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DEVELOPMENT AREAS ACT 1973

GEE LONG INVESTIGATION AREA

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711. 4099 . 452 GEE:V r------. ~eM~ oEPAR1MENT-0F '{ I PLANN\NG- L\BRAR ~~~~i~l~ii~iil~~ .'J g~~STRY FOR PLANNING 71 3 7 M0002826 ANQ EN)LIBONME!il J.,JBBABY I DEVELOPMENT AREAS ACT 1973 I G E E L 0 N G I N V E S T I G A T I 0 N A R E A

I (Municipal districts of City of , West, , , , Shire of Bellarine and parts of the municipal districts of , and Shire I of Barrabool). I REPORT

CONTENTS I PAGE I Chapter 1 Surrmary 1-2 Chapter 2 Bac~ground to the Study 3.:.6 I Chapter 3 The Geelong Region 7-13 Chapter 4 . Pl arini ng Po 1icy, Submissions and En vi ronmenta 1 14-17 I Considerations Chapter 5 Goals and Objectives for the Geelong Region 18-20 I Chapter 6 Constraints on Development 21-32 I· Chapter 7 Location of Growth in the Region 33-34 Chapter 8 Development of a Regional Strategy 35-42 I Chapter 9 Management and Implementation 43-46 Chap~er 10 Recommendation 47 I Chapter 11 Requirements of the Development Areas Act 48-53 I APPENDICES 1. Sites of Aboriginal Relics 54 I 2. Submissions Received Regarding Geelong Investigation 55 Area I 3. Register of Historic Buildings - Geelong Region 56 I 4. Sites of Special Scientific Interest 57-59 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 60

I TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING BOARD :I 22ND SEPTEMBER, 1975. I

M A P S I I. 1. Geelong Investigation Area 2. Natural Constraints I 3. Settlement Support Constraints 4. Sites Physically Suitable for Urban Development I 5. Urban Alternative A 6. Urban Alternative B I 7. Urban Alternative C I 8. Recreation, Resort_Development and Buffer Areas 9. Alternative A - Staging Order of Residential Development I I I I .I I I I I I -I I I I - 1 -

I CHAPTER 1 SUMMARY

I In August~ 1973, the Governor in Council approved Statement of-Planning Policy No. 7 (Geelong). This formal document expressed the Government's view that the Geelong Region is a suitable outlet for large scale urban growth and provides I a desirable alternative to continued Metropolitan concentration. Following this in March, 1974, the Geelong Regional Planning Authority Area was declared to be an Investigation Area by the Governor in Council using the powers I of the Development Areas Act. At the same time a number of other areas around the fringe of Metropolitan I were declared to be investigation areas and the Board has already submitted its reports on those areas. This report presents the Board's views on the Geelong Investigation Area, and its submission completes the programme of I investigations identified by the Government in March, 1974. The Government's action in declaring these areas was directed at further developing an urban strategy for the District, and its use of the powers of I the Development Areas Act was aimed at minimizing the effects of speculation and other pressures during the period required to investigate the· development I prospects and problems of the areas. Having completed the investigation, the Board has reached the conclusion that some 13,700 hectares of land to the south-west of the Geelong urban area (shown on Map 5) I is suitable for accelerated development and requires controlled development. The Board has also concluded that other parts of the Region (shown on Map 8) require controlled development. No recommendation is made concerning the declaration of I these areas as designated areas. The report sets out the background of events which led to the declaration of the Region as I an Investigation Area (Chapter-2). describes the present conditions in the Geelong Region particularly population I growth trends and the unemployment problem (Chapter 3). identifies the planning strategy for the Port Phillip District as expressed in I Statements of Planning Policy and other official announcements (Chapter 4). indicates the views of relevant Government departments, public authorities and I municipal councils regarding the Geelong Investigation Area (Chapter 4). identifies desirable community goals and objectives for the planning of the I Geelong Region (Chapter 5). indicates the special features of the Region which act as constraints on development and highlight the need for a programme of conservation planning I and management to be introduced as an inseparable component of the overall development strategy (Chapter 6). considers alternative forms of urban growth and selects the south western I sector-of the Region as the most suitable location for future urban growth of major dimensions (Chapter 7). I considers alternative patterns of development within the·south western sector and identifies areas having major conservation and recreation potential which are threatened by developmental pressures, and locations where unplanned I development would be detrimental to the existing character, function and identity of urban settlements in the Region (Chapter 8). I - 2 - I stresses the need for ongoing commitment by all levels of Government and particularly the need for financial support to be provided by the Commonwealth Government (Chapter 9). . · I places considerable stress on the need for a regional administrative and organisational unit capable of assuming overall responsibility for planning and management programmes which will be essential if a·policy of accelerated I development is to be successfully and effectively implemented (Chapter 9). ·The Board•s investigation has largely involved an assessment of various studies which have been undertaken in the Region, and in particular the work undertaken by the I Growth Centre Planning Group. This Group was established in 1.974 and is comprised of representatives of the Board, the Geelong Regional Planning Authority, the Department of State Development and Decentralisation and the Cities Commission. I Assisted by consultants, it has had the task of developing a planning strategy · and evolving_a structure plan for accelerated development in.the Region. The Board. I has drawn heavily on the material provided by that Group in the preparation of this report. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I - 3 - CHAPTER 2 I· BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 2.1 INTRODUCTION I On the 26th March, 1974, by Order of the Governor-in-Council, made pursuant to the provisions of the Development Areas Act, the Geelong Region was declared an Investigation Area. The Investigation Area is I identical to the Geelong Regional. Planning Authority ·area with the exception of three small localities (See Map 1) which were designated on the same day. Throughout this report the term Geelong Region means I the Investigation Area. The Board was required to submit a· report on the area to the Minister within the period ending the 25th March, 1975. On the 14th March, 1975, the Minister extended the period for the I submission .of the Board's report to September 22nd, 1975. The declarati~n of the Geelong Region as an Investigation Area reinforced earlier State Government decisions relatedto the.important I role of the Region in the planning strategy for the Port Phillip District and the State. · · I 2.2 BACKGROUND In its report, "Organisation for Strategic Planning", dated the 4th September, 1967, the Board made special reference to Geelong in I dealing with the satellite town form of extended metropolitan growth. Although not recommending the latter as a general solution for Melbourne's future growth the Board stated that Geelong merited I attention as a practical alternative:

The report pointed out that Geelong's location as a l~rge well established City 'in the vicinity of the metropolis made it suitable as a growth I outlet. One major advantage seen by the Board was that in spite of its proximity to Melbourne, Geelong's growth had been due largely to the development of its own loc.al resources, particularly .its port and it had only I been in more recent times that a strong inter-action between Melbourne and Geelong had grown up. In its report the Board stated that balanced ~conomic development could well demand the optimum use of I Geelong's port facilities but that thi~ would depend on the accele~ated growth of local 'Industry as a matter of deliberate planning and development policy. I The Government adopted the Board's recommendation that there should be a regional planning authority to co-ordinate planning in the Geelong area. The Geelong Regional Planning Authority (G.R.P.A.), I covering nine local government areas, was formed in 1969. On the 29th June, 1971, in referring to strategic plannirig in the I Port Phillip District the Minister, in a letter to th~ Board, stated that accelerated growth at Geelong would not only help·to relieve pressure on vulnerable areas but would also provide a means of restoring broad strategic balance in the Port Phillip Di~trict. I The Minister's letter concluded by stating that it was desirable that . the Board in conjunction with the State Planning Council· should prepare a statement of planning policy which would have the effect· I of identifying Geelong as a major growth outlet. Sl,lbsequently on the 21st August, 1973, a Statement of Planning Pol icy applying to the area of the Geelong Regional Planning Authority was approved I by the Governor-in-Council. The Statement expressed. the following I guidelines: · ------~"""""~~----.=....------, ~ 4 - I 11 1.1 The Region centred on Geelong shall be promoted and planned as a location for large scale urban growth including business, industry and housing. I 1.2 The region shall be planned to accommodate a greatly increased share of the expected growth in the Port Phillip District to I the optimum limits determined by regional- planning studies.· 1.3 The pl~nni~g of th~ regton shall ensure that B~ceptable I envir-onmental standards are achieved and shall have regard to the high quality of the environment generally and the coastal areas in particular and to the need to preserve established recreation opportunities. I 1.4 The planning of the region shall include proposals to stimulate growth and for the establishment of priorities for works by I public authorities ... (1)

At the· same time, the Commonwealth Government was d~:!veloping complementary I attitudes on the promotion of growth centres. In 1973 it accepted the Cities Commission recommendation that support should be given to the growth of Geelong. This recommendation was based on the findings of a study carried out by consultants on behalf of the Cities Commission. I In 1974 a more detailed study was carried out by the planning consultants, Loder and Bayly, and directed by a Steering Committee composed of representatives of the Geelong Regional Planning Authority, I the Town and Country Planning Board and the Cities Commission. The results of this work were the subject of a public exhibition in the G.R.P.A. offices in October-November, 1974. This study had for its purpose the I identification of an appropriate development strategy for the region which met the requirements of the Statement of Planning Policy. In August, 1974, a Ministerial Committee, comprising the Victorian I Minister for Planning, the Victorian Minister for State Development and Decentralisation and the Australian Minister for Urban and Regional Development was established to direct the planning and development I of the Geelong ~rowth complex. With the approval of the three Ministers, the strategy recommended by Loder and Bayly was further developed and refined through a I programme of more detailed study to recommend policies in six main areas of investigation. This programme continued until June 30, 1975, and was supervised and controlled by the Steerinq Commi·ttee I which now includes a representative of the Department of State Development and Decentralization. The detailed investigations and assessments were undertaken by what was called the Growth Centre I Planning Group. This body is made up of experienced planning staff drawn from the C.ities Commission, G.R.P.A. and selected consultant firms. I 2.3 PRESENT POSITION The significance of Geelong in the Government•s current policies was I indicated by .the ·Premier, Mr. Hamer, on May 7, 1975, when he moved that the Geelong Regional Authority Bill be read a second time. 11 In the view of my Government, the correct course must be to pursue I actively decentralisation policies, to provide constraints upon the areas_in which Melbourne may expand, ·and to provide alternative outlets I (1) T.C.P.B. 11 Statement of Planning Policy No. 7 - Geelong 1973 11 p. 21 I I - 5 -

I for population demands within the Port Phillip District. Geelong is ideally suited for such a role ... (1) Clause 3 of the G.R.A. Bill sets out the objects of·the Act and provides the guidelines under which the future of growth of the area will be I controlled, Mr. Hamer stated: I 11 3. The object of this Act is to provide. for - . a) . the development of a growth complex in the Geelong region with a high quality of environment, imaginatively planned I and developed with respect to human requirements; :,-2 b). the participation of the people of the Geelong region in planning the future development of the region and the nature I and limits of such development; the preservation within the Geelong region of areas of il natural beauty or interest and areas building structures·and objects of historic, architectural or other interest; d) the co-ordination and integration of development within the I Geelong region, the improvement and enhancement of the region, and the provision of services and facilities within I the region; and · e) the attraction, promotion, development and improvement of industrial commercial and other business undertakings and I employment opportunities to and in the Geelong region ... {2) He continued:

I II The machinery will be through the reconstitution and upgrading of the existing and highly successful Geelong R·egional Planning Authority, which will. be charged with the challenging role of I achieving the objectives just mentioned and given the powers necessary to· do so. Under the future name of Geelong Regional Authority it will have both planning and developmental respon­ I sibilities and the role of co-ordinating and assisting both public and private development in the area. 11 {3) I. 2.4 DEVELOPMENT AREAS ACT While the Government has clearly stated the machinery for the accomplishment of its longer-term objectives for the Geelong Region, I its immediate step directed at achieving those planning goals in the area was to declare the Region to be an Investigation Area under the I Development Areas Act 1973. {See Map 1). This Act provides that the Governor-in-Council may, after consultation with the Minister, by order declare an area to be a designated area which it considers to be suitable for 11 accelerated 11 development or I which requires 11 controlled 11 development. An order declaring an· ·area to be1designated area ceases to have effect on the expiration of a period of two years following publication of notice of the order I in the Government Gazette. The Act also contains provisions for ·discouraging speculation within these areas from the .time of their declaration as Investigation Areas until expiration of the Designated I Area status. I {1), (2), (3) ·Hansard: No. 21 pp. 6153-6154~ l - 6 - I

Where the Governor-in-Council after consultation with th~ Minister considers that further information is required in respect of an area I which-may be suitable for accelerated development or which may require controlled development he may by order, declare the area to be an Investigation Area. This procedure has been adopted in this case and I by virtue of Section 4(3) of the Act the Board is required to prepare a report on the Investigation Area for the Minister. I In preparing such a report the Board must have regard to three factors set out in Section 4{3) of the Act. These factors are: Any relevant statements of planning policy made under the I Town and Country Planning Act. Any recommendation made by any Government Department, Public I Authority, Municipal Council or responsible authority under the Town and Country Planning Act. I The desirability of conserving or enhancing any particular aspect of the environment existing within an Investigation Area or any areas or buildings of historic, architectural, scientific or other interest within an Investigation Area. I Where the Board•s studies result in a recommendation that the Investigation Area or part of it is suitable for accelerated I development or requires controlled development the Board is then required to report on: I The nature of the existing use of the land in the area. The general nature of the proposed development including the type of development and the parts of the area considered most suitable I for this type of development, major construction works consequential on adopting the report and any particular environment or areas, or buildings of historical or architectural interest, scientific I interest or natural beauty. The facilities and amenities considered necessary to meet any proposed development in an Investigation Area including those I occasioned by changes in population. Proposed new residential areas. I Any problems associated with development in the area. I Any other matters upon which the Board sees fit to report. 2.5 THE BOARD 1 S REPORT UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT AREAS ACT I Officers of the Board have participated in a number of studies of the Geelong Region. In addition the Board•s officers have been intimately involved in the studies of the Geelong Region undertaken by Loder and I Bayly and latterly the Geelong Growth Centre Planning Group. In preparing this report on the Geelong Investigation Area, the Board I has drawn upon .the material resulting from these various studies. As required by the Act, the Board sought the recommendations of Government departments, public authorities and municipal councils in respect of the Investigation Area. I I I I GEE LONG INVESTIGATION AREA I

OF BALL AN I IIELBOURIIE METROPOLITAN PLANNING I. AREA

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I WINCHELSEA I I I

.I Designated Areas Municipal Boundary • I 1

PREPARED BY THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING BO~RI:I I 7 - I CHAPTER 3 THE GEELONG REGION I 3.1 A GENERAL DESCRIPTION The Geelong Region is some 2,527 sq. kilometres in. extent and covers· the areas of its nine constituent local authorities (Map 1). It I contains a wide variety of natural features and supports a broad range of human activities which, when taken together, make the area one specially suited to, and capable of benefiting from carefully I planned growth. The Region stretches from the flat Werribee Plains in the north-east I to the rocky coastline of the Otway Ranges in the south-west; from the Brisbane Ranges in the north-west to the rolling countryside of the in the south-east. Apart from the Brisbane and Otway Ranges and the You Yangs, which rise prominently from the northern I plains to a height of 355 metres, the terrain is gently sloping to extremely flat. I The whole Region has a temperate climate with warm dry summers and mild wet winters, and. the coastal areas especially enjoy e~uable weather. It also is close to significant but as yet, undeveloped supplies of I water from the Otway Ranges. Preliminary assessment of forthcoming· projects indicates that conventional supplies could be increased to. support a total regional population of 600,000. I Because of the lowland character and lack of relief of much of the study area, the lower reaches of the main rivers are subject to periodic flooding. Nevertheless, most of the Region is effectively drained, some of it I directly into the ocean but other parts, less satisfactorily, into enclosed bays or environmentally sensitive . In short, the problem is not in finding sufficient land capable of I accommodating substantial urban growth, but rather in choosing from among the possible areas. In purely physical terms roughly half the region is free from constraints to urban development. There are of I course other restraints which, for example, are due to the recreational and conservational value of certain features.

