BELLARINE PENINSULA DISTINCTIVE AREA AND LANDSCAPE Draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy June 2021 Acknowledgements We acknowledge and respect the Traditional Owners of the Wadawurrung lands and waters, their unique ability to care for Country and deep spiritual connection to it. We honour Elders past and present whose knowledge and wisdom has ensured the continuation of culture and traditional practices. We are committed to genuinely partner and meaningfully engage with Traditional Owners to support the protection of their Country, the maintenance of spiritual and cultural practices and their broader aspirations in the 21st century and beyond. Photos: Visit Victoria © The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning 2021 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. You are free to re-use the work under that licence, on the condition that you credit the State of Victoria as author. The licence does not apply to any images, photographs or branding, including the Victorian Coat of Arms, the Victorian Government logo and the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) logo. To view a copy of this licence, visit http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ISBN (978-1-76105-580-5 pdf/online/MS Word) Citation Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (2021). Draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy. State of Victoria, Melbourne. Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Accessibility If you would like to receive this publication in an alternative format, please telephone the DELWP Customer Service Centre on 136186, email customer. [email protected] or via the National Relay Service on 133 677 (www.relayservice.com.au). 2 Bellarine Peninsula Distinctive Area and Landscape The Bellarine Peninsula declared area is among This Draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Victoria’s most-preferred places to live, work, visit Planning Policy has been prepared by the and recreate. Consequently, its unique values Department of Environment, Land, Water and and distinctive attributes — its Wadawurrung Planning in collaboration with the Wadawurrung living cultural and historic heritage, biodiversity, Traditional Owners, the Borough of Queenscliffe, significant landscapes, natural resources, the City of Greater Geelong and other relevant productive land, strategic infrastructure and government agencies and authorities. built form — need protection against overuse, overdevelopment and climate change impacts. Written submissions are invited from the general public, community groups, responsible public The effects of these pressures on the declared entities, industry representatives and other area’s unique values and distinctive attributes in interested parties. Submissions must be lodged the past decade have fuelled community concerns before 4:00 pm 20 August 2021, are under ‘Have about the need to protect and conserve our your say’ in this publication. coastal environments, hinterland areas, township characters, local services and infrastructure. The Minister for Planning has prepared this Draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy for public consultation. Draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy 3 Contents Foreword 5 Introduction 6 About Victoria’s peri-urban areas 6 About the Bellarine Peninsula declared area 7 About the Draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy 11 State and regional policy context 14 Implementation of the Statement of Planning Policy 15 Monitoring and review 17 Have your say 17 Wadawurrung statement of significance 19 Our vision 20 Declared area framework plan 22 Policy domains 24 Environmental risks and resilience 25 Landscape 28 Environment and biodiversity 36 Aboriginal cultural heritage – Wadawurrung Country 40 Historic heritage 42 Tourism, agriculture and natural resources 44 Strategic infrastructure 49 Settlements 52 References 69 Glossary 71 4 Bellarine Peninsula Distinctive Area and Landscape Foreword To be included in final SPP Draft Bellarine Peninsula Statement of Planning Policy 5 Introduction About Victoria’s peri-urban areas The Bellarine Peninsula, along with other functioning of urban areas, such as providing clean peri-urban areas surrounding Melbourne, air, drinking water, food and resources. These areas Geelong and other regional cities, includes are central to the way of life Victorians enjoy. areas of outstanding natural beauty and environmental, economic, social and cultural The challenge facing the Victorian Government and heritage significance. the community is to manage Victoria’s growth while conserving and enhancing significant landscapes. These highly valued areas have been under We must balance the growth of Geelong, the safe stewardship of Traditional Owners for metropolitan Melbourne and regional towns and millennia, and they are rich in Wadawurrung living centres with the need to conserve and enhance cultural heritage. These areas are important to distinctive areas and landscapes. Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, for the protection of Country and the maintenance of spiritual and A sustainable approach to planning and cultural practices. managing peri-urban areas recognises, conserves and enhances their unique attributes They also have unique ecosystems, the native — their landscape characteristics, biodiversity vegetation of which provides habitat for threatened and environments, Aboriginal living cultural and endangered species. The picturesque heritage and historic heritage — and ensure that landscapes of peri-urban areas, especially along developments respect and respond appropriately the coasts, attract millions of local, interstate to these values and attributes. At the same time and international visitors, and tourism is a major the things that make peri-urban areas prosperous contributor to local economies. Peri-urban areas must be recognised, protected and enhanced: offer connections to nature and our rich heritage, as productive rural land and natural resources, local well as being locations of productive industries and businesses, sustainable tourism, transport and important infrastructure. They have a diversity of essential services infrastructure. major land resources and infrastructure vital to the 6 Bellarine Peninsula Distinctive Area and Landscape About the Bellarine Peninsula declared area The Victorian Government has legislated to protect Under the Act, an area of Victoria can be declared a and enhance Victoria’s distinctive areas and distinctive area and landscape if it has a majority of landscapes, so they can be enjoyed by current and the attributes that section 46AP of the Act specifies future generations. — outstanding environmental, geographical, heritage, cultural, natural resources or productive Parts of the City of Greater Geelong and all land, strategic infrastructure or built-form the Borough of Queenscliffe — which together significance — and if its attributes are under threat constitute the Bellarine Peninsula — were declared a of significant or irreversible land use change that distinctive area and landscape under section 46AO would affect the environmental, social or economic of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (the Act) value of the area. by order of the Governor in Council published in the Government Gazette on 29 October 2019. The order Table 1 lists the attributes that qualified the came into effect on the same day. declaration of the area as a distinctive area and landscape under section 46AO of the Act. Table 1: Attributes qualifying Bellarine Peninsula declared area as a distinctive area and landscape Item Attribute Distinctive features 1. Outstanding a. The endangered native flora and fauna located in pockets of environmental this area, particularly along river corridors. This habitat consists significance of various plant species including the endangered Bitter-bush (Adriana quadripartite sensu stricto), Coast Wirilda (Acacia uncifolia) and Trailing Coast Poa (Poa poiformis). b. The wetlands across the Bellarine Peninsula are Ramsar- protected wetlands and form part of a global network for migratory birds. The wetlands are home to several unique and threatened species. 2. Significant a. The Heads at Point Lonsdale are a defining feature at the geographical entrance to Port Phillip Bay. It features on numerous early features, including artworks. It is part of a Marine National Park that includes high natural landforms sand dunes, limestone cliffs and a vast intertidal rock platform that stretches across to Point Nepean. b. The scenic views across the Bellarine Peninsula of rural landscapes and along the coast are highly valued for their natural beauty. 3. Heritage and cultural a. Bellarine Peninsula has outstanding examples of Victorian-era significance architecture offering a unique insight into the area's development as a holiday destination. b. Queenscliff has a rich maritime and military history characterised by Victorian and early-twentieth-century architecture including Fort Queenscliff. A large proportion of Queenscliff is under a heritage overlay or is heritage-listed, which indicates its state significance. c. Significant Wadawurrung living cultural