base. It is with this knowledge that the community has set its vision for the future. The Municipal Strategic Statement contains 18 clauses structured into three broad sections. These are illustrated in the diagram below. The first section, Clauses 21.01 – 21.04, provides a description of the physical characteristics of the Shire, a summary of the Council Plan, an outline of the community vision and the overall strategic framework for the Shire. The second section, Clauses 21.05 – 21.09, contains sectoral strategies that expand on the broad objectives provided in section 1. As shown in the diagram these strategies are inter- linked reflecting the need to ensure an integrated approach to planning. The final section, Clauses 21.10 – 21.17, provides comprehensive strategies for each of the Shire’s townships. Although these include some overlap of the sectoral clauses, they are geographically based and include a detailed discussion for each locality. Clause 21.18 outlines proposed measures for the monitoring and review of the planning scheme.

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Diagram 21.01 – Municipal Strategic Statement Structure

Council Surf Coast Strategic Plan 2020 Framework Vision

(21.02) (21.03) (21.04)

Environment Landscape Strategy & Culture Strategy

(21.05) (21.06)

Rural Tourism Strategy Strategy

(21.07) (21.08)

Rural Township Residential Strategies Strategy (21.10- (21.09) 21.17)

Monitoring and Review

(21.18)

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