'I The Region hai a population of approximately 150,000 p~ople and of these around 116,000 live in the Geelong Urban Area. This makes it the second largest city in Victoria and a strong foundation on which I to build-up population. For its residents, Geelong offers the facilities and opportunities to satisfy most of their social and economic needs. It is becoming I increasingly self-contained as more specialised facilities and services become available within the city. I At the regional level, the Gordon Institute of Technology, the secondary schools, the wool stores, rural service industries and the normal retail and commercial outlets have sustained the city as a major social, service and retirement centre for the populatio.n of the Western I District. Geelong•s regional role will be enhanced as Deakin University develops, as the decentralisation of Victorian and Australian Government departments continues, and as an increasing range of I health, welfare and community services becomes available in the city. I - 8 - I

Along the long length of coastline of the Geelong Region, numerous small settlements have grown up. These coastal towns, with their special roles and I characters, have identities separate from Geelong itself, whilst, at the same time, are closelY affected by developments within Geelong and the Region generally. The .rural h.interland of the Region also accommodates a large I number of settlemen\s, generally of adsmall size, ranging from hamlets of several houses only, ?rural villages~Yto a small number of settlements of a town status. I Although many people from Melbourne and the rest of Victoria may associate Geelong with its private schools or nearby holiday resorts, its real and often unrecognised significance for the rest of the I State derives largely from its secondary industries ·and port activities .. The major industries are the petroleum, automobile, textile, machinery and metals industries, and the port has well-developed facilities .for handling the specialised bulk cargoes of grain, I aluminium and oil. There is a ~eil developed road network both in the u~ban area and I within the Region. Good roads lead to most of the coastal towns and highways link Geelong to Melbourne, Ballarat and Colac, and it is only on ·major holidays and summer weekends that capacity is inadequate. I Train services operate to Warrnambool, Ballarat, and, on summer Sundays, Queenscliff but the major link is to Melbourne. This service is fairly frequent but commuter traffic is deterred by the long journey I times (55 to 105 minutes), old rolling stock and lack·of parking facilities at Geelong station. · I A private bus network covers most parts of Geelong, the Region, and the coastal towns; but services are restricted in frequency. I Geelong's employment pattern is currently marked by a high proportion ( 35 per cent);. ..q.f the workforce engaged in manufacturing industry, · compared with ~:riational average of 25 per cent. In the fields of public administration, communications and finance, the proportions are I relatively low .. This employment structure has played a significant part in causing. the above-average levels of unemployment in the Region and is also·partly responsible for the lack of jobs for women, and in I the clerical,.administrative and professional occupation groups. Nevertheless, this structure is relatively well diversified when compared I with smaller regional centres in and is supported by established quarrying and agricultural activity in the Region, and by the ·prospect of significant growth in the tourist industry. Therefore, not only should a program of growth improve Gee long's economic I prospects, but, so far as decentralisation from Melbourne is concerned, it could well prove easier to attract growth to Geelong than to other regional cent~es. I Since 1947 ttie Region has experienced a considerable decline in its rate of population growth. Rates have declined from annual figures of around 4 per cent during the late 1940's to around 3 per cent in I the early· 1960's and less than 2 per cent in the late 1960's. There­ fore accelerating the rate of population growth represents a reversal of recent trends in the Region as a whole . I . : . ,.. 3.2 POPULATION IN THE GEELONG REGION I The majorpr~portion of the population of the Region (90 per cent) is. concentrated i.n the Gee long Urban Area and the coastal towns. The . Geelong Urban area which has an estimated population of 116,000 is I comprised of the municipalities of Geelong, Geelong West and Newtown as well as parts of the Corio, South Barwon and Bellarine local government --- - I - 9 -

As indicated in Table 1 the major proportion of the Region's population I growth since 1961 has occurred in the municipalities of Corio, South Barwon and Bellarine. The Inner city municipalities have all experienced slight absolute declines in population during this period. I The figures also illustrate the increasing rate of growth of population within the . Since 1966 the coastal towns have generally experienced a very rapid rate of growth although I the actual number of people involved has been relatively small. Between 1966 and 1971 the average annual compound rate of growth of population in the Geelong Region was 1.96 per cent per annum. This I is a marked·slowing down compared with earlier intercensal periods. Whilst it is still higher than the Victorian and Au~tralian rates, 1t is much lower than the rates of growth experienced in Melbourne I and other major metropolitan centres during the same period. The annual rate of population growth since 1966 is only Slightly in ·excess of the·rate of natural increase in the Region. The recent population count conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that I the average tompound rate of growth in the area in the period 1971 to 1975 was 1.8 per cent. I The overall age distribution of the regional population is weighted towards the younger age groups, with 40 per cent of the population under the age of 20 and over 47 per cent under 25 years of age at the time of the 1971 census. Nevertheless with the slowdown of I population growth in the period 1966 to 1971 the population age distribution as a whole has moved slightly towards the older age I groups. The population of the Geelong Urban area has a distinctive age structure which reflects a corresponding pattern of physical development. I The older, inner areas of Geelong City, Geelong West and Newtown are distinguished by relatively high proportions of people over 45 years. The newer outlying areas of Corio, South Barwon and Bellarine I are dominated by the younger age groups. Within these areas, which have absorbed the bulk of regional ~rowth since 1947~ the population 1s characterised by young families, with the highest proportion of the I population being children of school age. The age structure of the population of the Coastal Towns is not easily categorised, displaying wide variations from town to town and I reflecting a wide range of life style orientations .. The most distinct feature of the coastal towns is the high proportion of population over 65 years relative to 'the rest of the Region, which is indi~ative of the popularity of these areas for retirement purposes. In particular, I Queenscliff, , Portarlington, St. Leonards, Airey's Inlet and Indented Heads tend to display a stronger bias towards the older age groups. Conversely, Anglesea, Torquay and Ocean Grove I reflect a comparatively younger population. The Australian experience is that most overseas migrantl tend to I settle in the major capital cities. Nevertheless, the Geelong Region has attracted a proportion of overseas population nearly comparable to that of Melbourne. It also has the highest proportion (22.2 per I cent) of overseas-born population of provincial regions in Victoria. Among the Region's immigrant population, people from English speaking countries form .the largest component (37.3 per cent)~ The migrant I groups from non-English speaking countries are compris~d primarily of Yugoslavs, Italians, Dutch, Germans and Austrians. · I The overseas migrant population of the Region tends to be concentrated in the Geelong Urban Area~ - lU - I 3.3 EMPLOYMENT.IN 1971 I The numbers and proportion of the labour force in the Geelong Region engaged in the.various sectors of the economy at the time of the June 1971 census is set out in Table 2, and is summarised below. I (a) Primary Sector This sector, which embraces agriculture, mining and quarrying, employed I only 3.8 per cent of the labour force resident in the Geelong Region in 1971. Little potential is seen for increased employment in the primary sector. I (b) Manufacturing Sector I The proportion of the labour force in the Geelong Region employed in manufacturing in 1971 was 34.4 per cent. This compares with 30.9 per cent in Melbourne and 25 per cent in Australia a~ a whole. I Although Gee long• s manufacturing sector is relatively. diversified, a .large.proportion of the manufacturing work force is employed in a few dominant industries, mainly transport equipment, ~extiles and I clothing, basic metal products and chemi~als. · (c) Tert1ary Sector I The tertiary sector. covers a wide range of activities: electricity, gas and water; wholesale and retail trade; transport and storage; construction; communications; finance and insurance, real estate and I business services; public administration and defence; community services, entertainment, recreation, hotels and personal services. I This sector employs ~5.5 per cent of the labour force in the Geelong Region, which is well below the Australian average of 63.8 per cent. 3.4 EMPLOYMENT - PRESENT SITUATION I In December, 1974, 8.56 per cent of Geelong's estimated labour force· was registered as unemployed. This included 13.3 per.cent of the I female workforce. Employment opportunities for the.young were equally bad. This situation gave Geelong the worst employment record of all Victorian centres. Later figures show th~t at· the end of June, 1975, I 7.99 per cent of Geelong's workforce was unemployed~ This represents almost twice the national average. In a report entitled "Geelong Strategy- Employment in Geelong", the Geelong Growth Centre Planning Group state that: I "To a large degree, the unemployment problem in the Geelong Region ·can be related to certain features of the Region's economic structure: I (i) its over-reliance on the manufacturing sector which is dominated by a small number of large enterprises,. many of which are I cyclically unstable. (ii) the relative local importance of the textile, clothing and footwear industries which have been badly affected by import I competition and in a few cases the lack of capital investment and re-organization in the past. I I I - 11 -

I (iii) the relative lack of tertiary employment, particularly in the key 11 growth 11 areas· of the tertiary sector. (i.e. office type activities). This is very important as this was the fastest area of employment growth for Australia as a whole between I 1961 and 1971 (tertiary employment in Australia grew by 40.9 per cent in that period compared with a growth in total I employment of 24.0 per cent). · · .. As a consequence of this imbalance in the economic structure of Geelong, many of the educated young have to leave Geelong to find employment I coiTITiensurate with their qualifications. Promotion.opportunities are also limited for persons in the Regional workforce who elect to remain in Geelong. The net re~ult is an under-utilization of skill and loss I of initiative in the Region .. The opportunities for manufacturing employment in Geelong in the past have resulted in the in-migration of an older, unskilled or semi-skilled I workforce, with a high component of overseas born people.. These in­ migrants brought with them a large number of children under nine years of.age. As these children grow up, they further increase the existing employment problem, particularly the lack of employment opportunities I for the young. The overall result is that the Region has lost, and is ·continuing to lose, those people most able to assist it to solve its ·problems and has gained people who largely depend for employment on I the non-growth industries. ·

The employment situatio~ in Geelong reflects a major disequilibrium I and the Region increasingly fits the notion of a downward transition area as defined in regional economic theory. That is the Region , is at the crucial point in time where large scale coriunitment and action fs required to prevent a downward spiral that will m~ke it into a depressed I Region in the classical European sense ... (1) I I I I I I I I

(1) Geelong Growth Centre Planning Group ''Geelo.ng Strategy Employment I in Geelong ... . - ~ ...... ~~~~~~--~~------

TABLE I ------­GEELONG REGION (1) ·poPULATION.BY.LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS 1961 - 1975

i ' · Growth . r Growth Growth Growth . 1961-66 1966-71 1971-75 1961-75 1961 1966 I 1971 1975 I I I I I No. %p.a. I No. _t%p.a. No. %p.a. No. %p.a. ! ' - I i Bannockburn 2200 2213 2072 2273 ; 13 .. 0.1 -14l J -1.3 201 . 2.3 73 . 0.2 1 •. i ' i Barrabool 2344 2914 3471. 4224 570 i 4.4 557 I . 3.6 753 5.0 1880 4.3 ' ! j ! i . r Bellarine 10,127 14,523 i 18,791 I 22 ,425 i 4396 . 7.5 4268 5.3 3634 4.5 12~298 5.8 ! ! Corio 29,450 36,222 40,544 I 45,326: 6772 4.2 4322 ! 2.3 4782 2.8 15,876 3.1 'I I Gee long 18,019 18,129 17,836 16,099 i 110 0.1 -293 I -0.3 1737 -2.1 -1920 -0.8 I Geelong West 17,681 17,538 17,248 16' 138 : -143 -0.2 -290 -0.3 1110 ...,1.7 -1543 I -0.6 I ' Newtown 11,788 11,700 11,621 10,832 - 88 -0.1 - 79 -0.1 -789 -1.7 -956 ' -0.6 i I Queenscliffe 2659 2788 2807 2784 129 1.0 19 0.1 - 23 -0.2 125 0.3 South Barwon 16,794 22,056 26,764 31,481 5262 5.6 4708 3.9 4717 4.1 14,687 4.6 ' i Total Geelong Region 11,062 128,083 141,154 . 151,582 17,021 2.89.13,071 i 1. 96 .~0,428 1.80 40,520 2.24 ~

(1) This table includes the ~opul~ti6n in the three designated areas. Source: Australian Bu~eau of Statistics, Victorian Office, Victoria- Population·and Population Growth Rates in Local Government Areas on a Constant Area Basis 1947 to 1971 Geelong Region - Population count, 2 July 1975 - Preliminary Results. ---·-··-----·------I - 13 - I TABLE II I GEELONG REGION (1) DISTRIBUTION OF THE WORKFORCE I 1971 I INDUSTRY GROUP NUMBER PERCENTAGE

I PRIMARY 2,062 3.8. MANUFACTURING 18,657 34.4 I TERTIARY 30,100 55.5 I OTHER and not stated 2,103 3.9 Unemployed 1,286 2.4 I TOTAL ..LABOUR FORCE 54,208 100.0 I ·,.. I ·(1) This table includes the population in the three designated areas. Source: Australiari Bureau of Statistics, 1971 Censu~. ~ C~aracteristics of the I Population and Dwellings in Local Government Areas. I I I I I I I I - 14 - I CHAPTER 4 I PLANNING POLICY, SUBMISSIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS 4.1 INTRODUCTION I . The Board in preparing its report must have regard to ·a number of factors set ~ut in Section 4(5} of the Act: I Any relevant·' statements of planning policy made under the Town and Country Planning Act. I Any recomnendation made by any Government Department, Public Authority, Municipal Council or responsible authority under the Town and Country·Planning Act. . I The desirability of conserving or enhancing any particular aspect of the environment existing within an Investigation Area or any areas or buildings of historic architectural, I scientific or other interest within an Investigation Area. 4.2 STATEMENT OF PLANNING POLICY NO. 7 - GEELONG I The Geelong Statement of Planning Policy identifies· the Region as a location for large scale urban growth which provides an attractive and significant alternative to continued Metropolitan concentration. I It lays stress on the n·eed for the planning of such growth to ensure that the present considerable attractions of the .Region are conserved, that acceptable environmental standards are achieved and maintained I in the process of development, and that the existing community is not detrimentally affected. I Whilst not regarded as part·of the Government•s decentralization programme, it is intended ·to assist in the slowing down of Melbourne•s growth rate and is proposed as one means of redistributing growth .within the Port Phillip District. · · I The preponderance of growth to the east and south east of the Metropolitan area represents a threat to traditional recreation I resources in such places as the Dandenongs, the Yarra Valley and the Mornington Peninsula. The dangers of this pressure have, of course, been recognised, in the adoption by the Government of Statements of I Planning Policy No. 2 (Mornington Peninsula}, No. 3 (Dandenong R~nges} and No. 4 (River Yarra}. These were· designed to restrain urban expansion in the areas to.which they apply, yet thefr effect will be to re-direct growth largely into the south east.corridor.The latter I has the potentiality for becoming increasingly relevant, particularly having regard to the possible specialized industrial development at :, identified in the Government•s Statement of Planning I Policy No. 1 (Western Port}. The heavy concentration of development in this one ~utlet would severely restrict housing and general development choices and in. fact I would create additiona.l problems. The. concentration of a large number of people into the one outlet would be bound to intensify the already heavy pressure on the physical resources of the eastern and I southern are.as, particularly for recreation. .I I - 15 - I I

