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PORTANDINDOSTruALDEVELOPMENT IN THE HASTINGS AREA Discussion Paper on the need for a Review of Statement of Planning Policy No. 1 and of the Hastings Port Plan (Shire of Hastings Planning Scheme) JVUNISTRY FOR PlANNING AND ENVIRONMENT JUNE 1985 711. 5520 9945 2 HAS copy 2 MEIOO DPUG LIBRARY Minister for 111111111111111111 Planning and 16064 Environment Victoria 500 Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 PO Box 2240T Melbourne 3001 Telephone (03) 617 0211 PORT AND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE HASTINGS AREA Reference 82/2769 The Victorian Government views the development and implementation of its Economic Strategy as a fundamental step towards establishing a more prosperous, equitable and fulfilling life for Victorians. A key element of this is to increase employment opportunities in order to redress the social and economic problems arising from unemployment. Within the framework of the Economic Strategy a range of State and regional industry policies have been adopted including policies to target regional industry assistance to revitalise the economic bases of areas with high unemployment rates and dependent on declining or slow growing industries. The Hastings area of Westernport is one such area. A number of bodies have argued that to achieve the desired economic growth in the Hastings area, Statement of Planning Policy No. 1 - Western Port must be reviewed to make it less restrictive and the Hastings Port Plan amended to allow more general manufacturing rather than port related industries to estpblish. I requested advice on this matter from the Ministry and a report has been produced which concludes that formal reviews of the Statement of Planning Policy and of the Hastings Port Plan are not necessary at this time but rather that the desired flexibility can be achieved by other means. To assist me to decide whether or not to initiate formal reviews of the Policy and the Plan, I have arranged for the officers' report to be published as a catalyst for community discussion and response on whether or not a review is necessary and on what other measures might be taken to encourage and assist appropriate industries to establish in the Westernport area. I am, therefore,inviting written comments on the issues raised and the lusions drawn in the attached paper. These should reach me by the iJJiZJ~CiSion can be made as soon as possible. EVAN WALKER . MINISTER FOR PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT --------------------~ 5 June 1985 711.5520 4497207 ,:; 9945 2 HAS. Port and industrial I . copy 2 ' .. development in the . ,Hastings area' ~ discussion ·paper. ·.r 5141(F4) P 0 R. T A R D I R D U S T R I A L D EVE LOP K E B T I R T R E R A S T I R G S A R. E A DISCUSSION PAPER ON THE NEED FOR A REVIEW OF STATEMENT OF PLANNING POLICY NO. 1 AND OF THE HASTINGS PORT PLAN (SHIRE OF HASTINGS PLANNING SCHEME) Ministry for Planning and Environment . June 1985 . PORT ARD INDUST&IAL DEYELOPKENT IS THE HASTINGS AIEA Discussion paper on the need for a review of Statement of Planning Policy No. 1 and of the Hastings Port Plan (Shire of Hastings Planning Scheme) 1. INT&ODUCTION Statement of Planning Policy No. 1 (Western Port) was prepared in 1970, and reviewed and amended in 1976. Amongst other things, the area of the Policy was reduced to apply only to the mainland in the vicinity of Hastings. Recently, requests have come from a number of bodies for·a further revlew of. the Policy to make it less restrictive, to enable more general manufacturing rather than port related industries to establish. The Develop Victoria Council has written to the Premier, the Minister for Industry, Technology and Resources and the Minister for Planning and Environment caliing for Statement of Planning Policy No. 1 to be amended to allow general industry into the area and for Western Port to be promoted and developed· as a major port. The Mornington Peninsula Development Committee has called for a review of Statement of. Planning Policy No. 1 and suggested that an examination be commenced to determine the relevance of the Policy to circumstances existing throughout society today. The Council of the Shire of Hastings agreed with the thrust of the submissions made to it and requested a deputation to the Premier to put forward the views expressed by the Mornington Peninsula Development Committee. The deputation eventuated as a deputation to the Minister for Planning and Environment. .. The Minister has acknowledged that development of Westen Port as envisaged in the late 1960s and early 1970s has not occurred, that economic circumstances have changed in recent years, that unemployment is an issue of major concern, particularly on the Mornington Peninsula, and that a more flexible attitude to the types of industrial development