The re-distribution of Metropolitan growth outlets and diversion I from the major south east outlet is partly to be achieved by the promotion of satellite cities at Melton and Sunbury, Nevertheless it is the need for a major alternative growth outlet to the south east I which swings attention right across Port Phillip Bay to Geelong. Accelerated growth here would help greatly to r~lieve pressure to the I south east and ~rovide a wider choice in development opportunities. The environmental characteristics of Geelong have the potential of satisfying demands for living conditions of a high standard. The attractive rural hinterland and its river valleys, the outstanding I seascapes and coastal resort a~eas, the B~llarine Peninsula with its range of resources for nature conservation and recreation, all provide favourable conditions capable of encouraging further· urban growth on a I large scale. The undulating terrain of areas adjoining Geelong itself permits a wide variety of urban locations. I 4.3 SUBMISSIONS· The Board sought submissions from all Government departments, public authorities, municipal councils and responsible authorities having I an interest in the Geelong Investigation Area. · I The main points made in those submissions a,re set out below:- a} Municipal Coun6ils The Shire of Bellarine submitted a comprehensiVe and detailed I report entitled 11 The Bellarine Peninsula .... The Shire of Bannockburn expressed the opinion that the Shire I is ideally suited for large scale urban deveJopment. · The Council urged that attention be given to the.provision of special grants to the Shire to enable it to provide additional facilities I which will be needed as a result of growth ..Failure to do so would place enormous rate burdens on the existing ratepayers. The City of Newtown drew attention to the fact that the expansion I of the Geelong urban area since 1945 has occurred largely to the north, south and east w.ith relatively little expansion to the west. It feels ·that if the present pattern ·of development. I is allowed to continue a potentially large horth-south traffic problem will become more evident. The Council considers that in the best interests of Geelong the next stages of urban development I should be concentrated to the north-west and south-west of the city and gradually extend towards each other and ultimately merge. The Shire of Barrabool considers that it would be unrealistic to I argue against the concept of accelerated growth because it believes that this decision has been firmly and irrevocably taken. However the Council urged that when making decisions as·to how this growth I will be planned, developed and managed, the State and Federal Governments place great importance on the fol1owing points:- (i} Adequate and effective local political and citizen I participation in any new development organisation. The Council rejects the Albury-Wodonga structure with a small Development Corporation plus Consultative Council. It.considers the Geelong I organization should have at least one Councillor .from each of the nine Councils, ·with equal voting rights, as other members of the I organisation. · - 16 - I

(ii}· . The regional development approach, and the impact on the total Region of accelerated growth. The Council believes that any new I ·organization should take an over-view of the impact of growth points on the whole Region. For instance, if the Federal and State policy is to provide a total planning approach, then such matters as I proper development of recreation and leisure facilities within the Region must be given as much consideration ~s say the provision of housing. I (iii) The need for adequate social development as much as physical and economic development. I (iv} The preservation and continuation of the planning, and community support of the Regi ana 1 Planning Authority, and the Regional Council for Social Development. These two bodies are I seen to represent the region. Thus if a m~lti-purpose regional development organization is super-imposed on the Region, the Council believes that it must either effectively integrate with the aims and objectives of these two bodies, and not weaken· their community base, I or beable to effectively absorb the functions of these two bodies in such a way that comprehensive social and physical planning is achieved. I (v} The effect on the Council or Councils most directly involved in the new growth. In the Council •s view the major implications I to Barrabool and other Councils would be their future role~ and the financial, administrative and political impact of accelerated growth on traditionally rural municipalities .. I (vi} The effects on the existing rural land owners whose land may be acquired or otherwise affected by the growth centre proposals. I· b) Government Departments and Public Authorities The Commonwealth Government Department of Services and Property stated I that they had no special requirement other than that any Australian 11 Government owned land be reserved .. Special Purposes - Commonwealth • The Department of State Development and Decentralization drew attention I to decentraliza.tion benefits available to manufacturing or processing industries choosing to locate in the Geelong Region. I The Chief Secretary•s Office supplied information relating to sites of aboriginal relics. These have been listed in Appendix I. It also stated that as there are I references to aboriginal relic sites along several river courses and river banks the Acting Protector of Relics considers it would be desirable to d~lay any further development of such areas, pending a full archaeological investigation. I The Mines Department submitted information on areas which should be reserved for future extractive industry use. The Department also supplied notes on the Economic Geology of the Geelong Region. I The Victorian Railways anticipate considerable development in the Geelong area and stated that the possibility of originating Melbourne­ I bound passenger trains at points beyond Geelong on the Queenscliff, Colac or other lines may require further consideration. They provided a statement setting out their views on the planning of land in areas served by railways. I ·I I - 17 -

The Country Roads Board drew attention to declared highways and main I roads in the R~gion, and to the transportation study and Environmental and Social Benefits and Costs Study carried out in Geelong. I The Housing Commission stated that its role'of providi.ng housing for low income earners in the Geelong ·Region will continue and they called for the early definition of areas suitable for residential I development .. Data collected by the Soil Conservation Authority officers working in the Region was supplied early in the studies enabling assessment of I land capability for urban development. The Geelong .Waterworks and Sewerage Trust 1ndicated that the northern section of its.drainage area (Shire of Corio) is more remote from the I principal water supply and drainage facilities and is less readily serviced by the Trust's utilities than other sectors. The area around the designated areas of Barrabool and South Barwon could be more I readily serviced by the Trust. (The Trust does not have authority with regard to the municipal district of the Borough of Queenscliffe and the Shire of Bellarine beyond the limits of the Moolap Riding .. The I same is applicable to the Shire of South Barwon within- the Connewarre Riding or the Shire of Barrabool beyond the Ceres Riding). I c) Other Organisations The Barwon Regional Council for Social Development recommended that:- I i) social development goals be written into any legislation and strategy plans for development; · . . ii) the Regional Council for Social Development's role in social I development planning be recognised, and that a co-operative partnership with plannirig authorities be ~egotiated; iii) broad public participation be fostered, preferably by a structure I independent of the deve 1opment authority. . Appendix 2 gives a complete list of the formal submissions. I 4.4 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS

Conservation and enhancement of ihe environment ar~ ari inte~ral part I of the Board's strategy for the Region. Chapter 6 discusses in detail areas of conservation, historic and special s~ientific interest. I , I I I. I I - 18 - I .. CHAPTER 5 I GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE GEELONG REGION I 5.1 INTRODUCTION I The conmitment to stimulate the Geelong Region as a'location for accelerated growth, as expressed in Statement of· Planning Policy No. 7 {Geelong) must be met within the context of a regional I strategy which establishes goals and objectives .and provides a framework within which detailed policies and subsequent decisions can be co-ordinated. The major principles of the. Strategy adopted as basic development guidelines were: I

{i) That the population growth in the region b~ confined mainly to u~ban Geelong, a few rural towns and to a major concentration I of population located beyond the limits of the existing Geelong urban area. I {ii) That it provide a variety of landscapes to enable the different requirements of each sector of the housing market to be met. {iii) That the permanent population growth in coastal towns be I curbed so that they may retain their resort character. {iv) That the Geelong Central Business District be enhanced as the I regional focus in function and identity. {v) That the development preserve and create urban and rural I landscapes of special visual value and maintain areas for conservation/recreation. The overall strategy can best be summarized by reference to the goals I and objectives drawn up by the Steering Committee. In the Board's view these goals and objectives are consistent with the intent of Statement of Planning Policy No. 7 {Geelong). They are grouped under I the following five headings. · Environmental Quality Economic Prosperity I Social Well Being Rational Land Use Sound Management I 5.2 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY I Goal The conservation and enhancement of the unique natural and man-made environment of the Geelong Region. I Objectives I i) Prese~ve envi~onmentally fragile eco-systems. i i) Retain for public use areas of recreational importance. I iii) Foster a community understanding of the env1ronment. I iv) Maintain the special attraction of the aquatic environments. I - 19 - v) ·Protect areas, precincts, and buildings of.v'isual, historic.or I archaeological signific~nce. -vi) Minimize air, water and noise pollution; I 5.3 ECONOMIC PROSPERITY Goal I A high level and a stability of employment and prosperity throughout the region. I Objectives · i) Increase employment especially in the tertiary sector , and I for women. ii) Restructure and broaden the economic base of the Region.· I iii) Provide employment to match expected ·population growth. iv) Complement government initiatives by encouraging private I investment in the area.

v) Safeguard the potential of existing indust~ies to exploit I economies of aggregation. · vi) Promote the established tourist and recreational role of I the Region. vii)· Minimise the .disruption to agricultural activity. ·I viii) Strengthen the economic importance of Geeiong in the Port Phillip District and reduce commuting to Melbourne. I ix) Safeguard valuable mineral and mining deposit~. 5.4 SOCIAL WELL-BEING I Goal I. A. satisfying and rewarding life for existing and future residents. Objectives I i) Achieve an appropriate population mix in th~ new urban growtri areas a~d within the region as a whole. ii) Provide a wide range of, and a high degree of access to, housing, I employment, recreation, health, education, and welfare services, transportation and corrmunications. I iii) Minimize.both the settling-in difficulties for new residents and the disruption to existing communities.· I iv) Provide an effective process for citizen partiSipation. v) Provide for the needs of minority groups and the disadvantaged. I vi) Ensure that proper social facilities and services are provided at each stage of development.

I vii}· Introduce and maintain an equitable distrib~tt6n of funds and facilities between new and established communities. - 20 - I 5.5 RATIONAL LAND USE I Goal A rational and flexible framework within which present and future . environmental, social and economic needs may be reconciled and I accommodated. Objectives I i) Accommodate future growth in the Region by reserving sufficient land suitable for urban development. I i'i) · Promote the effective integration of new growth areas with . existing settlements and with the new University site. I iii) Improve the environment and services of existing urban centres, and adapt them to changing circumstances. I iv) Encourage the provision of an adequate range and distribution of housing and of community facilities throughout the urban area. I

v) Ensure that ad~quate tourist and recreational facilities are safeguarded to meet the demands on the Region. I vi) Establish standards for a high quality of urban development. vii) Encourage life and vitality in centres, both during and after I the working day, by integrating educational, commercial and cultural facilities. I viii) Maintain and reinforce the role of Geelong as the major centre of the Region. ix) Reinforce the separate identities of the coastal towns and rural I villages. x) Provide conservation and recreation areas adequate to meet the I needs of the Region. 5.6 SOUND. MANAGEMENT I Goal

The efficient a~d effective implementation of the .strategy proposals. I Objectives I i) Co-ordinate the physical, social and economic policies and· programs. ii) Develop and review financial incentives necessaryfor the I successful promotion of Geelong. iii) Encour·age the co-operation and participation of Local, State I and Australian Government Agencies. i v) Establish a reserve of fully serviced land for residential, I industrial, commercial, educational, social, community and civic purposes. I v) Develo·p arrangements by which the progress and success of the e constantl monitored. I - 21 -

I CHAPTER 6 CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT I 6.1 .INTRODUCTION The Geelong Region covers an extensive area of 2,527 square kilometres. I It offers a range of opportunities for urban development, nature conservation, recreation, agricultural and mining activities. In order to rationalize the use of land in a reasonably efficient, socially desirable, and environmentally sensitive manner, it is I necessary to consider both natural and settlement support characteristics of the physical environment of the Region. I 6.2 RECREATION AREAS

Surfing beaches and boating areas, mountain .range~~ rivers, lakes and I unspoiled countryside are all to be found within the Geelong Region. Together they-offer both visitor and resident an al~ost unrivalled I range and diversity of recreation throughout the year. The coastlirie contains some of the most intensively u~ed beaches in Victoria,and attractsmany thousands of holiday-makers to the Region each year. On the coast alone there are camping facilities for I over 33,000 people, and hotel, motel or other holiday accommodation for a further 6,000 at any one time. In addition to the holiday-makers who stay some time in the area, there are many other people from Melbourne I or nearby Victorian country centres, who visit the Region just for .the day. In summer most of these head for the beaches, but in the cooler months the inland areas gain in popularity - chief among these are the You Yangs and Angahook Forest Parks, the Brisbane and the Otway I Ranges. Figures taken during 1973 show that on an average summer Sunday over I 13,000 vehicles entered the Region along the Melbourne Road, or some 4,000 more than the Tuesday to Thursday average, while both Friday and Saturday figures were over 12,000. As would be expected, there were very high return figures out of the Region both on Sunday, and to I -a lesser extent on Monday, indicating the large numbers who stay overnight in the area. I In 1971, inteiviews of Sunday travellers indicated that over 60 per cent of their trips to the Geelong Region were for recreation. Applying this percentage to 1974 figures, and allowing for an average I of 2.7 people in each vehicle, it is estimated that over 45,000 people visit the Region on an average summer weekend from the Melbourne direction alone. This number is further increased by. those arriving from other-directions, by train, and aboard the Queenscliff-Portsea­ I Sorrento Ferry. In the context of a strategy for growth and conservation in the I Geelong Region, this tourist role assumes a dual importance. Firstly, the.close proximity of, and the easy access to a very wide range of beaches and inland recreation areas are likely to act as I powerful magnets in drawing potential residents to. the Region. There­ fore, the protection and enhancement of these resources ·is important I to the success of the strategy as a whole. Secondly, the present and I - 22 - I

potential contribution of tourism to the regional economy (and in I a sector which is specially significant if the employment structure is to be successfully broadened), re-emphasises the importance of maintaining or strengthening this role against the competing I pressures of urban development. The Region•s resources have been grouped in this Report into five main headings - namely, Mountain Areas, Inland Water Areas, Urban I Geelong, the Bayside Coa~t and finally the Ocean Coast. Mountain Areas I There are four main hill or mountain areas in the Region. In the north, the You Yangs rise prominently out of the surrounding Werribee I Plain and provide the area with one of its best known landmarks; from the north, the well wooded Brisbane Ranges point down ihto the Region; immediately to the west of the city itself lie the gently undulating ; and in the south-west, the Otway Ranges I are a significant feature. At present, recreation use in the mountain areas is confined to a relatively few locations,chief ·among these being the forest parks of Angahook in the Otways, and the I You Yangs in the north-east. Inland Water Areas I In many ways the recreational use of the inland water areas is similar to that of the Mountain Areas, in that such use is largely restricted to a very few locations, even though the Region as a whole contains I a wide variety of rivers and lakes. The Barwon.River and its tributaries form the most important river system I in the Region. The Barwon rising in the Otways north of Apollo Bay, describes a broad arc across the Region before flowing through Geelong and Lakes Reedy and Connewarre to the ocean at Barwon Heads. Its main tributaries, the Leigh and Moorabool Rivers, rise outside the Geelong I Region to the north-west on the Southern slopes of the Great Dividing Range. Other waterways include Hovells Creek in Corio Shire and Thompsons, Merrigig and Spring Creeks and the in I the south. , which is brackish is situated at the western limit of the Region, south-west of Mount Moriac, and there are three smaller salt lakes on the Bellarine Peninsula -, Lake I Murtnaghurt and Salt Lake. Of all the lakes in the Region, Modewarre is the only one which is used significantly for recreation, and it is popular both for speed­ I boating and water-skiing. The other lakes are all environmentally sensitive, and recreational use of them has been discouraged. I Similarly, of all the Region•s rivers only the Barwon is used to any great extent. for recreation. Around Queens Park and Buckley•s Falls, picnicking, fishing and walking are popular, while the deeper, straight stretch downstream from Shannon Avenue Bridge to Belmont Common is used I for speed-boating, water-skiing and rowing. The lower reaches of the river, south of , are again popular for water­ skiing, but also for sailing and children•s boating, ~hereas use of the ·I upper reaches (and of the Moorabool) is largely confined to fishing and canoeing. A recent addition is the Balyang Wildlife Sanctuary, which · has been es tab 1 is hed in the marshy a rea between th·e Stia nnon Avenue I embankment and the Barwon itself. Making excellent use of a very limited site, the sanctuary has already been successful in attracting an interest1ng variety of birdlife which in turn attracts large numbers I of visitors. I - 23 - I Urban Geelong Up to date, the prov1s1on of recreation facilities in Geelong has been biased towards outdoor sporting activities, with few facilities available for indoor sports, entertainment and informal leisure use. Kardinia I Park, home of the Geelong Football Club, takes pride of place among the numerous ovals and playing fields and every alternate winter Saturday, large crowds of local supporters and visitors from Melbourne, Ballarat I and beyond attend the matches. The urban area also has four golf courses, several tennis clubs and is generously provided with bowling clubs, I although indoor sporting activities are less well catered for. Geelong has four cinemas and two drive-in theatres, a recital hall, an art gallery containing several notable Australian paintings, an old-time music hall, a palais de danse, and two ageing theatres in I which concerts, plays, recitals, talks, ballet classes and public meetings take place under far from favourable condition~. I There is widespread agreement that the city lacks a building suitable, not only for such well-established activities as concert recitals and live drama, but also for more experimental ones, which might interest I a wider section of the community and stimulate a greater degree of local participation. This is perhaps most relevant for the young people of Geelong. There are few facilities for them at present, and 1 the popularity of local hotels, which are almost the only places to I­ provide 11 1 ive 11 pop music,. has added greatly to the problem of under­ age drinking. The two 11 drop-in 11 centres now open in the city, are I visited by a large number of teenagers. Bayside Coast The bayside coastline stretches from the boundary of the Melbourne I Metropolitan Region at Little River, past the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works Sewerage Farm, the beaches and quays of Geelong, and around the Bellarine Peninsula as far as Point Lonsdale I at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay. The stretch of coastline from Little River to Limeburners Creek has II little potential for recreation other than launching ramps for trailer boats and a safe anchorage for sma 11 craft west of Kirk Point. Beaches are rocky and fouled with decaying seaweed and the adjoining lagoons I and outfall of the sewerage farm make it unattractive to the visitor. Beyond Limeburners Creek, the western and southern shores of Corio Bay are predominantely used for port and harbour purposes, with small I recreational beaches at St. Helen's and Rippleside and the popular swimming pool and picnic lawns at Eastern Beach, with a boat launching ramp at Limeburners Point. From this point eastwards the coast flanks the I Cheetham Salt Works and is largely inaccessible. At Point Henry, in spite of the large industrial development of the Alcoa works and jetty, the shelly beach provides safe shallow-water bathing for children and s·hore launching for boats, and is intensively used in summer. The I southern shore of Geelong Outer Harbour from Point Henry to Portarlington has poor access and is of little recreational value apart from boat­ I launching and fishing the off-shore banks. Portarlington, Indented Head and St. Leonards all have sandy, although narrow, beaches and attract thousands of holiday-makers during the summer I months. However development of these towns has been largely unplanned and, as a result, they form a thin ribbon of development along the coast road. In some places this has made it difficult for the day visitor I to get to the beach easily, a problem which is more severe along stretches where camping reserves occupy the i~ediate foreshore area. ------~- - 24 - I

Between St. Leonards and Queenscliff lies . ·Swan Bay is almost land-locked and very shallow, but has a channel which allows navigation I by yachts and large pleasure launches as far as Swan Bay Jetty, where a safe anchorage for such craft is available .. It is of considerable ecological importance as a breeding ground for fish and supports a large I population of water-birds. The slow interchange of water in this shallow bay renders it very vulnerable to pollution, and accordingly ·any development of the foreshore should be prohibited or subject to strict controls. Its recreational importance is confined· to boat fishing, I particularly for Whiting, and shallow-draft sailing from a clubhouse on the eastern shore. I The town of Queenscliff, on the east side of Swan Bay, attracts large numbers of holiday makers and visitors throughout the year. Set at the end of a narrow causeway, the town has thus been contained within its I natural boundaries and, as a result, has managed to retain a measure of the elegant charm of a former, less hurried age. The many fine old buildings, the historical links with early shipping (and shipwrecks) in Port Phillip Bay, and the ferry service which still operates across I to Portsea and Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula, all help to give the town an atmosphere quite distinct from that of other holiday towns in the Region. I Ocean Coast I Despite the gtowing importance of the baYside and inland areas, the ocean coastline from Point Lonsdale to North Lorne remains the Geelong Region's greatest recreational asset and is undoubtedly one of the most popular resort areas in southern Australia. The ocean coastline I· attracts surfing enthusiasts and holiday-makers from Melbourne and much of Western Victoria, and surfing championships held on the coast draw competitors from interstate and overseas. From Point I Lonsdale to Torquay, the beaches are wide and sandy, and behind them runs a line of dunes. Collendina, Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads, Bancoora and Jan Juc are among the more important surf beaches. West of Torquay, the beaches are more rocky and are backed by high cliffs as I at Bells Beach; Point Addis, Anglesea, Urquharts Bluff, and Airey's Inlet, whilst the most southerly section down to Big Hill is characterised by narrow dunes rising into coastal heathland, with I t.he Otway Ranges in the background. It is inevitable that a conflict of interest will arise when a long fragile I coastline is frequented by a large number of visitors. With the growing popularity of camping holidays - as opposed to staying in a guest-house or hotel - the demand for camping sites, and the intensity of their use has increased. Such sites are often located right on the narrow and I ecologically sensitive foreshore, and in several areas this has resulted in serious erosion of the dune areas and destruction of the natural vegetation. In most sites, access to the beach is officially restricted I -to carefully spaced tracks, but in practice, paths are forced through to the shore along the whole length of the camping ground - in some cases througt wire fences. . This problem is repeated along much of the coastlirie where ocean roads run very close to the beaches, and careful attempts to restore the sand-dune areas along the Barwon Heads - 13th Beach road are constantly I thwarted by the formation of new tracks down to the surf. I I I - 25 -

The development of the holiday towns of the coast has been largely I unplanned. One of the results is that car parking areas are often quite inadequate to meet the demand during the summer. At Point Lonsdale and Torquay, the problem is acute and cars quite often block I the driveways of nearby residential streets. In many cases, parking has spread into the shady tea-tree areas and nearby dunes, and is I causing serious damage. 6.3 NATURE CONSERVATION The natural environment of the Geelong Region embraces a rich variety I of resources which are of immense value, not only for recreation, but also, through the maintenance of the original ecology of the Region, for scientific research and education. But these resources are I vulnerable to a variety of pressures which threaten to cause serious damage. It is the areas of conservation significance which are the most fragile and where the potential loss to the natural environment is the I greatest. Therefore special emphasis is placed on the peculiar importance and special needs of the Region's conservation areas. Of all the different areas within the Region, none offers such a wealth I and variety of scenic beauty as the southern ocean coastline. Between North Lorne and Anglesea, where outlying sections of the Otway Ranges slope down to meet the sea, the Great Ocean Road affords dramatic views I of the rocky, indented coastline. North-east of Anglesea, the cliffs at Point Addis and Bells Beach remain largely in their natural state and from these high vantage points the coast is visible for many miles in both directions - on a clear day it is possible to see as far as Lorne in the !' I south and Cape Schank in the east, almost sixty kilometres away on the Mornington Peninsula. From Torquay to Port Phillip Heads the coastline is. characterised. by broad sweeps of sandy beaches~ a 1 i ne of sand-dunes behind, 1 I and an immediate .hinterland which is generally flat and often marshy. Although less dramatic than areas further to the south, much of this I coastline has. about it a solitary and wistful beauty. Almost every area has its own particular attraction' but, apart from the ocean coastline, it is in the mountain ranges that the other extensive areas of natural landscape beauty are to be found. The uplands not only I provide an attractive environment within their own boundaries, but, in a Region which is otherwise rather flat, they form a prominent and important feature in the landscape, whether it be the distant backdrop of I the ranges, the stark isolation of the You Yangs; or the more rounded Barrabool Hills. I Apart from the Barrabools, which have been cleared, the uplands are the only extensive areas where the natural vegetation of the Region has · survived. The Otway Ranges from the study area boundary to Airey's Inlet are characterised by open forest, with wet schlerophyl (rain forest) I in the valleys. The eastern limit of the rain forest is at Point Castries, where it gives way to woodland with scrub and heath understorey, and where there are also intrusions of the noxious weed, South African Boneseed, I which is threatening the native vegetation of the area. The Brisbane Ranges are covered in open forest but the You Yangs are classified as woodland. There are also several smaller woodland areas, whose value I lies not only in the contrast they provide in an otherwise cleared agricultural landscape, but also in the contribution they offer to a better understanding of the Region's ecology. I Of importance, too, is the fact that in .many cases the· Region contains the farthest limit of many types of vegetation predominant elsewhere. It provides the only coastal occurrence of ironbark forest in Victoria; I it is the most-easterly extent of the Western Australian elements ?f the Victorian flora; and conversely, it is the most westerly locat1qn - 26 - I of several species otherwise restricted to the east of the State. I Hovells Creek contains a rare type of mangrove which is now extinct elsewhere in Port Phillip Bay, the swampy ground around the mouth of Thompson's Creek has a fine stand of very ancient paperbark trees, and II Anglesea is regarded by many as the foremost orchid area in Victoria. Half of the State's area orchid species are recorded there, including the rare Small Helmet. · I This wide variety in. the vegetation and landform of the ~gion helps to provide food and shelter for an equally broad range of wildlife. I The combination of sea coast, sheltered inland waters, wooded ranges and open country means that the bird life of the area is particularly rich. In addition to very large numbers of cormnon birds, several rare species are to be found. Among these are the Tawny Crowned Honeyeater, I Southern Emu Wren, Rufous BrisUebird, Powerfl!l Owl and King Parrot. · Lake Murtnaghurt is the home of the locally rare Singing Honeyeater, and in the Spring of 1971, a family of Stone Curlews,a declining species - I was seen at Maggs Creek. The Region is also visited occasionally by nomadic birds (including Black-tailed Native-hen and Glossy Ibis) ·and migratory birds from the Northern Hemisphere, such as Greenshanks, Ruffs, I Godwits and several species of Sandpiper. The most important bird habitats are the coastal waters and , the Brisbane and Otway Ranges, and the inland lakes and waterways. I In this last category special mention should be made of the , Lake Connewarre, and Lower Barwon area. Reedy Lake is important in that its extensive reed beds provide shelter for an extremely wide I range of birds from Bitterns, Rails, Spoonbills, Sandpipers and Ibis to Swans , Ducks and Terns. Although part of the same system, Connewarre, is a wide, shallow salt lake subject to several inches tidal variation. I The open water, the margins of the Lake and the samphire flats again attract a wide range of birds and indeed the Connewarre Game Reserve is one of the best known areas in the State. · I Many important native mammals are to be found in the Region, including Koala, Grey kangaroos, Black and Red-necke·d Wallabies, Echidna, Ring -Tailed and Pigmy Possum, Short-Nosed Bandicoot and Yellow-bellied I and Sugar Gliders. Hutt Gully, on the coast south of Airey's Inlet, is one of the few sites where the rare mammal, the Swamp or Red Phascogale is known to occur. Although more plentiful in Tasmania, this species I occurs in the mainland only in isolated locations. With the notable exception of Wilson's Promontory, Hutt Gully is the most easterly extent of its range. Another notable discovery is that of the Potoroo (Rat Kangaroo) in the gullies at Distillery Creek nearby. Not only I does this extend the previously known geographical range of the Potoroo but Distillery Creek itself represents a new habitat type for the species. I Less is known of the marine life of the Region. Indications are that the constant flushing of seawater among the submerged reefs near Point Lonsdale make this one of the richest localities in Victoria in terms I of the number of species occurring there, whereas the greater salinity and less pronounced water movement in Port Phillip and Corio Bays result in fewer and fewer species, the further one is from the ocean. I I I I - 27 -

Swan Bay is the last rema1n1ng example of a marine environment which was I once common in Port Phillip Bay. It is very shallow and throughout the year has a water temperature some degrees higher than Port Phillip Bay. This higher temperature, along with rich population of sea grasses, I samphires and other marine flora, makes Swan Bay a marine hatchery of great importance, as well as providing an invaluable habitat for bird 1 ife. I There are over seventy areas within the Region which are considered to be of conservation significance, but, of these, less than ten are adequateiy protected at present. The pressures they face are occurring I in two mai-n ways - by the seasonal recreation traffic, and by .the ever-increasing spread of urban development. I There is a strong demand for residential subdivision in .many of the more attractive parts of the Region. The Brisbane Ranges are already dotted with housing and strong interest has been shown by .developers ·both there and in the southern foot-hills of the You Yangs. However, I it is along the coastline that such pressures are greatest. The indiscriminate construction of access routes and inadequate disposal of sewage have resulted in serious erosion and a general deterioration I of the environment. The rapid expansion of the coastal towns has already been mentioned, I but the growth of Breamlea from a collection of fishermen's shacks:. into a permanent "township" is a clear illustration of the damage that. will occur if no strong measures are taken to control development. Subdivision right among the primary dunes conflicts directly with the I constantly changing and shifting nature of the environment, and may ultimately lead to the complete breakdown and breaching of the dunes. Similar problems have resulted from the construction of the dune road I from Black Rock to Point Flinders, which is frequently covered by drifting sand. The inland waters of the region are also extremely vulnerable to I unplanned urban development. Quite apart from the more obvious ill­ effects of nearby urban settlement - such as the disposal of household refuse on the which is already happening at the Thompson's I Creek Marshes, at Salt Lake, alongside Swan Bay at Queenscliff, and on the salt marshes at Ocean Grove - the water areas are subject to deterioration through what is known technically as eutrophication. I This is a process whereby excess nutrients find·their way into a lake or enclosed bay, either in the run-off from urban areas or in the form of fertilizers washed out of surrounding agricultural land, and eventually bring about the complete stagnation of:the water. The I shallowness of Swan Bay and the lakes makes them particularly susceptible to this danger. I A further threat to the water areas, as also to parts of the mountain ranges, is that of mineral extraction. Shell-grit is being taken from the hinterland of Swan Bay, and from Lake Victoria, where there is also a small limestone quarry. The You Yangs, the Brisbane Ranges and Granite Rock have all been worked for their gravel deposits, and at Mount Anakie there is a valuable supply of scoria which is used as a lightweight aggregate. Unless these operations are most carefully controlled, I serious damage will be caused, which even diligent reclamation work I will be unable to repair. I - 28 - I