which should be allowed in the Hastings area should l?e taken. On 27 December 1984 the Minister wrote to the Shire Secretary of the Shire· of Hastings in the folloWing terms: "You will appreciate that it is my view that although a .formal review of Statement of Planning Policy No. 1 may not be necessary" changing circumstances warrant a more flexible approach being taken to the types of industrial development which should be allowed. You will also be - 2 - aware that I have directed that the discussion paper being prepared by the Ministry for Planning and Environment should be completed •••••••••••• so that a more thorough discussion of the issues and of the need for a review can occur." Thus the purpose of this discussion paper is clear. It is intended to generate community discussion and response on the need for a review of Statement of Planning Policy No. 1 and/or of the Hastings Port Plan. The paper concludes that a formal review is not desirable and not necessary to achieve the aim of increasing development and hence employment opportunities in the Hastings area. However, it is important to'emphasise that, at this stage, this is· the view of the officers in the Ministry for Planning and Environment who prepared the paper. It must not be seen as the view of the Ministry, of the Minister or of the Government. A decision on whether a formal review will be undertaken will be made in the light of consideration of .the issues. including those raised in response to this paper. 2. A1lCUlIlUI·TS . pur FOB.WAllD FOB. A R.KYIEW OF STATEKEIIT OF PLAIIRINC POLICY 110. 1 The Develop Victoria Council, the Mornington Peninsula Development Committee and the Shire of Hastings Council have put forward arguments in support of a review. In summary they are: ." The Statement of Planning Policy should be reviewed to bring it . into line with current economic and demographic conditions particularly with a view to Western Port playing a larger part in the overall infrastructure of the Victorian economy. • Additional emphasis should be given to the development potential of Western Port and less to conservation and environm~ntal issues. • .The Policy over-emphasises the Port related industry criteria for development. Such capital intensiVe industrial developments may not happen in the foreseeable future. A projected time frame for development is not stated. • The expectations of the late 1960s and early 1970s that major industrial undertakings would be attracted to Western Port have not been realised. On the contrary, a number have closed or are about to close. • The Port of Melbourne Authority should be made responsible for both the Port of Melbourne and Western Port. This would result in a change of policy such tbat Western Port would be opened up for general cargo handling and the infusion of general industry would help to solve unemployment problems on the Mornington Peninsula. r------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 3 - • The State Development Committee Report 1981 suggested that port development was constrained by Statement of Planning Policy No. 1 and that this was reflected in the statutory plan for Hastings Port Industrial Area. • Land for general farming should be appropriately zoned to retain its potential for either port related industry or general industrial development. • The language of the Policy nee,ds to be amended to allow for a more flexible approach. It should be more simply stated. • The western boundary of the Policy area and hence the Hastings Port Industrial Plan area needs to be more clearly defined. • It is appropriate for the Policy to be subjected to regular critical analysis and review - at least every five years. 3. STATEMENT OF PLABBING POLICY 80. 1 : VESTEKB PORT (AS VA1I.IED) 1976 The Statement of Planning Policy is a conservation policy in the S broadest sense of the term. It is directed primarily to the planning ~ necessary for the management of the land resources in a part of the Western Port catchment area for deep water port and industrial development in such a way that the economic value of the deep water port is realised without diminishing the value of other fine natural resources in the region. The policy clauses of the Statement are set out in Appen.dix 1. The goals of the Policy which are set out in the introductory pages to the Policy (p.24) are: "1. The protection, utilisa,tion and management of the deep water of Western Port for a specified kind of port and industrial development. 2. The limitation of the area for potentlal industrial and port development to the main land between Hann's Inlet and Watson's Inlet generally to the' 'east of the Tyabb Fault and the Clyde Monocline. 3. ,The physical separation of development at Western ,Port from other development radiating out from the metropolitan area because of Western Port's specialised nature.