The serious dangers of an excessive or poorly mariaged recreation use of the Region have already been discussed but it bears repeating here I that this pressure is evident throughout the Region, whether it be damage to the coastal cliffs and dunes caused by poorly located camp sites, car parks and access routes, overuse of certain popular areas, I or the presence of inappropriate uses such as Go-Kart racing at Lake Victoria. I In this continuing conflict, it is the natural areas, and especially the sensitive elements within them, which are suffering. Furthermore, a faster rate of population growth in the Region, as advocated elsehwere in this report, can only add to these pressures. It is therefore I imperative that an immediate program of conservation planning and management be introduced as a complementary and inseparable component of the overall strategy. Unless accompanied by real protection for I the natural environment, proposals for more rapid growth would be inadequate, even inappropriate. 6.4 COASTAL AND INLAND TOWNS I The Geelong Region is endowed with a long and varied coastline along which a string of settlements have grown up oecause of the invaluable recreational I asset offered by the beaches. The coastline around the Bellarine Peninsula is largely built up between Portarlington and Point Edwards south of St. Leonards, with the only significant open tracts being along the Swan I Bay foreshore and the northern shoreline between Point Henry and Portarlington. The new settlement of Clifton Springs has penetrated this latter stretch over the last decade. The Bellarine Peninsula towns, Breamlea, and part of Torquay, are all separated from the ocean beaches I by sand dunes. This coastal environment differs markedly from the more rugged shoreline settings of the towns west of Spring Creek, which are flanked by the steeply sloping, timbered terrain of the Otway Ranges. I In the past, recreational functions of the coastal towns, have been predominant and permanent population has largely been confined to retired I persons, and small numbers serving the transient resort population (shopkeepers, camping ground proprietors, etc.). In 1973 the towns (excluding Clifton Springs} supported an estimated permanent population of only 13,000 persons or about 9 per cent of the Region's total I population . The towns vary in size between settlements such as Eastern View with hardly any permanent residents, to towns such as Ocean Grove (3,000) and Torquay/Jan Juc (1,924). I However, the coastal towns have increasingly been faced with a dilemma as their recreational functions grow and diversify, and additional I functions arise. With rising mobility, provided by widespread car ownership and increasing real wealth in the community, these coastal towns have experienced a widening use by all sections of the community. The past decade, in particular, has witnessed a rapid rise in the number of I campers, holiday home owners, day and weekend trippers, not only from within the Geelong Region itself, but from the Port Phillip Region generally and'Victoria as a whole. I The coastal towns will only continue to accommodate the demand for recreationists as long as the very attractions which generated the I demand in the first place are not lost. This refers to more than the environmental attributes of the coastline, their high conservation and landscape value and the opportunities afforded for waterbased recreation pursuits. The holiday influx is currently attracted to these coastal I settlements not only because of these physical attractions but also becaus·e of the change of scene and atmosphere provided by the vi 11 age and resort character of the settlements which contrast markedly to I I - 29 -

their normal urban place of permanent residence. Consequently, any I boost in permanent population growth and the associated urban infrastructure must inevitably jeopardise the inherent resort character of these towns, I and so their attractions for recreationists. · The rural areas of the Region, excluding Lara and Leopold, support around 'I 10,000 people, many of whom are farmers who do not reside in settlements. The rural Shire of Bannockburn accommodates the most significant rural towns in terms of size, function and facilities. These include the settlements of Bannockburn, Meredith, Lethbridge, Batesford and Inver­ I leigh. These towns today serve a function as rural servicing centres. In the midst of an extensive farming belt, the towns provide key essential services, such as convenience shopping needs and post office, I and a focus for social and welfare activities such as primary schools, public halls, churches and recreational venues~ ·so via the pattern of social networks built up through use of these facilities, most residents in the rural hinterland have firm linkages and a strong sense of identity I with their respective local town. Population iri all of these settlements and their hinterlands stjll are necessarily dependent on Geelong for I highe~ order services. · The Region supports numerous other small rural villages often amounting to only a few houses, and perhaps a public hall or a general store. A I primary school is a feature typical of most because of the low student threshold required for its retention. Many·place names refer merely to :I rural districts, to which farming residents identify despite the lack of ,I I any node of activity or settlement concentration. The rural towns are now beginning to experience a change in character, a trend which, given a lack of constraints, can be expected to grow at I an increasing rate. The towns are likely to come under increasing pressure for expansion as the population of metropolitan Geelong and the Region generally continues to grow. A trend for some people to I seek a residential location in semi-rural surroundings removed from but in relatively close proximity to the city is likely to accelerate with the build-up of urban pressures in the Region. I Bannockburn and Batesford, in particular, have witnessed the growth of a new commuting element in their population. The pressure for large residential allotments (1 to 5 acres), and for the opportunity to engage I in 'Hobby Farming• is growing, particularly in these two settlements closer to Geelong, and is reflected in their population age structure.

I Given the d~velopment strategy proposed within the Region the rural towns should not.be centres for substantial development. Growth should be limited to a few strategically located service centres and should only be of an order sufficient to warrant an effective utility service network and key I community facilities to be established. Strong control measures will need to be exercised over landuse in and surrounding each town, because of the likelihood of the pressures for greater development within Geelong, I it is likely that rural towns will experience heavy demands for lateral expansion and growth as commuter towns. Already the market for house allotments ~nd large blocks is tight in towns such as Bannockburn and I Batesford. · Pressure on the intervening areas and on the outskirts of the Geelong urban area will ultimately make it difficult to preserve any rural areas in I proximity to the towns. This trend towards rural subdivision around these towns must be constrained I if the present attractive character and distinctive identity of the towns is to be maintained in the future. - 30 - I 6.5 HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND AREAS I The historic buildings of Geelong are a major section of the built fabric of the city and provide the character which the central area of the city possesses. Geelong•s 19th century legacy is most I noticeable in the public buildings of the central area and most streetscapes contain at least one or two classicial facades of distinction.. The preservation and integration of .these older buildings in the evolving fabric of the city wi)l ensure the visual qualities I possessed by Geelong will continue to enrich the life of each citizen. Beyond the central areas of the city are many other examples of fine · I buildings, ·which have not yet been enveloped by urban growth. The buildings at .Ceres in the Barrabool Hi 11 s form .a uri it, closely related to the landscape, the preservation of which is seen as desirable. I The Region possesses many buildings and structures of historic interest in areas beyond urban Geelong. While Queenscliff and Steiglitz are I obviously in need of measures to ensure that the ~ntque character of each place is preserved there are many other less obvious villages and isolated buildings. The Geelong Historical Society and the National Trust have been active in the process of recording and classifying the I Region, and possess detailed records.

A number of monuments, cairns, plaques and stat~es ~xist within the I Geelong Urban Area. The increasing tempo of civil works in the area indicates that care will have to be exerci~ed to see that these structures are preserved on their original sites or as close to these as it is possible to arrange. I The Acting Protector of Relics has advised the Board that the area also contains a number of sites of aboriginal relics which it would be . I desirable to protect from further development. These sites are listed in Appendix 1. All buildings in the Region on the Register of Historic Buildings are listed in Appendix 3. I 6.6 AREAS OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST In addition to.areas of conservation, recreation, and historical I importance the Geelong Region contains sites of special scientific interest. Dr. E.C.F. Bird, a world authority on coastal geomorphology compiled a basic list of sites of scientific importance along the I Victorian Coastline which was circulated to other specialists for comment and addition. The Board published this list in a publication 11 Sites of Special Scientific Interest on the Victodan Coastline .. in July 1973. These sites are of great value for research and I educational use and the Board strongly recommends that these areas should be adequately protected in the interests of conservation of our national estate and heritage. Sites in the Geelong Region .with I this classification are detailed in Appendix 4. 6.7 MINERAL DEPOSITS I The most important mineral resources in the Region are:- ;) Limestone deposits and marl in the lower valley of Waurn Ponds I Creek and at Batesford. The Geelong District is the most important source area in Victoria for limestone and marl suitable for cement ·manufacture. I ii) Brown coal deposits on the flanks of the Otway Ranges near Anglesea. · iii) Large reserves of granite sand north and north west of the You I Yangs. I - 31 -

I iv) Sand and gravel deposits north west of Anglesea. v) "A" grade basalt deposits in the Fyansford area. Urban development on these mineral resources w9uld result in ah I irretrievable loss of resources and income for the.Region. I 6.8 OTHER CONSTRAINTS ON DEVELOPMENT The foregoing are by no means the sum total of constraints on development. Studies of the Geelong Region paid particular attention to I natural and settlement support constraints and these are shown on Maps 2 and 3. These maps highlight. existing urban l~n~ use, agricultural land of high productivity, state forests, flood plains, .watercharged ground, vegetation, slopes steeper than 1:4, aquifers, cement dust fall­ I out areas and an air pollution corridor. The location of State highways, arterial roads, freeways, railways, water mains· and the outfall sewer I are also shown on Map 3. 6.9 ENGINEERING UTILITY SERVICES Another factor requiring consideration is thecapacity of existing I engineering services in the Region and their ability to service further development. I a) Water Supply The Region is now served from catchments on the I (Northern System) and the Barwon River (Southern System) .. The Northern System can supply water· over most of the Region without pumping but has a limited yi'eld. Most of_the Region must be served from the Southern System which is at a lower elevation. Development I areas in the south-western part of the Region and at low elevations which can be supplied by gravity will be the.cheapest to serve. . ~- Future sources of supply can serve up to 600,000 people in the I Region, allowing for increased consumption per person. The principal future sources are dams on the Gellibrand and Aire Rivers in the Otways and the Barwon Downs bores. These are all south­ I west of the Region. The additional capacity which would result from relcaiming effluent, desalination, or extending Melbourne•s supply system to include the Geelong Region has not beeh included. I b) Sewerage The bulk of Geelong is sewered and drains by outfall sewer to the I ocean at Black Rock. Leopold is now being linked to this system and plans to connect Lara are being considered. Towns on the ocean coast are, or are being, connected to the Black Rock.out­ fall~ with the exception of Anglesea, which has a separate system I and. Airey•s Inlet which is as yet unsewered. Important constraints .which impose a cost penalty on sewering I certain areas are: i) the presence of hard rock close to the surface I ii) flat areas where pumping or deep trenches would be needed iii) very steep areas where sewers can serve only one side of a street · I iv) flood-prone areas I - 32 - ~I

Areas which can be drained by gravity· to Black Rock are therefore I. relatively cheap to serve. Areas north of Geelong would be expensive to serve because they require the laying of new mains through Geelong or pumping over the Barrabool Hills. I c) Energy Natural gas is reticulated throughout Geelong and no. specific I constraints ~pply in the reticulation of natural gas in the Region. The S.E.C. is.reviewing its development program in the light of proposed growth in the Region. The S.E.C. advises I that current programs are adequate to meet any likely demand. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

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I CHAPTER 7 I LOCATION OF GROWTH IN THE REGION 7.1 URBAN GROWTH OPTIONS I In order to determine the optimum structure for new growth, three alternative possibilities were examined. These were: I peripheral growth of the existing urban area of Geelong dispersing growth amongst several or all of the coastal towns and rural villages concentrating growth into one or more new area·s which would have I a high degree of self-containment. · There were advantages and disadvantages for all ·three possibilities, but I it was considered that most benefit could be gained from substantial new growth, if it were directed into well planned and well located new areas . . The peripheral growth of Geelong could be limited and the new areas in turn, would be of a sufficient size not only to support a high level of I public transport and an excellent range of health, welfare, education and community facilities, but also to enable economical provision of utility services. Careful planning could minimize the amount of traffic I passing through urban Geelong and there would be the opportunity to build a town of a sufficiently high quality to attract people to live in the I Geelong Region. The disadvantages of locating growth in a new area include the relatively limited range of town size and residential environment available, and the extra travel involved between urban areas. There is also ·a potential I danger that a strong new town centre could attratt a great deal of commercial and retail activity away from the Geelong central area causing it to decline, but it is considered that such ill-effects could be I lessened with good management. In short, structuring growth into new areas, according to the variation I chosen has the potential to minimize: the cost of engineering services total travel within the Region I travel within urban Geelong development within environmentally sensitive area~, such as the Corio Bay and Lake Connewarre catchments I the impact on resort and inland towns and, because it could provide an urban environment of the highest standard, I i;t was· se 1ected as the most appropriate form of deve 1opment. 7.2 LOCATION WITHIN THE REGION I Much of the Geelong Region is suitable for accommodating substantial urban growth. Map 4 illustrates the four most significant alternatives I which are located:- 1. to the north of Geelong in the area around and between the Bacchus Marsh and Anakie roads. I 2. to the north-west of the city between the Barwon River and the I Midland Highway. - 34 - I

3. in the south-west of the Region, generally south of the Barrabool Hills, west of the Torquay road and north of the immediate I coastal areas and the State Forests. 4. to the south-east of Geelong on the Bellarine Peninsula, east of I Lakes Connewarre and Reedy. · In assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the north, north-west, I south-west and south-east as locations for new urban growth, the existing man-made features of the Region assume an importance as great as those of the natural environment. These man-made elements I include the shape and size of the existing urban ~rea, the transport links, the water and sewerage mains, and current mining operations, and are shown in Map 3. By referring back to the goals and objectives of the study, the significant features of both man-made I and natural environments were identified and used to evaluate the four alternative locations. I From this evaluation it was concluded that the real choice was between the two locations to the south of Geelong, but that for several reasons a location to the south-west of the city was preferred to a south-easterly location on the Bellarine Peninsula. Firstly, given I the current uncertainty over rates of population growth and immigration levels, it is of vital importance that ~ew growth areas fit in well with the existing structure, employment opportunities and I community facilities of urban Geelong, and in this respect a south­ westerly location is more appropriate. Moreover, if the goal of stimulating and structuring economic growth I .in the Region is to be realised, new employment will have to be created in the tertiary sector and many such jobs are likely to be located in the present central area. Researth-based industries · I may seek to locate near the new Deakin University at Waurn Ponds, but in any case the University itself will be an important element in the development of Geelong .. In this regard growth in a ~outh-westerly I location would provide markedly better access. Finally, iri recognising the great importance of this Region for recreation, not only locally but for the whole State, it is I considered crucial that the coastline be protected from the threat of continuous development. In this context a south-western location is much more suitable for urban development than a location to the south­ I east, an area which ought to be reserved predominantly for recreation and agriculture, as at present. I I I I I I I I GE_ELONG INVESTIGATION AREA I I OF BALLAN

I MELBOURNE METROPOLITAN PLANNING AREA I

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I .WINCHELSEA I 1\ I I Situ physically suitable for urban dnelopment Municipal Boundary I 4 PREPARED BY THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING BOARD _j I . - 35 -

I CHAPTER 8 DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL STRATEGY I 8.1 INTRODUCTION Goals and objectives for the Geelong Region, consistent with the I intent of Statement of Planning Policy No. 7 have been listed in Chapter 5. They provide the framework for the development of the I regional strategy which is discussed in this Chapter. 8.2 POPULATION . Since World War II, Victoria•s population has grown at an average I annual rate of 60,300 :per annum. This increase represents an annual population growth rate of 2.2 per cent per annum since 1947. In I 1971 the total population was 3,502,000. The growth of Victoria has been dominated by Metropolitan Melbourne which has attracted approximately 80 per cent of the State•s population growth since 1947, averaging a 2.6 per cent increas~ per annum. In I 1947, 65 per cent of Victoria•s population was located in Melbourne, compared with 71 per cent in 1971. The other m~jor growth area has been the Geelong Region which has accommodated .between 3 and 4 per cent I of Victoria•s population since 1947. The population of the Geelong Region is now (1975) in the order of 151,600 which is 4.1 per cent I of the population of the State . .Given the Victorian Government commitment to the development of a growth complex in the Geelong Region to accommodate a greatly increased share of the growth in the Port Phillip District it is necessary to decide on I the scale of the Geelong project and its associated land and service requirements. I While the identification of population targets are properly the res­ ponsibility of the proposed Geelong Regional Authority the Government should indicate, in growth terms, what it sees as the Geelong Region•s I future role within the Port Phillip District and the State as a whole. The identification by the Government of the rate of growth it considers reasonable, and would encourage, is both desirable and necessary in order to establish guidelines for all organisations involved in the I future planning and development of the Region. Such guidelines would fa'cilitate the co-ordination and integration of the investment decisions of the public and private sectors which will be a critical factor in I maximizing the level andquality of services, the range of employment opportunities and the viability of the overall strategy. I While the Board wishes to emphasize the process of accelerated growth in terms of rates of population growth rather than population targets the feasibility of plans to promote population growth in the Geelong Region must be assessed within the context of future possible population I levels in Victoria. The first Report of the National Population Inquiry (Barrie Report) has I raised questions as to the feasibility of a programme of growth centres, the suggestion being that growth forecast by the Report will not be I sufficient to support such a programme. I ------

- 36 - I I , Notwithstanding reservations concerning some of the assumptions used in the Barrie Report, its population projections have been used to test the feasibility of plans to promote population growth in the Geelong Region. Borrie•s projection alternative {2) gives a Melbourne population of 3.41 I million and a Victorian population of 4.78 million at the turn of the century. This projection assumes there will be 1.37 million people in the rest of Victoria in the year 2000 compared with almost one million in 1971. A population growth rate in the Geelong Region of 2 per cent I per annum for the next 5 years followed by higher growth rates averaging an annual growth rate for the next 20 years of between 4.0 to 4.5 per cent would thus be consistent with Borrie•s projections for Victoria. I In its Melbourne Investigation Areas Study the Board made population estimates for both Melbourne and Victoria. These estimates were prepared I by means of a computer based programme incorporating a range of migration, fertility .and mortality assumptions. The basic assumptions adopted in preparing the Victorian estimates include a fertility rate declining steadily toward a level of 2.0 to 2.1 by the early 1990 1 s and tending I to stabilize thereafter. Age-specific mortality rates were assumed to be much the same as existed in 1971 with allowances for a small continuing decline. The population estimates include a range of migration rates I between zero and 20,000 per annum. A detailed analysis of migration data is available for the 1961-71 intercensal period. In this period the average net migration into Victoria was 17,000 per annum. This I figure has been adopted as the assumed future rate. Using this rate of annual net migration a Victorian population of 5.3 million would be expected by the turn of the century. Such a long term projection is surrounded by uncertainty and it is more accurate to state that a I ~opulation of up to 5.3 million could be expected in the decade around the turn of the century. I I Using virtually the same assumptions the projected population for Melbourne by the decade around the year 2000 is 4.0 million people. I Given these possible population levels, the incre~sed rate of population growth proposed for selected Victorian regional centres is clearly feasible within a Victorian context. Under current proposals the distributioncould be as shown in the following table. I TABLE 3 I Population Distribution 1971 2000 1971-2000 I Melbourne 2,503,000 4,000,000 1,497,000 GeelongRegion 140,000 400,000 260,000 A1 bury-Wodonga* 15,000 150,000 135,000 I Rest of Victoria 844,000 750,000 -94,000 I * Assumes 50% of target of 300,000 is drawn from Victoria. Following its study of possible population levels in Melbourne and Victoria the Board holds the view that if Government objectives are to I be achieved any long term planning strategy for the Geelong Region must cater for a population capacity of up to 400,000 by the turn of the century. I I I - 37 -

I 8.3 EMPLOYMENT Chapter 3.4 highlighted the fact that G~elong is on the brink of long tenn economic stagnation and decline. The Geelong economy is suffering I from severe structural problems, it has an unfortunate emphasis on the . more vulnerable elements of the manufacturing sector and it is not keeping I ' pace with national growth in the tertiary sector. A broadening and restructuring of the Geelong economy can only occur through growth .. This is a positive justification .for' the decisions so far taken by. the three levels of Government to stimulate growth in I the Region .. However in the Board•s view further Governmental action is required by way of relo.cation of government tertiary employment opportunities to the Region and through government investment in I infrastructure. Such action will be seen by th·e private sector as evidence of government commitment and the existence.of a less I risky climate for investment in the Region. 8.4 URBAN DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS WITHIN THE SOUTH WEST SECTOR The 1974 study of the Geelong Region conducted by Loder and Bayly I recommended the South West Sector of the Geelong Region as the most appropriate location for major urban growth. Further detailed work by the Growth Centre Planning Group generally confirmed this recommendation I subject to minor variations. The Groups• investigations indicated that the major concentration of population should be sit~d close to Geelong . to allow for incremental growth capable of integration with the existing I urban area, and the new Deak.in University complex. It also indicated that whilst th~ Geelong Central Business District should be enhanced as the Regional focus in function and identity, a second ·major, but complementary, centre should be developed to serve this new growth I area and University. Minor commercial and community centres should be provided for each urban district in the Region. I The resulting concept is of a more. compact urban form in the Region with the main .growth contajned in an area that wil.l form a logical extension ··to Geelong, but at the same time, will retain many functions and operate I as a separate community. As a result of extensive studies of alternative forms of urban development in the south-west sector, three alternative areas have been developed. I The three alternatives are based ori workable structure plans capable of housing an ultimate population of 200,000. Using gross residential standards which equate. with those used in the Board's Melbourne Investigation I Areas Study, newer metropolitan areas and new towns in Canberra, gross areas required for development have been estimated. In addition to these areas required for urban development purposes, there I are additional areas which come withinthe proposed new urban boundaries, but which for various reasons, cannot or should not be developed. !I Further detail is given on these areas in the discussion of the three alternative development options. A fundamental attribute of each of these development options is the I· emphasis placed on both structural integrati~n with the existing urban area and the seeking of maximum advantage from the location of the new I university sited mid-way between Geelong and the growth centre. I - 38 - I

The plan alternatives recognise the limitations imposed by the natural I and man-made constraints in the south-west sector and each plan develops the full potential of the remaining area suitable for urban purposes. I Each option is based on some form of corridor development of Geelong•s future growth, either south west along Thompsons Creek (alternative A) or south along Anglesea Road (alternative B) or west along the Princes Highway (alternative C). I The three option areas include a possible municipal airport to serve the Geelong Region, on a suitable site south of Mount Duneed. This area is I flat with basalt rock close to the surface, and although generally unattractive for residential development, it could well be used for other uses, including an airport. I A description of the alternative development areas follows. Alternative A (Map 5) I This proposed development area is a south western extension of urban Geelong confined to the catchments of Thompsons Creek and Armstrong I Creek. The area, is bounded on the north by the Princes Highway and on the south by the line of Blackgate Road in Thompsons Creek catchment. The western boundary is generally defined by the catchment boundary of Thompsons Creek and the eastern boundary is fixed by the I low lying land east of Torquay Road. The total area is about 13,700 hectares. The main part of the Waurn I Ponds limestone area is included in the proposed area. The area does include 2,892 hectares in areas considered to be unsuitable for development. They include the Mount Duneed regional open spac~major I tree stands, flood plain areas, slopes in excess of 1 in 4, and the reserves for major freeways. The key element of the structure plan for this area is Thompsons Creek I and its tributaries, which form a continuous open space system extending into all parts of the proposed urban areas. It is proposed that the area would be served by a central corridor of commercial I district centres and institutional activities and these could be linked to a new Town Centre, Deakin University and to the existing Geelong Central Business District by a public transportation system. I Principal employment areas would be located in the eastern sector of the area close to the main highway interchange, the University and the public transport system. The Grovedale Area would be extended south­ wards towards Mount Duneed and a new District Centre established for I this larger area. Advantages I A main advantage of this alternative is that it preserves the natural features of the area. Thompsons Creek forms an open space spine through the site and this combined with the Mt. Duneed open space is part of I a regional system linking the Barrabool Hills to the coast through the Reedy Lake/Connewarre . · I The development which is mainly within this Thompsons Creek catchment also minimises the pollution from the proposed development. Land would be made available in various environmental catchments, which will I accommodate different sectors of the housing market. I I - 39 -

I This structure would have a minimal impact on the Barrabool Hills and is not dependent upon the inclusion of the main part of the limestone areas so that their long term future use need not be I determined at this stage. The plan enables this area to be served adequately with both public I and private transportation systems. · The proposed minor development of the east face of the Barrabools north of the University would accommodate future development pressures in I that area without causing major environmental and traffic difficulties in this sensitive part of the Region. The narrow linear form of the structure facilitates movement i·nto the I open countryside and places the central commercial, community, and recreational facilities close to all residential areas .. This form facilitates the staging of development through mfnimal modification I of the structure for different population targets. Disadvantage I A disadvantage is that part of the area immediately west of the proposed airport {approximately 1,230 hectares) comprises relatively flat land which may be unattractive for future residential uses in I this area. I Alternative B (Map 6) This alternative extends the existing strong linear form of urban Geelong in a southerly directio.n towards the Spring Creek Catchment The area is confined to the catchments of the Thompsons Creek and I Armstrong Creek, and is bounded on the north by the Geelong/Colac railway line and on the south by the boundary of the Spring Creek catchment; Eastern and western boundaries are set by.the new I development being kept close to the axis of existing north-south urban Geelong. I The southerly displacement of this area allows for the inclusion of the more marketable terrain west of Anglesea Road~ The total area is about 13,450 hectares,,of which 2,623 hectares are considered to be unsuitable for development. Such areas include the Mount Duneed I regional open space, major tree stands, flood plairt areas, slopes in excess of 1 in 4 and the reserves for major freeways and power lines. The main part of the limestone area is included in the proposed I development area. Structural elements of this linear urban form are similar to Alternative I A, but on a north-south axis. The new town centre would be located south of the university with district centres and major institutional areas linearly distributed along the mainly north-south central. axis and linked to the Geelong Central Business District by a public 'I transport system. Other major institutional areas are sited to the south of the ai~port, and the Grovedale area would be extended I southwards towards Mt. Duneed and served by a new district centre. Advantages· I The main advantages of this alternative are that it generally follows existing market forces that are tending to reinforce a southerly development of urban Geelong. The structure of the growth centre developed in this area would have a minimum impact on the Barra~ool I Hills area and would not require the immediate development of l1mestone areas. - 40 - I

The plan not only enables the development area to be served I adequately by both public and private transport systems, but in locating the mass of urban development south of the Geelong urban area, major road access into Geelong is facilitated. I The form and staging of growth would enable development to proceed on a number of widely separated fronts. I Disadvantages While major urban development anywhere in this South-West Sector I will put pressure on the coastal recreation resources Alternative B in extending this development closer towards the Coast will tend to impose greater pressure on these resources than the other alternati~es. I This extension of urban development southwards towards the coast will tend to diminish the environmental attraction of what is a major recreational resource. This alternative would also downgrade the I recreational. role of main routes leading towards the Coast since the roads would be closer to urban areas and would be required to also fulfil urban as well as recreation functions. I A proportion of the area south west of Mt. Duneed (1,800 hectares) is relatively flat land which may be unattractive for residential development. I Alternative C (Map 7) I This alternatve extends urban Geelong westwards into both the Waurn Ponds and Thompsons Creek catchments. The area is bounded on the north by Waurn Ponds Creek and on the south by Thompsons Creek. Eastern and western boundaries are similar to Alternative A. I The total area. is about 14,244 hectares. Of this figure, 3,666 hectares are considered to be unsuitable for development. This I includes the Mount Duneed regional open space, visually significant areas, flood plain areas, slopes in excess of 1 in 4 and the reserves for major freeways and a powerline. This no-build area is I larger than for the other alternatives and decisions regarding the limestone area will need to be made earlier than in the other alternatives because of its central location within the proposed urban area. I The main employment centre is to the south of the University and includes a town centre closely integrated with the University. Major institutional I uses are distributed to the south of the Anglesea Road and adjacent to the district centres. These centres are not sited on a central spine reflecting the non-linear approach to this structure. I A public transport system could be established to link these new district centres to the new town centre, the main employment areas, the University,. and to the existing Geelong Central Business District. I The Grovedale area would be extended towards Mount Duneed and a new di~trict centre established for this larger area. I Advantages I The advantages of this alternative are that it makes maximum use of important natural features in the south-west sector. The variety of landscapes available in the catchments enables the creation of a I highly 'imageable' growth centre structure with the possibility of I - 41 -

I interesting residential variations. There would be a maximum opportunity to open up development on a number of 'fronts• to provide land in the widest range of land markets. I The natural. open space elements defining the development area, such as the streams, flood plains, Mt. Moriac .and Mt. Duneed, provide the opportunity of incorporating all these elements into the structure I plan. I Disadvantages Disadvantages inherent in this option are that there is an increased possibility of water pollution by locating urban d~velopment in the Waurn· Ponds Creek catchment. There are major transportation problems I associated with linking this area into the structure of urban Geelong, and the· structure is more suited to a transport solutiori favouring private transport. Initial studies indicate that this would be the I· most expensive of the options for development servicing costs. The limestone areas may require to be acquired'for eventual incorporation I into the structure of the new urban area. These areas would not be available for urban uses within the timetable envisaged for development and would form a major barrier in any urban structure plan. I 8.5 THE PREFERRED URBAN DEVELOPMENT AREA Alternative A is recommended as the preferred development area. This I preference is based mainly on the following reasons: i) The proposed development as presented is easily·capable of I integration with Geelong in relation to both land use and transport requirements, but creates a distinct separate. community. I ii) The area is mainly confined to one catchment, the probability of extensive pollution is thus reduced:.· I iii) The main distinctive amenity areas of this part of the Region are retained. (Mt. Duneed, Mt. Moriac, the major slopes of the Barrabools and the Waurn Ponds Creek, Spring Creek and I Thompsons Creek Va 11 eys and water courses). The plan avoids the need for short term decisions on the limestone areas, enabling continued operation of this necessary I resource undertaking.

v) It successfully accommodates the University development land use I and transport requirements without adversely affecting the structure for the rest of the community. I 8.6 CONSERVATION AND RECREATION AREAS Conservation and recreation areas are integral parts of the strategy for the Region. The Region has two major recreation/conservation I areas, firstly the inland reserves (Barrabool Hills, Brisbane Ranges and the You Yangs) and secondly the 190 kilometre coastline. These areas require protection and in some cases extension of existing I reserves. Additional reserves should be developed along the Region's main water.courses which will also provide open space links between I the two major recreation areas. New scenic parkways, based partly - 42 - I

on existing roads are planned to join these areas into a total park system. The existing coastal villages should form special resort I towns within the major coastal recreation area. Remaining areas, not subject to urban development, recreation, or conservation should remain in use for viable agricultural activities in order to retain I the rural function and character of the Region. This overall conservation and recreation strategy involves an area of around 20,000 hectares. Of this area, around 2,500 hectares of land, which has major -recreation and conservation potential, is being threatened by development pressures. The loss of these sites (See Map 8) would be detrimental to ·achieving the long term strategic I recreation/conservation objectives for the Region. · The need to provide for the development of holiday accommodation I is apparent in several of the coastal towns. Areas where this need is most apparent are also identified on Map 8. I 8.7 BUFFER AREAS

There are some 20 urban settlements within the Ge~long Region that are already, or will be, subject to pressure for various degrees of I urban growth arising from the acceleration of development in the Region. These will need to be carefully controlled to prevent unplanned fringe development which would be detrimental to the existing I character, function and identity of these settlements. This is in accord with .the wishes of the comnunity as expressed at public meetings and response to the regional strategy exhibition in ~ovember, 1974. I In the case of the seaside towns there is a need to ·r~tain and preserve their special character as resorts for use by all Victorian~. Parcels of land for recreation and buffer purposes may need to be reserved around I I coastal towns to prevent either major residential expansion~ or conflict between residential and recreational uses. In other areas, such as the Barrabool Hills, fragmentation of land and pressures for changes of land I ·use must be strongly resisted to preserve both the quality and character of these areas. Five parcels of buffer land in need of urgent protection are shown on Map 8. · I I I I -I~ I I I I~. r--~._,.·-·., I \. I \ ·~ I '-·--·----·----. I I I· I I I I I I I I . 8A~~ ~TRAIT I I ~I

.Pnlpoted area A

I . E alatl119 zoned urban area .r-·---1 UnlveraiiJ /collie- alte I .,-J .Lirneatane area and buffer I I· ALTERNATIVE A .. r·-. ·-·--·--. I ('L-._;.·-· I \ \ I \ :"\.... __ I ·--..--.. I I I I I I I I ·I Lon \dol~ I I IA~S STIAtT I I . ,...., Ar!!O 8 .I ,_.-J ...,...,,.....,.,,111111111 ..... -- .. - • I ..,_J ~-- bolffw I I ALTERNATIVE B ~------~~------~------~------

\ r·-·-r--·-·-·-. r· " ("l.-.__,-·--' I '-....'-j .l '\ I \ "" ·~ I \." > I '-·--·--·--. ( I I I I I I I I I I I SA55 STRAIT I . ,...., ..J I • .r' Ptopoeed A r e a C I E ai1t1119 lOlled ,..lion area .,....--.J I .,-J I STRUCTURE .CONCEPT 7 I ALTERNATIVE C GEELONG REGIONAL ~ PLANNING STUDY -----:...~' N I I GEE LONG INVESTIGATION AREA I

BALL AN .I OF

MELBOURNE METROPOLITAN

I PLANNING AREA I SH:RE SCALE OF MILES I 0 I , :\ 41 I SHIRE OF I LEIGH CITY OF GEELONG WEST CITY OF NEWTOWN CITY OF GEELONG I I I I I ·SHIRE OF

I WINCHELSEA

I Recreation Area • Resort Dnelopment Area [I]

I Bu.ffer Area I Municipal Boundary

I 8 PREPARED BY THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING BOARD I - 43 -

I CHAPTER 9 MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION I 9.1 The major emphasis has been on the development of a strategy for the use of land within the Geelong Region. Clearly the use of land within the Region is a function of policies, plans and programmes, that are non­ I spatial or physical in nature. Similarly., physical use of land policies, plans and programmes have economic, financial, social and administrative ramifications. I Consequently any strategic plan for the use of land within the Region must be part of an integrated process. I 9.2 The main elements of the broad strategy for the future development of the Region are: I the conservation of environmentally and recreationally significant land~capes and areas; the containment of coastal towns and rural villages; the retention of highly productive agricultural land for I agricultural purposes; . the retention of significant mineral and mining deposits for future mining activity; I the development of lan~ free of major environmental, recreational, agricultural, mininga~aevelopment servicing cost constraints for urban purposes; and I the selection of new development areas which are capable of accommodating a greatly increased share of the population expected in the Port Phillip District. I 9.3 To be effective this strategy should have political, financial, administrative and legislative backing from each of the governments involved in the planning and development of the Geelong Region. Some of the proposals I for the Region raise the question of land acquisition involving perhaps considerable future public expenditure. Obviously a massive injection of Commonwealth funds over the next few years is critical to the I success of the project. Other proposals involve considerable public expenditure in providing new development services (water, sewerage, roads, etc), improving existing infrastructure {upgrading road and rail facilities)·, providing a range of educational, social and welfare I facilities, relocating government offices and jobs, as well as a variety of other commitments. I 9.4 Each of these actions·affect the market, development pressures and eventually the use of land. This project provides .the respective governments involved in the decision with the opportunity of making explicit their intentions and evolving an integrated planning strategy I to manage growth and change within the Geelong Region over the next quarter of a century. The achievement of this will ·necessitate: I a) ongoing political commitment to the comprehensive 'planning and management of the Geelong Region by all levels of government; I b) continued public investment by each of the levels of government in the implementation of various policies, plans and programmes; .. ,... c) the formulation of appropriate legislation where found necessary I to implement the policies, plans and programmes; ·

d) the formation at the Regional level of an administrative and I organisational unit capable of assuming overall responsibilitY. for the planning and management programmes in the Geelong Reg1on; and - 44 - I

e) the devolution of power and responsibility to that body, which I because of its regional character is best fitted to undertake the high degree of co-ordination, comprehensive planning and management that is required. I 9.5 Such a body, as is referred to in 9.4 (d) and (e) above, should be enabled to: I a) provide the stimulus, drive and expertise necessary to secure the successful promotion and implementation of the project; I b) secure the active partnership of publicauthorities and departments in the planning and development and in the co­ ordination of their activities within the ~egion; I c) secure the maximum possible participation of all parts of the private sector in the planning and implementation of the development of the Region; I d) achieve an economically viable operation particularly where public funds are involved; I e) ensure that acceptable environmental standards are achieved and that areas of conservation and recreation significance, historic and cultural appeal are preserved. I

9.6 In this rega~d the Board supports the proposed legislation which aims to reconstitute and upgrade the existing Geelong Regional Planning Authority. I The Board believes that the establishment of the Geelong Regional Authority is necessary if the Government•s Statement of Planning Policy No. 7 and the strategy envisaged in this report are to be successfully implemented. I 9.7 Its powers, as proposed in the Bill now before Parliament, are as follows: I a) .. purchase land in designated areas ; b) take land in the Geelong Region on lease I c) with the consent of the Minister, exchange land in the Geelong Region for other land in the Region , I d) with the consent of the Minister of Lands, purchase or acquire any Crown lands ; I e) with the consent of the Minister, compulsorily acquire land in designated areas ; I f) subdivide, resubdivide and develop land vested.in the Authority g) enter into arrangements with other persons with respect to the subdivision, resubdivisi.on and development of land in the Geelong I Region ; h) sell land ; I i) grant leases of land or licences to occupy land subject to prescribed terms. and conditions (if any) and any other terms and conditions the Authority thinks fit ; I j) grant or create in favour of any person any easement over land purchased or acquired by the Authority upon such payment and upon I such tenns and conditions as the Authority thinks fit; I - 45 -

I k) effect and arrange with other persons for the carrying out of works and improvements on and to land vested in or under the control of I ~he Authority; 1) maintain and manage land vested in or under the control of the Authority and buildings, works, structures and other property on I such land; m) set apart land for gardens parks open spaces and places of I recreation; · n) set apart for conservation, areas of natural beauty or of interest or of other significance ;

I o) take such steps as are necessary to preserve and enhance areas, buildings, objects and structures of. historic architectural or I. other importance or interest; p) promote public interest in the development pf designated areas I and in the Region generally ; q} with the consent of the Minister accept any absolute donation gift devise or bequest of real or personal property ; and I: r) with the consent of the Government in Council accept any donation gift devise or bequest of real or personal property subject to any trust the objects of which are not substantially different I from those to which the Authority is constituted, and carry out and give effect to the objects of any ·such tru~t. I 9.8 These powers reflect the object of the legislation which is to provide for:

a) the development of a growth complex in the Geelong Region with a I high quality of environment, imaginatively planned and developed with respect to human requirements ; I b) the participation of the people of the Geelong Region in planning the future development of the Region and the nature and limits of I such development ; · c) the preservation within the Geelong Region of areas of natural beauty or interest and areas buildings structures and objects of II historic architectural or other interest ; I d) the co-ordination and integration of development within the Geelong Region, the improvement and enhancement of the Region and the I provision of service and facilities within the Region; and e) the attraction promotion development and improvement of industrial, commercial and other business undertakings and employment 'I opportunities to and in the Geelong Region. 9.9 A high degree of partnership is thus required for the enterprise between I the people of Geelong, and the four arms of State, Federal, regional and local Government. This is reflected in the membership proposed for the I Authority. 9.10 The membership is proposed to comprise: a) one member appointed by each of the nine municipal councils in I the Region; - 46 - I

b) four members appointed by the Governor in Council on the nomination of the Minister ; and I c) three full-time members also appointed by the Governor in Council on the nomination of the Minister, to serve as Chairman and deputy Chairmen of the Authority. I 9.11 It is proposed that this sixteen member Authority shall establish consultative committees to assist it in the carrying out of its functions. The proposed Authority will also be required to keep the public fully I informed of its plans, policies and actions, and to foster effective public participation in its work. I 9.12 Of the seven members nominated by the Governor in ·.council at least three are likely to represent a local voice. Mr. Colin Atkins, the present Director of the Geelong Regional Planning Authority, will, as one of the I three be one of the three full-time members. Of the remaining two local representatives one will represent the Geelong Waterworks and Sewerage Trust. I 9.13 It is expected that of the two full-time deputy chairmen, one will be nominated by the Commonwealth Government in recognition of that Governments• interest in th~ project: I 9.14 The Geelong Regional Planning Authority already operates in the Region. Its role is simply that of planning and its costs are borne by the Municipal I Councils with a subsidy from the Government. This is not adequate for the successful planning, co-ordination and management of the project. The Government has recognised that the costs of the re-organised authority I will be greater, having regard to its additional management, liaison and promotional functions and its greater involvement in the implementation process, including, where essential, land acquisition. It has accepted I that that additional financial burden, over and above the previous degree of commitment, should not be borne by the ratepayers of the Region. Consequently proposals to relieve that situatton are being worked out I between officials of the State and Commonwealth Governments. I I I I I I

I I I I - 47 - I CHAPTER 10 RECOMMENDATION I Having completed its study of the Geelong Investigation Area

I THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT: 1. The area shown on Map 5 is suitable for accelerated development and I requires controlled development; and 2. The following additional areas require controlled development: I the recreation areas shown on Map 8 ; the resort development areas shown on Map 8 and I the buffer areas shown on Map 8

THE BOARD MAKES NO RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE DECLARATION OF THE ABOVE AREAS I AS DESIGNATED AREAS UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AREAS ACT 1973

I In reaching this decision the Board considered two possible courses. They are:

1. The declaration of the areas under the provisions of .the .Development I Areas Act ; and 2. The declaration of the areas under the provisions of the Geelong I Regional Authority Bill if enacted.

The designation of any such areas would be more appropriately secured using the I powers of the Geelong Regional Authority as proposed in the Bill. Since the Board believes that this proposed authority is essential to the I successful implementation of the planning strategy for Geelong, and since the date of establishment of the authority is uncertain, the Board considers the declaration of designated areas under the Development Areas Act may be I of doubtful value .. There is also the possibility that such declarations might cause confusion and uncertainty about future actions in those areas. Nevertheless the two possible courses are put forward for consideration by I the Minister. I I I I I - 48 - I CHAPTER 11 I REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT AREAS ACT 11.1 Where the Board recommends an Investigation Area or part of an I Investigation Area as being suitable for accelerated development or requ1ring. controlled development, Section 4(8) of the Development Areas Act requires the Board, in its report, to provide additional infonnation ·and in particular to: I

a) set out the nature of the existing use of the land in the area or part of the area concerned; I b) set out the general nature of the proposed development including - I (i) types of development proposed specifying the parts of the area considered most suitable for each such type of development; · I (H). any major construction work consequential upon the adoption of the report including works involved in the provision of or the improvement of roads, sewerage and I drainage and in the supply of water, electricity or gas and other services; I (iii ) any particular environment or any areas or buildings of historical or architectural interest, scientific interest, natural beauty or interest of any other special significance which should be preserved; I c) indicate facilities and amenities considered necessary to meet any pr6posed development in the area including changes in I population;

d) indicate any proposed new re~idential ar~as; I e) indicate any problems associated with development in the area; f) include such other matters as the Board thinks fit. I The Board has consciously avoided the preparation of any form of detailed plan or works project, since it believes this to be the prerogative of I other authorities and has adopted a more general approach in seeking to respond to the requirements of Section 4(8) of the Act. I 11.2 The area of land recommended as suitable for accelerated development and as requiririg controlling development (Alternative A~Map 5) is at present used predominantly for agricultural purposes and limestone extraction. The type of development proposed for this area is generally residential. I In this respect the Board wishes to emphasize that in its ~nderstanding 11 residential development .. is to be interpreted in the broadest possible sense of the term; it is intended to include not only an extensive range I of house sizes, styles and prices, but also a complete range of community facilities to cater for the needs of the proposed new population. This array of facilities will include educational, health, welfare,·retail and recreational facilities. The Board also envisages that provision for I industrial uses and a municipal airport could well be. made in this area. The amount of land required for urban and associated urban development I has been calculated on the basis of the following table and supporting paragraphs .(a) to (g): · I I - 49 -

I TABLE 4 LAND BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS LAND USE POPULATION I 100,000 150,000 . 200,000 ha ha ha I 1. Residential (gross) 3,572 5,358 7,144 2. Open space (regional) 580 870 1,160 I 3. Town Centre 80 120 160 4. Industry 552 828 1,104 I 5. Main roads 334 501 668 6. Institutional/reserve 452 678 904

I 7. TOTAL 5,570 8,355 11' 140

I a) The gross residential allocation includes community services supporting the residential land use, such as local open space, local and district centres, primary and secondary education, I local roads. On this basis, and assuming ~verage occupancy rates of 3.45 and average lot size of BOOm , the community population/land use density is about 28 persons per hectare. This density can allow for a wide range of housing developments I and is flexible enough to accommodate future changes that may take place in residential needs. .);.·: I b) The regional open space provision reflects a now generally accepted standard of 15 acres (6.0 ha) per 1,000 population.

c) The Town Centre allocation represents a provision of about 0.8ha I per 1,000 population, this is not based on any generally accepted standard, but on a comparison with other new city centre developments likely to have the same employment, retail, and I community functions1~roposed in this new centre. ci) For industrial land, experience suggests that such allocatiOn I . has always lagged behind the increasing space demands. A generally applied standard related to 30 persons of the workforce per hectare of industrial land allows for some flexibility.

I e) The proportion of road allocation will be determined by the strategy chosen for the town layout, and the eventual Freeway I development. The provision based on about 3.3 hectares per 1,000 population compares favourably with allocations in othe.r new city developments I where a high standard of landscape treatment is also an objective. f) Institutional/Reserve allocation of about 4.5 hectares per 1,000 I popul.ation, provides for major broad acre ·uses such as hospitals, colleges, hostels, as well as the holding~ proportion of land as reserve for future structural changes and land uses unforeseen at present. The scale of provision does not seem unreasonable I when comparing with similar needs in other new towns. I - so - I

g) To this total area must be added land that will be acquired for I environmental reasons and other areas which may have no d~velopable potential. I 11.3 Whilst most of the recreation areas identified on Map 8 are at present in predominantly agriculture use they are coming under increasing pressure for urban development. ·Other areas proposed for broad acre recreation use have already been subdivided-as noted in Table. 5. I TABLE 5 RECREATION AREAS I Location Area Proposed future use Ha/Lots Portarlington ·146 hectares Regional park I 68 lots Foreshore recreation Indented Head 35 hectares . Foreshore recreation and open I space link between two regional parks Lake Connewarre I South side 102 hectares Preservation of lake foreshore North side 450 hectares Provision of link between land in public ownership I Barwon Heads 3.2 he.ctares Preservation of publit access to I foreshore Airey• s Inlet 5 hectares Preservation of coastline I St. Leonards 35 hectares Lake/seashore recreation (Salt Lake} 31 lots Ocean Grove 16 hectares Seashore recreation Lake Modewarre 334 hectares Lake recreation I Bells Beach 661 hectares Preservation of sea frontage

Corio Bay Foreshore 17 lots Pre~ervation of access to I· .-· foreshore . Barwon Valley Preservation of areas of high Moorabool Valley 265 hectares scenic and recreation value I Dog Rocks Limeburner•s Bay 132 hectares· I

.Bream lea 280 hectares Thompsons Creek 11.4 Resort Development areas identified on Map 8 are at present used for agricultural purposes but are in the process of conversion to urban use. I It is proposed that permanent ·population growth in these areas would be ·restricted and provision made for the development of holiday accommodation and uses. I I I - 51 -

11.5 Buffer areas are identified on Map 8. It is proposed that urban I development would be prevented in these areas and their present open rural character retained. I 11.6 Any urban expansion should be accompanied by the full provision of engineering services. One of the major advantages of Urban Alternative A is that its location enables initial development to take advantage of the existing social and physical infrastructure of the Geelong I .Urban Area. The staging order of residential development suggested on Map 9 conforms to the natural development of.catchments. Any major construction work required in the area would in any event be needed in I the next ten years to cater for the normal growth of Geelong. The major road construction required is a freeway which studies have I demonstrated·is already needed in the Geelong area. Its extension into the new urban area will therefore be an extension of an existing urban proposal. I It is considered desirable to delay major water headworks as late as possible in the growth period up to the year 2000 thereby spreading the cost burden over a greater number of ratepayers .. The unit cost of I supplying water from the Barwon Downs bores is very much less than from the Gell i brand· System. The Gell i brand scheme is therefore recommended for development after the Barwon Downs bore field. I It should also be noted that introduction of the Aire scheme or an alternative-source of supply will be required before the year 2000, or when the Region•s population reaches 365,000 persons, unless the I safe yield of the existing sources can be increased beyond the current estimates. I In Alternative A, the growth centre development is almost totally within the Thompsons Creek catchment area, thus providing a very efficient opportunity for the construction of sewerage. There are small areas which drain into the Waurn Ponds Creek system, three small pockets which can I be serviced by extension from the existing system around Highton, and a reasonably substantial area which drains into Armstrong Creek {north I of Mount Duneed) and two smaller watercourses to the immediate north. Apart from the pockets of residential use proposed in the Waurn Ponds Creek areas sewerage is readily accessible by extension from the I existing Geelong ocean outfall sewer located close to the alignment of Barwon Heads Road. The existing location of this outfall sewer means that incremental development in a south-westerly direction would maximise the space capacity in the existing system and reduce the need I for unused 11 lead-in 11 sewers to serve the upper reaches of · the creek systems prior to the progressive development of downstream areas. I The downstream sections of Thompsons Creek where it lies within the Growth Centre flows through flat and reasonably level terrain. The creek is known to be prone to some marginal flooding along ·its banks. · Continuous urban development will increase the run-off by up to 100% {50% of the I catchment proposed for development), so that measures will need to be I taken to control stormwater along Thompsons Creek. I I - 52 - I

The design of the stormwater system will need to be considered as for the total urban area to allow the construction of the downstream I sections to be undertaken reasonably early in the development process. However the construction of stormwater is a costly item and care should be taken not to construct unnecessary works during the early years. I Alternative A has been designed to utilize the downstream land adjacent to Thompsons Creek. for uses other than residential uses. In this way some inherent dangers have been overcome for those least able to cope I with unexpected flooding. 11.7 Chapter 6 discusses in detail areas and buildings in the Region of I historical, architectural and scientific interest as well as areas of natural beauty which the Board recommends should be preserved. The proposed development will take account of natural features such as I prominent hills, tree stands and water courses and will integrate these features into the total urban fabric so that the development reinforces rather than destroys the dominant natural elements~ In particular the Board recommends that Mt. Duneed, located south of Grovedale in I Urban Alternative A is protected from urban uses unless they are associated with large scale open space activities such ~s golf courses. Mt. Duneed is a landmark that assists people to orient themselves as they move I through the area. Within the growth centre it will also need to be seen in order to act in the same way. I 11.8 The Board recommends that all facilities and amenities normally considered an integral part of urban development be made available to the future population of the growth centre. While the initial needs of the growth centre will be catered for by urban Geelong, it is essential that its I facilities are not overloaded. To avoid this possibility the additional facilities and amenities needed should be provided as they are identified. I 11.9 Generally, residential areas will be located as shown on Map 9. The population capacity of each stage is detailed in Table 6.* I TABLE 6 STAGING DETAILS FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT Stage on Area Progressive Population Progressive Populationl Map 9 ha. Area ha. capacity Capacity

1 800 800 10,000 10,000 I 2 3,300 4,100 20,000· 30,000 3 1,100 5,200 23,000 53,000 I 4 2,300 7,500 23,000 76,000 5 2,100 9,600 37,000 113,ooo 1 6 2,200 11,800 47,000 160,000 7 1,400 13,200 33,000 193,000 8 500 13,700 7,000 200,000 I

* The table also indicates, separately and progressively, the dimensions I of the areas within which each residential stage will be developed. I I I I GEE LONG INVESTIGATION AREA I I OF BALL AN

MELBOURNE METROPOLITAN I PLANNING AREA I S H IRE 0 F Mll E S I SCAlE I SHIRE OF

LEIGH CITY OF GEELONG WEST I CITY OF NEWTOWN CITY OF GEELONG c~ I I I I I SHIRE OF

I WINCHELSEA 1 1' f\ I

I Urban Alternatiu area A boundary Indus! ry I -:. • s Dislritt centres f'- \'> I Sllgin1 order of rui~eatial dnelopment Municipal Boundary I 9

PII~PARED BY THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING BOARD I - 53 -

11.10 The Board has not identified any specific problems associated with . · -I developme11t in Urban· Alternative A other than those normally encountered in the development process. I 11.11 The Board has discussed the question of management and implementation i ri Chapter 9. I I I I .I ., .. I I I I I I I I I I I ' I - 54 - I

A P P E N D I X I -~--:

SITES OF ABORIGINAL RELICS I

Dog Rocks - Axe Quarry I Breamlea .- Coastal midden, burial site and fish traps I Gheringhap - Skelet~l Inverleigh - Surface Camp site I Native Hut Creek - Surface Camp Site Torquay - Coastal midden I Mt. Rothwell - Ceremonial Stone arrangement Moorabool River, Maude - Quartzite Quarry I You Yangs - Rock Well I Anakie - Burial Site Anakie Hills - Camp Sites I

11 11 You Yangs Woolomanata - Surface Camp Sites Durdidwarrah - A number of camp sites inside water reserve · I Little River (Town)· - Camp site I Little River (stream) - Small camp site North East of Bellarine Peninsula - Several camp sites I I I I I I I I I - 55 -

I . A P P E N D. I X 2

I SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED REGARDING THE GEELONG INVESTIGATION AREA

I MUNICIPAL COUNCILS I City of Newtown Shire of Barrabool I Shire of Bellarine I Shire of Bannockburn I GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND STATUTORY AUTHORITIES I Corrmonwealth Department of Services and Property Victoria

I Department of State Development and Decentralization

·~1::.. I Mines Department :·· Chief Secretary's Office I Housing Corrmission of Victoria Country Roads Board ·I Soil Conservation Authority I Geelong Waterworks and Sewerage Trust Victorian Railways I I NON STATUTORY PUBLIC BODY I Barwon Regional Council for Social Development I PROPERTY HOLDERS John F. Mann I Stocks and Holdings Ltd. I - ~t> - I A P P E N D I X 3

REGISTER OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS - GEELONG REGION I HISTORIC BUILDINGS ACT I CITY OF GEELONG Town Hall (Southern facade) Geelong, Gheringhap Street corner Little Malop I Street, Geelong. First Customs House, Botanical Gardens East Park, Geelong I Christ Church, Moorabool Street corner McKillop Street, Geelong St. Paul's Church of England, Latrobe Terrace corner Brougham Street, Geelong I Former Geelong Grammar School (Dysart Private Hotel), 55 Maud Street, Geelong E.S.&.A. Bank, 9 Malop Street, Geelong I Trustees Chambers, 8 Malop Street, Geelong I A.N.Z. Bank, Interior only, 2 Malop Street, Geelong Merchiston Hall, 2A Garden Street, Geelong I Corio Villa, 56 Eastern Beach, Geelong

Dennys Lascelles Wool Store, 26 Moorabool Street, ~eelong. I

SHIRE OF BANNOCKBURN I Moranghurk Homestead and Outbuildings, Lethbridge. Old Swan Inn, Fyansford I Darra Homestead, Meredith I SHIRE OF BARRABOOL I Barkhut, Angahook Homestead, Ocean Road,

SHIRE OF BELLARINE I Coryule·Homestead, McDermott Road, Drysdale I SHIRE OF CORIO ' I Narada Homestead, Narada, Mou~t Road, Anakie Elcho Homestead, Elcho Road, Lara I CITY OF SOUTH BARWON I Kardina House, 1 Riverview Terrace, Belmont N.B. No Government buildings are included on the Register of Historic Buildings. I - 57 -

A P P E ~ D I X 4

II SITES OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST IN THE GEELONG REGION

1. POINT CASTRIES I Shore platforms at several levels related to lithology. I 2. EASTERN VIEW .. The coast here is of interest because of th~ geological junction between the Jurassic rocks of the Otway Ranges and the Tertiary sediments. / II / 3. AIREY'S INLET TO EAGLES NEST II The cliffs east of Airey's Inlet show a volcanic structure overlain by limestone at Split Rock, then cliffs with fine sections in soft Tertiary . volcanic rocks (basaltic tuffs) with related physiographic features produced by marine erosion, notably ramps, clefts and potholes. This is the only II locality known in Australia of a rare polychaete worm of the family Rhamphobranchidae, a tube.,.dwelling worm living in the rocks at low tide I which has an unusual life history. 4. POINT ROADKNIGHT i I A headland of dune calcarenite with contrasts betweeri·.the well-developed ·shore platform on its southern shore exposed to ocean waves, and the narrower ramp on its more sheltere~ northern shoreJine. · Calcrete horizons show soil pipes which have weathered out as ~otholes~ vases and colonnades on the , II north shore. I 5. ANGLESEA LANDSLIP West of Anglesea there is an active coastal landslip in southward-dipping I clays and sandstones. 6. ANGLESEA RIVER I At the river mouth a "deltaic" cusp, developed in the lee of an offshore reef, is exposed at low tide. There are groves of M~aleuca lanceolata on the cliffs to the south, and under these the rare fungus Underwoodia beatonii I occurs. 7. DEMON'S BLUFF I Receding cliffs in soft sandy clays and dark carbonaceous clays of Eocene age which rise in the axis of an anticlinal structure. I 8. POINT ADDIS Cliffs sections · of geo 1ogi ca 1 interest, the Eocene Anglesea Sand overlain by the 01 i gocene Angahook Formation, with the Point Addis Limestone at the I top. Other sections eastward to Torquay display the relationships between these and overlying Tertiary formations, the Point Addis Limestone passing laterally into the Jan Juc Marl. The rocks contain significant fossil faunas, I especially moll uses. I - 58 - I

9. POINT FLINDERS I This coastal bluff r1s1ng to Mount Colite, south of Barwon Heads township, I shows sections in Pleistocene aeolian calcarenite, with interbedded palaeosols, resting upon basalt which outcrops on the shore and forms reefs off the mouth of Barwon River. The cliffs show an array of past and present weathering features, and are capped by Recent dunes. · 1 10. LAKE CONNEWARRE An estuarine lagoon fed by the Barwon River and linked to the sea by the I mangrove-fringed tidal channel of the Lower Barwon. Salt marshes are extensive east and south of the lake, passing into freshwater communities in Reedy I Lake, a former lagoon to the west. A small river delta has been built where the Barwon enters Lake Connewarre, and there is a tidal delta, with relics of a lava flow, at the outlet to the Lower Barwon. The area is important for .waterfowl; and an 8000 acre State Game Reserve is being I managed by the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

11. POINT LONSDALE Broad shore platforms cut in Pleistocene aeolian calcarenite extend in I front of rugged cliffs exposing lithified dune structures, calcrete horizons, and ancient soils. There are fine examples of shore weathering features, including lapies and pitted rock surfaces. The platforms are I rich in algal communities (investigated by the Botany Department, Melbourne University) and associated fauna, notably opisthobranch mulluscs. Patches of dune scrub, woodland and heath vegetation persist on the dunes and I aeolian calcarenite topography, notably south of Lake Victoria which is a shelly lagoon with calcarenite reefs. 12. SWAN BAY I Swan Bay is a shallow marine area, partly enclosed by sand spits and barrier I islands. It has extensive bordering salt marsh communities, showing zonation related to local habitats, and a large area of weedy shallows, providing a habitat for fish and shelly organisms, ·and a feeding ground for waders I and other waterbirds. 13. SWAN ISLAND The eastern shores of Swan Island have changed rapidly in recent decades I with the formation, then removal, of a large sandy fore-land. Associated with accreting sectors are dune grasses and shrubs indicative of earlY stages of plant succession on new sandy terrain. At present, a spit is developing I along the northern shore. 14. POINT EDWARDS SPIT I A compound recurved spit, with salt marshes fringing sandy recurves, which carry dune scrub vegetation. An important bird habitat. Point Edwards and nearby Duck Island are now a State Faunal Reserve (350 acres). 1 15. POINT RICHARDS I A Cuspate foreliind west of Portarlington with successively built sand ridges, which are still being added, as sand drift westwards along the shore. The I slope to the rear is related to the Curlewis monocline .

....:.._----.. I - 59 - I 16. POINT HENRY A cuspate spit of sh~ll grit has been built up to f6rm this point, and a ramp produced by wave erosion on a clay shore is well displayed. I 17. LIMEBURNER'S BAY

This estuarine i~let at the mouth of Hovell 's Cre~k~ ~orth of Geelong, is I partly enclosed -by a spit-of shelly sand. It is bordered by extensive marshes and mangrove swamps (otherwise almost extinct within Port Phillip Bay) and upstream a shell deposit on the valleyside has been dated, and I shown to be of Holocene age, evidently formed during a period of higher· sea level. · I 18. POINT WILSON TO KIRK POINT A shallow embayment, backed by salt marshes, with sandy barriers (The Sand Hummocks) on its seaward side, is among the richest h~bitats for bird life, I including some rare species (e.g. orange-bellied parrot) on the whole of the Victorian coast. I I I. I I I I I I I I I I - 60 - I Ml \... T8Y FOR P1 1\~· 'NG AND ENVIRO lMENT LIBRARY I A C K N 0 W L E D G E M E N T S I The proposed development of a growth complex in the Geelong Region is a major regional planning exercise and has led to a number of developmental studies covering the physical, social and economic aspects of the project. The data I from these studies has been an important input for this Report. In particular, the Board wishes to acknowledge the following reports: I Loder and Bayly "Geelong Development Strategy- Data : Analysis Conclusions." A Report to the Cities Commission, June 1974 . I Geelong Growth Centre Planning Group - I "Geelong Strategy : Employment in Geelong" June, 1975. "Conservation Study and Landscape Assessment" Unpublished, April 1975 . I "Coastal Towns and Rural Villages" Unpublished, June 1975. "Geelong Strategy : A Plan for Growth and Conservation" Unpublished, June 1975 . I "Geelong Strategy: Regional Plan" Unpublished, July 1975. I "Geelong Strategy:Structure Plan" Unpublished July, 1975. I I I I I I I I I I